Fine & Country opens on Garden Route

In the middle of 2012, Elizabeth McKenzie joined Van Rensburg to establish the brand in the upper quartile of the market in Midrand. Having specialised in premium lifestyle estates, McKenzie brings a wealth of experience in marketing prestige properties to both international and local clients.

Now, this formidable team has joined forces to launch Fine & Country Knysna and the Garden Route. Their team will include Natalie Wood who will be the strategic Knysna specialist real estate agent as she and her husband have lived in Knysna for 21 years and are a well-known, respected family. Natalie has managed to secure a number of prestige properties to market in a very short space of time.

A platform to realise the most favourable transaction possible

Van Rensburg says, "This new venture is a further extension of our current business as license holders of the Fine & Country banner which we operate in Gauteng, KZN and now the Garden Route/Knysna.

"Services offered are sales, rentals and holiday rentals. The initial focus will be the greater Knysna area specialising in the upper quartile of the market as well as the exclusive developments and premier properties that are currently on the market.

"As an internationally accredited brand, we will be exposing some of the most prestigious properties in the area to the international market, as well as providing both buyers and sellers with a platform to realise the most favourable transaction possible.

"Our marketing efforts are strengthened by superb photography, superior copy and creative but focused choice of advertising medium.

"We are driven by partnering with like-minded individuals and are confident and excited that we have engaged the services of Natalie Wood who knows Knysna like the back of her hand.

"In the recent past Knysna held the proud status of having the highest selling price achieved for a private residence in South Africa. The Knysna area has some outstanding properties and currently we have a couple of properties that are being marketed in excess of R30m."

According to McKenzie, this is a very difficult market to break into as it is well-established but she adds, "We are terribly excited because we know that with Natalie and our magnificent brand we can set her apart from the rest in the way we have done in Midrand."

A favourable proposition for permanent residence and investment

She adds that the most important factor in their decision to take this step was that the Garden Route and Knysna areas have historically been holiday destinations, but there has been a trend in recent years for these areas to become a favourable proposition for permanent residence among the retiring community as well as those looking for an investment in a coastal location.

She says, "These areas are starting to show attractive potential in respect of growth in population and commercial interests and this was the motivating factor in entering this market.

"The business plan is to be selective in the properties undertaken to market in order to maintain the high standards of client relationships while attempting to conclude transactions in the shortest possible time frame. The roll out of our business model has a synergy with the success of the Midrand branch, owned by André, and our intentions are to apply this strategy in Knysna.

Without exception the success obtained in the UK has had a positive knock-on effect in our being able to launch a new brand in a region that is conscious of a quality service offering."