CEO's Message Oct 2017

As the antics of auditing firm, KPMG, the South African Revenue Service and public relations firm, Bell Pottinger play out in our media almost on a daily basis, it’s not hard to see why South Africans are finding it harder and harder to know who they can trust. 
At the highest level, we have a crisis of accountability and a dearth of good leaders. At both political and corporate level, many seem to have lost their moral compass and reneged on their commitment to ethical conduct and good governance. 
When Tyson Properties was established way back in 2005, I was outspoken about the need for all estate agents to be properly qualified and for the industry to be well governed in accordance with sound ethics and honesty. If anything, my stance on this is even stronger now that we can see the consequences of greed and corruption. 
I believe that a credible brand that stands for honesty and integrity is something that money cannot buy.   I am proud of our agents who are good ambassadors for our brand and of a brand that we have worked hard to build. 
I regularly remind all members of the Tyson Properties team that we have a huge responsibility when it comes to oversight of substantial transactions that often represent our clients’ biggest ever financial commitments.  As such, we have an obligation to not only provide the best advice but to ensure that we protect the interests of all parties within the law. 
While I, like most of us, often feel overwhelmed by the enormity of what is unfolding almost on a daily basis, I am comforted by the fact that each of us can make a statement by living out good values in our daily business dealings. I might not be able to change what is happening at the highest level but I can make a difference with each property transaction that is concluded under the Tyson banner. 
As a prospective buyer or seller, I would like to appeal to you to make your own statement by requiring all those who are custodians of your transactions to be legally and properly qualified. You know the saying that evil flourishes when good men do nothing? Well, unscrupulous agents exist because some of us are prepared to turn a blind eye. 
So, please, insist that your real estate agent is registered with the Estate Agents Affairs Board of (EAAB) of South Africa and holds a current Fidelity Fund Certificate (FFC) that is no more than a year old.
Qualified agents should renew their FFCs annually and attend on-going training in order to get their annual Continuous Professional Development points (CPD). Without attaining the required number of points per annum, the FFC will not be renewed.
In a tough world where we cannot be sure that every person we encounter is trustworthy, we need to be sure that we are doing our bit to ensure that dishonesty and poor service do not thrive by making the right choices. 
Without an FFC, an agent will not have fidelity cover in place. Without this, buyers and sellers risk not being compensated should they face a financial loss. In effect, handing over a large property transaction to an unregistered agent is much like entrusting an unqualified doctor with your heart surgery!
So, let’s stand together to ensure that corruption becomes the exception to the rule rather than business-as-usual in South Africa. 

regards
Chris