Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine - September 2017 | Page 10

Q&A Property advice Q Is now a good time to buy residential property as an investment? Residential property has always been a safe haven for investors, so even in the current economy, now is still a great time to buy a residential investment property. Why? CHRIS RENECLE MD of Renprop Throughout Africa where coun- tries have seen economic decline, residential developments have slowed due to increased infla- tion. This has benefited investors exponentially as the demand for rental units - especially in the middle to upper end develop- ments - has increased dramati- cally. This leads to a significant in- crease in the rentals charged. As our economy weakens, inflation will increase over the long term and result in a drop in supply of upmarket residential property. The rental market will then start experiencing increased demand, and therefore rental returns, as the supply reduces. Where? Investors need to purchase up- market sectional title apartments in areas with good amenities, close to public transport hubs, but most importantly close to businesses that employ a number of highly skilled and specialised people, such as the IT, finance and telecoms industries, to en- sure good capital growth and rental return potential. Who? Tenants to be targeted include executives and skilled labour being brought in by the kinds of businesses mentioned above, which make for excellent tenants who will be paying in foreign cur- rency. Q : Having looked at the HouseMe website, how can your service benefit me as a landlord? BEN SHAW CEO, HouseME ASK THE EXPERTS 8 HouseME helps you manage your rental portfolio from your desktop. We eliminate the stress, hassle and risk of tenanting your property for only 2.5% / month, and in addition offer you a rental guarantee on your yield! Our process is entirely digital and includes marketing to mul- tiple marketplaces, leasing docu- mentation, payments collection, reporting, admin and manage- ment of tenant queries. We also can handle the traditionally man- ual services such as key-hando- vers, viewings and inspections for once-off fees – ensuring you never overpay for services. In short summary, consolidate a number of painful services to make renting easy! Do you have a property question you would like answered by our experts? If so, post it on ASK THE EXPERTS on www.reimag.co.za or email [email protected] SEPTEMBER 2017 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine