Mike Greeff - priding local, performing global
The ability to run a successful organisation year after year takes a specific kind of leader with a tried and tested method of doing business. In this dynamic and ever-changing world of business, a personalised way of doing business needs to be balanced with an eye on the latest trends and developments in order to be both respected and relevant.
For Mike Greeff, CEO of Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate, striking this crucial balance has been a key factor in the repeated success stories of record sales and outstanding company growth that bucks the current economic trends and conditions in the local market. With extensive coverage of the Cape Peninsula’s residential market - that includes recent expansion into the Winelands and Breede Valley regions - Greeff Properties’ portfolio includes 22 development projects currently on the market, ranging in prices from R 995,000 to R 17.5 million, with many selling as soon as they become available.
Greeff began his career at Pam Golding Properties, before moving to Seeff Properties, where he excelled as Regional Manager before going on his own. Greeff Properties has grown from strength to strength since and with Mike Greeff at the helm the company has navigated rough seas with aplomb. South Africa’s economy has seen a turbulent 2017 financial year but despite the tumult our property market has experienced, there are still willing sellers and willing buyers. Ultimately, they are people that trust Greeff to do the best for them. “People trust us because we listen to them. It’s not about chasing a fast buck but rather helping people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Whether its a young family looking for their first home or empty nesters that are looking to move out of a house filled with memories, we are there to ease the transition and make the process easier.” says Greeff. Since its establishment in 2001, the company has grown from a staff complement of four to its current figure of 115.
Mentorship and open communication lines are what Greeff credits for helping this growth. He adds, “The ability to make a positive difference in the world by living by my core values: compassion, commitment, community involvement and leadership gives me great satisfaction. It’s about helping people, passing on knowledge, and giving the best service possible”. Greeff lives by his slogan ‘Putting the personal back into property’. “The key is to focus on building strong and enduring relationships with your colleagues and the people in your market. A CEO must be a people person, and I am grateful that I learned early on the importance of building personal relationships,” he says.
In the competitive landscape of the 21st Century, a sustainable advantage of globalisation depends on the skills and abilities of a leader who can manage diversity and implement increasingly complex business strategies. A wide range of people brings different challenges and advantages in terms of ideas, creativities, styles, and innovations into the workplace. “I always look to hire people that have a spark of uniqueness about them. It means that they are different and I appreciate thinking that is outside the proverbial box,” he says. While their ideas and methods of getting the job done are vastly different, all Greeff Properties staff have one common quality that sets them apart from anyone at any another agency. They have the ‘Greeff Difference’. Impeccable standards, unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction and sincerity.
Another very renowned feather in the Greeff Properties cap is that Greeff is an exclusive Affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate since 2011. This coveted affiliation means that selected luxury Cape Town properties for which Greeff Properties has sole mandates can be marketed directly to the Christie's international database of qualified buyers. This, paired with a bespoke marketing programme has given Greeff Properties a distinctive edge.
Christie’s International Real Estate is able to tap into the very exclusive and elusive client database of Christie’s Auction House and this offers an immeasurable level of exposure to the most elite buyers around the world. A unique marketing and media mix and an immense network which currently comprises 138 affiliates worldwide allow the greater Christie’s network to be able to source exclusive homes virtually anywhere in the world for its clients. The world-famous brand powerhouse also owns Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Brioni and Boucheron. This affiliation is a true testimony to how this Cape Town company has created global reach and surpassed international standards.
Christie’s International Real Estate is able to tap into the very exclusive and elusive client database of Christie’s Auction House and this offers an immeasurable level of exposure to the most elite buyers around the world. A unique marketing and media mix and an immense network which currently comprises 138 affiliates worldwide allow the greater Christie’s network to be able to source exclusive homes virtually anywhere in the world for its clients. The world-famous brand powerhouse also owns Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Brioni and Boucheron. This affiliation is a true testimony to how this Cape Town company has created global reach and surpassed international standards.
For Greeff, business partner and a Director of Greeff Properties since 2009, Simon Raab has been instrumental in Greeff Properties success. Raab has been with Greeff for 15 years and has taken on the leadership role on many key projects during this time.
The progression of Greeff Properties has come in various guises and while boasting the expertise and experience of established, veteran agents there is the counterbalance of youth and exuberance that younger agents bring, including Greeff’s sons Ryan Greeff, Director of Greeff City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard, and Tim Greeff and his team, who is at the helm of the Southern Suburbs sectional title market.
With turnover of over R12 billion over the last 16 years, Greeff Properties continues to grow from strength to strength. Greeff’s trusted advice of ‘Always putting the personal back into property’ combined with hard work and the professionalism of Greeff Properties agents has been a trusted formula for success and has paid dividends in the form of record-setting sales figures. Anyone at Greeff Properties will tell you that they pride themselves on excellent service, a customer-centric attitude and the ethos that Greeff Properties is just getting started.
22 Feb 2018
Author Greeff
