IEASA National - News

Institute celebrates 68th Birthday   Article Date :29 Jul 2005 Anniversary address from IEASA President The Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa celebrates its 68th anniversary this month. It was formed in 1937 by three provincial estate agency organisations which had previously operated independently of each other. Current IEA president Bill Rawson says the organisation, which promotes the interests of the industry, is still as fully committed as it was back in the 1930s and is probably more active today than it has ever been. Its current priorities are training and transformation, and it is a member of the steering committee which is drawing up the Property Sector Transformation Charter. "The industry's need for training increases year by year," says Rawson. "Property sales and letting have become much more complicated over the past decade or so, and today's estate agent needs to be much more than a salesman. He or she must be able to inform and advise clients on tax implications and compliance with a range of laws. The Institute runs a range of courses to equip its members to meet these challenges." Rawson says that national qualifications for the estate agency industry were registered by the SA Qualifications Authority in August 2004, but as yet the Estate Agency Affairs Board (the industry's regulating and licensing authority) has given no indication as to when they will become compulsory. Transformation of the industry, which is perceived still to be predominantly white, has been very slow and unco-ordinated. Rawson says that the IEA has launched various initiatives, including a successful mentorship programme for previously disadvantaged estate agents, which was endorsed by the Services SETA. Last year, the IEA joined the steering committee which drew up a transformation charter for the industry. The final draft was issued in June 2005, and is awaiting ministerial approval. The target date for implementation is January 2006. The IEA currently operates through eight regional branches, co-ordinated by a national head office in Cape Town. Membership is voluntary. The IEA is affiliated to the National Association of Realtors in the USA. Although the IEA itself is only sixty-eight years old, Rawson says that its three Gauteng-based branches are the direct descendants of the original Real Estate Agents Institute of the Transvaal, which was founded in 1905, and can therefore regard this as their centenary year. Enquiries: IEA National Office: 021 531 2074. END CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN NEWS PAGE