WELCOME TO THE BEACH!

The new manager of Wakefields Real Estate's Beach Branch is Durban-born and raised, Randheer Tilakram - it's his old stamping ground, so he knows the territory and understands management well!

Randheer Tilakram is the perfect example of how, no matter what stage you're at in life...you can fall in love with property. Currently 50 years old, he arrived at Wakefields at age 47, from an entirely unexpected direction.

Randheer began his working life at age 18 with the South African Post Office Ltd in Johannesburg as a teller, and rose in the ranks from Postmaster to Superintendent General, Sandton. He grins, "At age 20, I was the youngest Postmaster in the country - in those days, that position was considered 'mayor of the town'."

Randheer was then promoted to Forensic Investigations Officer, Durban, then Chief Forensic Investigations Officer, and finally, Regional Manager/Provincial Head of Forensic Investigation Services in the Western Cape - no small role! He had 262 post offices allocated to this portfolio and wore two hats - Head of Forensic Investigation Services, and Security Risk Management Services. He spent most of his 26 years there involved with fraud, theft, bribery and corruption in the institution.  It was a tough road, but while doing all that, Randheer upskilled himself: "Learning is growth. If you're not learning, you're dying." He qualified with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, specialising in Financial Risk Management; then followed that with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree in Business Management. Not content with just those, he secured a diploma 'Associate in Management Practice' from the University of Cape Town, another in Project Management, and a host of Forensics certifications.

Then there came a time when he knew he should move on from the SA Post Office Ltd, and make a change. He'd spent many years in Cape Town, but hadn't sold his home in La Lucia, Durban.  He wasn't too concerned about the future, but couldn't quite imagine himself retiring, even though that was an option.  Life had different plans for him. He laughs, "I'd only just returned to La Lucia. I was sitting reading a copy of the Northglen News, when a flyer slipped out on to the floor - Wakefields was recruiting sales consultants. I thought it sounded interesting, so I decided I'd chat to the principal there, and see whether this was for me."

Shantel Nelson was the Manager," says Randheer: "And the interview went well. It was November 2017, and I became a sales consultant at the Gateway branch. I had tremendous support from my fellow agents, and excellent mentorship from Shantel. As with any learning curve, it was slow to begin with, but I persevered and by year two I was doing well, and year three, I was selling extremely well!"

Over the three and a half years he spent at Gateway, he'd eyed opportunities to flex his managerial skills at other Wakefields' branches, but when the Beach Branch Manager position became available, he put up his hand: "Call it intuition if you like. I knew that was where I wanted to be, and where I'd be most effective." Randheer says that because Wakefields was not a franchised real estate agency, he always knew, when the time was right, there'd be opportunities for growth within the company.

Randheer is now Beach Branch Manager, and he's determined to take it right up to the top! Even with his managerial experience and background, Randheer admits to having watched and learned from skilful management at Wakefields, especially his manager, Shantel Nelson. He stored away that information for the day he'd need it. He's using it now. "I'm also busy recruiting newcomers to our office, showing them what I did to make a success of this career."

When Randheer isn't working, he's reading, or running! "I'm 50 but fitter than a 20 year old," he laughs. "I run every day and I simply love it. It has become a ritual for me. I also read voraciously - that's something my dad taught me from a very young age, and I value that gift." Randheer is also an explorer: "I love travelling, particularly locally - also having worked with the SA Post Office Ltd in Kwazulu-Natal earlier in my career, I spent a great deal of time on the road in little towns. Now I revisit them, see what's changed and what hasn't. I love it."

Welcome to the beach Randheer!