Greeff celebrates turning 20

Two decades ago, real estate agent Mike Greeff started Greeff Properties in the heart of Cape Town's Southern Suburbs. He reminisces, "It all began at my dining room table - I was a one-man show, working day and night to get property mandates." It was a daring move, as Greeff was taking on well-established real estate giants. "I was something of a David among the Goliaths," he adds.

However, Greeff had a clear vision: "To grow the company while retaining the original boutique agency essence - offering a niche, personalised, and expert service by agents specialising in their areas." This winning approach led to a prestigious affiliation with Christie's International Real Estate, a global property giant whose 138 affiliates worldwide are hand-selected for luxury sales success and adherence to strict excellence standards.

The Greeff approach has earned numerous accolades, including Best Real Estate Brokerage (Luxury Lifestyle Awards, 2021), Best Marketing Real Estate Agency (African Property Awards, 2020/21), Christie's Affiliate of the Year (2018), and Real Estate Agency: Marketing (African Property Awards, 2018/19).

Over 20 years, Greeff Christie's has grown to 350 staff, including brokers, administrators, managers, and interns. Greeff notes, "Effective growth meant keeping pace with exponential technological leaps in this sector. We support our brokers with up-to-the-minute training and proven marketing strategies, especially digital platforms."

Today, Greeff Christie's flies its flag at 18 offices across the Cape Peninsula, Winelands, Helderberg, Hermanus, Overberg, and West Coast.

"Top specialists are drawn to Greeff Christie's for our world-class offering and lack of bureaucracy," Greeff explains. "Our open-door management allows quick decisions and flexibility, benefiting sellers, buyers, and brokers."

With his son Tim involved, Mike Greeff has created a living legacy. Tim, an award-winning broker, reflects, "We grew up watching Dad build this business day after day. His hard work enabled my brother and I to receive an excellent education and witness the skills and tenacity the property sector demands."

This new Greeff generation represents ambitious graduates choosing real estate careers. Tim adds, "This fast-growing sector allows us to keep expanding while giving back through mentorship, training, and community programmes - an essential Greeff approach. When Dad started, I was 7, but he always had an outreach like sponsoring worthy causes like animal welfare, Save The Rhino, The Big Issue. Our current efforts support Feed The Nation."