TOP THREE AT WAKEFIELDS REAL ESTATE AWARDS FOR 2022

Stepping on to the podium in first place is a real accolade in a real estate company which has 26 branches, and close to 400 property practitioners throughout Kwazulu-Natal. The competition is fierce, and standard is sky high - take a look who won Wakefields' awards for top Property Practitioner, top Branch, and top Rookie of the Year!

UMHLANGA - BRANCH OF THE YEAR 2022

Manager of Wakefields' Umhlanga Rocks branch, Joy Thorpe, is over the moon that her Umhlanga team clinched the winning branch accolade: "It's taken time and challenging work for us to have built such a stable, experienced and established team of professional consultants, and that's made a world of difference. We have a few exciting newcomers too, which brings energy into the branch, and the combination is top notch."

As Joy says, that stability means Wakefields' Umhlanga branch now has a firm, respected footprint in Umhlanga, and the community recognises them as such: "We've grown the branch into a leading property brand in the area and developed a market following which is exactly what we wanted. We've gained a respected foothold, and the support and trust of the community. They recognise Wakefields as a stable, established company that they can rely upon and trust."

Joy certainly shies away from major credit for the Award: "It's all about the team - I support and manage. This award is the result of consistently good, steady results. When everybody pulls together as a team, you get results, and it's that knock-on good feeling when everybody's doing well that is so motivating."

Joy's a self-confessed workaholic: "I'm here first, I'm the last to leave, available in a supportive capacity. Everyone knows I'm here for them with whatever assistance they need to achieve their goals - matching clients successfully to properties and retaining those clients simply because their service - before, during and after - was unparalleled.

With 15 sales consultants, Umhlanga is one of Wakefields' smallest branches. Who says size matters? It's a powerhouse - congrats to Umhlanga - top branch for 2022!

VLAM MYBURG - ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Whenever you think you can't do something new, chat to Vlam Myburg, recently crowned Wakefields' Rookie of the Year 2022. Lockdown knocked so many people in so many industries, effectively robbing them of, or diminishing their incomes - reinvention was the key, but it takes courage and more. It might have been the flaming red hair - hence the Afrikaans nickname 'Vlam' - but today, he grins, "there's not much left of that red hair. Or any, for that matter."

Vlam was a full-time employee, working for an American-based company in the tourism industry. With a wife and two young sons, he needed an income: "I was sitting in bed one night, and up popped a Wakefields advert on the 'Net, describing the kind of person who'd enjoy and succeed in the property world. I thought, "I enjoy collaborating with people - one-on-one interactions are what I've done all my career. I can talk to anybody. This is something I can do...I'm going to give it a try."

Wakefields' Rookie of the Year for 2022 - his try was a really good one!

Vlam lives in Pietermaritzburg and is based in the Midlands office: "Based in the Midlands, I can do more work in the farmlands. I'm happiest in those outdoor environments - I prefer the open spaces." Vlam grew up in the Dundee area, so he returned there to reconnect with people. He met older farmers ready to sell their farms, downsize and move down to Howick - he assisted them with farm sales, and the transition to smaller homes.

He grins about his Wakefields' Rookie of the Year Award: "I was really surprised, not so much my wife. She just said, 'You've put in the time.' She knows I'm a busy person. I'm pretty committed when I put my mind to something, and I really think this business doesn't come to you, you have to find it. You are what you make of it."

Vlam's really enjoying his time at Wakefields: "I'm blessed with a fun group of people in the office, who welcomed me happily and generously as a newcomer. It's a very different world from what I was used to, and I was concerned about that. But no longer, and it's such a bonus to be spending more time at home with my wife and 10 and 12-year-old sons, Luke, and Ross.

Congrats Vlam, a well-deserved award - you're certainly on fire!

Mandy Pannell: Agent of the Year 2022

Property Practitioner of the Year for 2022, highly successful Diamond Achiever, Mandy Pannell has spent 20 years at Wakefields...and looks forward to the next 20. She's based in the Upper Highway area with a focus on the Le Domaine and Cotswold Downs Golf Estate, and is absolutely thrilled to have won the award: "I wasn't at all sure I would be the winner until I heard my name!" she laughs.

She considers herself fortunate to be a Hillcrest local, and working on 2 estates that are so well respected: "The advantage of having spent so much time here is that I've developed a large database of referrals - both buyers and sellers - and I get opportunities others might not get in terms of repeat business. But the key element here is that there's a steady demand for homes within gated communities and the lifestyle it offers - it's a niche market, always in demand, and will continue to be so. No matter whether the market is quiet or buoyant, there are always buyers and sellers."

"Mandy is the one of the hardest working property practitioners in the industry. She is super service-orientated and makes the client her sole focus" says her Branch Manager, Haydn Wakefield. "Her work ethic and incomparable dedication to her clients are the secret behind her success."

For Mandy, her success in property is easy to analyse: "If you love people and you love property, you can't go wrong in real estate. That's exactly how I feel about this industry."

Mandy is very humble when she talks about her success but it is clear that she has made real estate her business in every sense of the word. She identifies and understands that her clients have different concerns, needs and sensitivities: "Deciding on a new home is not only about choices today, but also taking into account ones needs for the future."

"I'm so thrilled to be Wakefields' Agent of the Year 2022. Hard act to follow next year!"