"During the past ten years or so, our industry has changed almost beyond recognition," says Rawson.



The Institute of Estate Agents (IEA) celebrates its 67th anniversary on July 18. It was founded in Cape Town in July 1937, by amalgamating three provincial estate agency associations. Today the IEA has branches throughout the country and its national president, Bill Rawson, says the organisation is still as fully committed to supporting the property industry as it was back in the 1930s, and is probably more active today than it has ever been. "During the past ten years or so, our industry has changed almost beyond recognition," says Rawson. "Being an estate agent is no longer simply being a salesman. Today's estate agent has to be almost a paralegal in terms of the knowledge and services which he is expected to provide, and it is the IEA's role to provide its members with training and professional support to help them meet those demands." Rawson places education and training at the top of the IEA's list of priorities. The IEA is represented on the Services SETA (which is responsible for promoting skills development in the property industry), and on the SA Property Education Trust (which publishes property-related textbooks). It played a part in developing the new national qualifications for the industry - which are expected to be officially approved in August - and is preparing to open a national training academy to prepare candidates to obtain them. Rawson points proudly to the IEA's achievements over the years. They include the industry's first professional courses and certificates, a code of ethics, a fidelity fund, and the formation of the Estate Agency Affairs Board, which is