Staying alive in 2020

We are nearly at the halfway mark of 2020 and it is a universal consensus that this year is no longer about thriving, but rather, surviving. Our lives, our businesses, and our aspirations for 2020 have essentially been put on hold but despite this, Mike Greeff, CEO of Greeff Christie's International Real Estate says ''there is light at the end of the tunnel''. ''Regardless of the conditions we're living under, we are resilient, and it is important to follow our government and President's advice. Our President took an oath to lead us and we need to believe and trust that he is doing the very best he can and that all members of government are doing their best to support him in his efforts to keep us safe. We also need to hold onto the fact that if we can survive this pandemic, we can survive anything''.

The real estate industry is doing our utmost to survive, and we are trying to navigate our way through this time, as best we can. Agents and admin staff are working tirelessly to ensure that clients are taken care of and we are still doing our very best to ensure that homes are being sold.

How are you possibly selling homes during this pandemic? Through innovation, adaption, and implementation. Our agents have been trained and equipped to ride out this storm and because of our brilliant marketing tools, we are able to maintain a level of excellence that surpass expectations. Through virtual tours of properties, our clients are able to view their favourite listings, and should it be ''the one'', they will be able to put in an offer. The offer to purchase (OTP) will be subject to a physical viewing and all the necessary inspections - but being able to show the home, albeit virtually, will at least get the ball rolling and make it a more efficient process once the real estate industry is able to operate again.

Now is the ideal time for buyers to purchase homes because of the uptick in conditions. The repo rate is at an all-time low given the recent two cuts and banks are borrowing at a much more favourable rate. Carl Coetzee, CEO of BetterBond says that "The lower interest rate and the fact that some banks are granting 100% home loans to candidates who meet the necessary requirements is optimistic for buyers. Furthermore, the announcement by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni that transfer duty does not apply to the first R1 million on property purchases is another positive for those looking to enter the property market''.

At the beginning of the year, we launched our #roadto500 campaign. We set out to achieve 500 sales by the end of 2020 and we are proud to announce that we have reached 100 sales - with over 20 of those being done during lockdown. This is a significant milestone for us, and is, in essence, the key to our survival - perseverance, hard work and determination.

How do we, as human beings, survive this? This has been a question on everyone's lips and although we are all living a different reality, there are a few things that remain the same for each and every one of us.

1. Reach out to your loved ones on a regular basis. Having a sense of connection and a feeling of community is essential for hope and healing. None of us are going through this alone, if anything, this is one of the few times we can say that we really are ''all in this together''.
2. Stay informed. One of the best ways to ground yourself is through science. Avoid fake news, where facts can become blurred and exaggerated. Listen to what acknowledged experts are saying about the virus and only follow accredited news sites.
3. Stay in a routine. You need to maintain a consistent daily routine, otherwise your body just loses its habitual hormone fluctuation which just adds to its stress and reduces your ability to fight off infections.

It is often difficult to acknowledge the good when everything appears to be doom and gloom, but it is important to highlight the positives that have happened since this unprecedented pandemic hit us.

Silver linings amidst the darkness:

• In a world where 4.35 million people have been infected, 1,55 million people have recovered.
• In South Africa, we have over 12,000 cases, but of those, 4 745 have recovered so far.
• After being one of the countries hit the hardest by COVID-19, Italy has been able to reopen their restaurants.
• Spain and Germany are kicking off their league football training sessions again.
• In South Africa, certain restaurants have reopened - albeit only for deliveries.
• Never before have we relied so heavily on our national health service. Random acts of kindness are being given to these everyday heroes - for example: free food shops at the local supermarket and applauding them outside our windows as a neighbourhood. These workers on the frontline are putting themselves at risk on a daily basis in order to protect us.
• The earth is healing. With fewer cars on the road, hardly any planes in the sky and less people to litter the streets, our world is starting to heal itself. India is known as one of the most polluted places in the world and the air is filled with a constant haze of smoke. For the first time in decades, the air is so clear that you can now see the Himalayan mountains in parts of India.
• China is ahead of the curve and it's business as usual in the place where this all started.

We still have six months left in 2020 and even though we have slowly returned to normalcy, it's essential that we remain positive and most of all, that we stay alive. Many don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there is one and we will reach it if we remain resilient. In the words of Jack Ma, the successful Chinese business mogul: ''if you can stay alive, you would have made a profit already''.