International real estate group Harcourts, which already has a large footprint in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and along the north and south coasts, has now consolidated that presence with the conversion of five former Homenet offices in Durban to the global brand.

The five offices will now trade as Harcourts Westville, Harcourts Brighton Beach, Harcourts Musgrave, Harcourts La Lucia (formerly Homenet Steve Millington) and Harcourts Tops (formerly Homenet Wade & Quine).

They are among scores of former Homenet offices and more than 20 other agencies that have converted to the Harcourts brand in the past year.

Martin Schultheiss, CEO of Harcourts Africa, says the energy and new vision the international brand has brought to SA's real estate industry are eliciting great excitement in the local market. "We've been growing fast while other real estate groups were shrinking because of the tough economic conditions of the past year."

And the owners of the Durban offices point out that the Harcourts value offering holds great benefits for property consumers as well as real estate offices.

"The group offers very effective marketing and managing tools that will give us an edge in the market, to the benefit of all consumers who want or need to sell or buy property," says Jonathan Styles of Harcourts Musgrave.

Kathy Bledsoe of Harcourts Brighton Beach says the group offers a wealth of international experience and expertise. "It also opens doors for local agencies in the international arena thanks to Harcourts' presence in important international markets. As one of Durban's best established agencies, we were proud to join Homenet years ago – and now we are proud to be associated with the Harcourts brand," she says.

Annatjie Angelo, owner of Harcourts Tops, adds that Harcourts offers excellent support systems as well as training in the new systems it has introduced locally. "In these difficult market conditions it is also reassuring to have the might of such a strong international group behind us, the benefits of which will also be felt by our clients," she says.

For more information contact Martin Schultheiss on 031 201 1060 or click here to visit the website.

Readers' Comments

Have a comment or question about this article? Email us now.