Living up to a promise made by its managing director, Tony Clarke, at the end of 2009, Rawson Properties is expanding its franchise network into the country districts, particularly those of the Western Cape.
The latest franchisees to be signed up are Andre van Niekerk and Johanna van Wyk and they have taken on a territory which, says Clarke, has huge potential. With the head office in Robertson, they will cover not only that town but also Ashton, Montagu, McGregor and Bonnievale, i.e. the whole of the central Breede River Valley and its surroundings.
'Robertson is the gateway to Route 62. The area has more than 50 wineries and also offers wellness destinations/spas, arts and crafts outlets, outdoor adventures, top quality restaurants and coffee shops, nature reserves with fynbos and wildlife, numerous farm stalls, museums and friendly people, a relaxed lifestyle '“ and authentic, attractive Victorian homes and buildings. All of these,' said van Niekerk, 'are good reasons for moving to the area'
Van Niekerk says that the area, known for its wine and fruit farms, racecourse studs, small scale vegetable, olive and flower cultivation, is experiencing increasing popularity because it has such a pleasant lifestyle, exceptionally low crime figures, and can still offer large and small homes at roughly half or less the price that Capetonians would pay.
'Even in Montagu, which is currently our highest priced town, a two or three bedroom house can be bought from R1,2 to R3 million. In Robertson it is possible to find such a home for R1 million and in Bonnievale and Ashton for even less,' he said.
For those with the reserves, he adds, he will be able to offer farms priced at anything from R3,5 to R15 million '“ although turnover of farms in this valley, he warns, is not high, most being family estates taken over by the children.
The new Rawson franchisees say that by the end of October they will have some 40 to 50 properties to offer and by 2011 they expect to be employing four agents.
'What we are witnessing,' said Johanna Van Wyk, 'is a swing away from holiday homes on the coast to those in the Boland and Overberg. This coupled to local demand will make this area steadily more popular '“ as the large number of new restaurants, guest houses and golf courses already indicates'
