Please note that as of 1 April 2021, the UCT Start and Manage a Managing Agency online short course is being presented by Ané de Klerk of The Advisory. Please click the button to be taken to the course page on The Advisory’s website, where you will find the latest course updates.
While South Africa is officially in recession, there is one area of business that continues to have an increasing market, month by month and year by year.
Almost all housing that is not state-subsidised comes onto the market in the form of sectional title units or homes in complexes such as home owners’ associations. The vast majority of these ‘community schemes’ are managed by professional managing agents. Managing agency is the business to be in!
The potential rewards for having your own managing agency are very high. You can start with just one scheme and build a lean business that makes you a good income, perhaps with just a handful of accounts. Alternatively you can decide to build a large business, either incrementally or by taking over other operations.
Module 1 introduces the student to starting a business, what motivates people to do so and why managing agency is a good business opportunity. We look at what makes a successful entrepreneur, briefly what starting a business involves, and what challenges there might be.
In this module, we explain the fundamentals of managing agency, the appointment process, and what duties the managing agent has to the association and the association to the agent. We identify the statutory bodies and related organisations that affect managing agency.
Module 3 is an overview of contracts, we describe the various laws that affect the operation of a managing agency, what licenses are required, and commercial lease agreements.
In this module, we explain the requirements for registration of a business, registration for tax purposes, and unemployment insurance and workmen’s compensation for the employees. We cover developing a business plan, finding appropriate premises and the actual start up of the business.
Module 5 deals with accounting and book keeping, the requirements of SARS, profit planning and budgeting, and managing a cash flow.
In this module we look at recruiting, training, and appraising the performance of staff. We deal with organising and coordinating the functions of employees, the laws that directly apply to the business’ relationship with employees, and dealing with HIV/AIDS at work.
Module 7 deals with selling the product, how to price services, promote the business and how to use traditional and modern electronic media marketing systems.
Module 8 explains business management, the importance of planning and how to go about it, building a positive team environment and how to focus the team effort, and controlling and growing the business.
This course is designed for people of all ages, from young entrepreneurs to retired business people, estate agents and teachers who want to start a business managing community schemes for their own account. You don’t have to have worked as an employee of a managing agency, although this will help. You might have gained the necessary experience as a volunteer trustee.
Ané is an admitted attorney of the High Court (BA, LLB). She combines her knowledge of conveyancing, property and sectional title law with work experience as a property portfolio manager, making her a valuable addition to the learning team. Ané has been the Course Instructor on all Paddocks UCT online short courses since 2019, and is currently a Director at The Advisory, a specialist community schemes law firm, where she continues to run the three principal Paddocks UCT courses.
