PROPERTY MUST BE AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE

Wakefields is ready to return to work. We have everything in place to ensure buyers, sellers, and our sales and administration team can operate safely and effectively under strict health protocols. We're lobbying at the highest levels.

"At Level 4, we firmly believe the property industry should, within a clearly defined framework, not only be permitted to operate, but encouraged to do so for the good of the economy," says Wakefields Real Estate CEO Myles Wakefield. "As one of the key contributing industries to South Africa's GDP, the continued buying and selling of property is pivotal to the country's recovery strategy."

Wakefields fully supports the government's call to flatten the curve, and applauded the decisive action taken at the outset. "We do, however," says Wakefield, "feel very strongly that of the many industries reintroduced into the workplace under Level 4, the property industry should have been high on the list. We're part of the strong industry lobby to government to include real estate as an essential service."

In the window period given to lobby government, Wakefields joined forces with all major estate agency brands, and crafted a clear operational blueprint within which the industry could function optimally, and return thousands of sales consultants and administration staff to work. This strategy was submitted to the industry mouthpiece, Rebosa, which, in turn, presented a comprehensive, well-thought out submission to government prior to the decision to exclude property from being operational at Level 4. 

Wakefields is very clear: "Real estate is extremely easily managed in terms of social distancing and strict sanitization, either as one-on-one interactions in a home, or if homeowners prefer, solo viewings. It's very straightforward to protect buyers, sellers, and our sales and admin team. It's easy to limit numbers of personnel and/or clients in the office. The comprehensive strategies we put forward to government showed how this could be implemented almost immediately, thereby re-activating a crucial economic sector and returning thousands of commission-based South Africans to the sole source of their income. While it is puzzling as to why real estate was excluded, we want to assure everybody that we have not stopped lobbying, and will continue relentlessly to do so."

 The Wakefields team is, of course, operating at full capacity to their best of their ability, utilizing all the virtual tools available. But for buyers and sellers, doors need to be opened to view homes. Wakefields is ready to return to work in the field.