By Mbatjiua Ngavirue WINDHOEK Prominent real estate personality, Helena Nekome-Mandevhu, says the real estate business can provide exciting opportunities for the estimated 17ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 young people who failed their Grade 10 examinations last year. Nekome-Mandevhu, who has been in the business for 17 years, says real estate is a huge industry that offers unlimited possibilities for young people who are now on the streets. One advantage of becoming a real estate agent, she says, is that it does not require high school qualifications or large amounts of capital. All that is required is that a person must be 18 years old, must pass the professional examination of the Namibia Estate Agents Board, have a willingness to learn the ropes and own a vehicle and a mobile phone. “There is money in this business, and you don’t really need high qualifications,” Nekome-Mandevhu says. Other qualities she feels a person needs to become successful in the business are good communication skills, the ability to build relationships with clients, a presentable appearance, good negotiating skills, honesty and integrity. According to her, estate agents are especially needed in northern Namibia and in towns outside of Windhoek where there are hardly any. She cautions, however, that young people considering going into the industry must go about it in the right way to avoid failure and disappointment. Since she started in the business, she has noticed that many people from previously disadvantaged backgrounds who become real estate agents only stay in the business for a short time. Their businesses usually collapse – mainly, she feels, because they lack the necessary foundation in terms of training and experience. Many people try to set up as estate agents on their own immediately after having passed the estate agents examination. She points out that it is not enough to simply pass the exam, because a person needs additional training before they can call themselves a fully-qualified estate agent. “The fact that you have passed the exam does not mean you have learned everything,” she warns. After passing the exam, people still need practical experience, which they can only acquire by working with an established estate agent. She herself worked for an existing firm of estate agents for four years before finally taking the bold step of starting up on her own. “They might offer you a very low commission, but the outcome will be better because you will learn a lot,” she advises. While working for an established firm, new entrants will learn important skills such as how to handle contracts and communicate with clients, which she considers vital. One of the pitfalls new real estate agents face is that they often do not know what to do when a bank rejects the valuation of a property they are trying to sell to a prospective client. An experienced real estate agent, on the other hand, will know the various options to pursue when a bank rejects a valuation. New entrants to the industry also have to learn how to deal with accountants, keep their own books of accounts and know how to handle a trust account. “If your accountant calls you at the end of the year to ask for your books and you have nothing to show, you could lose your licence,” she warns. A common problem new estate agents face is that they struggle just to find a suitable accountant. It is impossible to start an estate agents business without an accountant because one cannot open a trust account at a bank without one. Nekome-Mandevhu suggests the government should become more involved in making school-leavers aware of the industry, and encourage them to enter it. She also called on the industry to appoint someone to give additional training to new entrants to the industry after they pass the estate agents examination. Another step she proposed is that the industry should introduce a specialist accountant for all estate agents with fees paid directly to the Estate Agents Board. Using the services of this accountant would, however, be optional, with those who can afford opting to use their own accountant. For young people interested in entering the industry she suggested their first step should be to contact the Estate Agents Board to register for examinations, and then to buy the necessary books. She also urged prospective estate agents not to become discouraged if they fail the exam the first time, as some people fail three times before they eventually pass. While some people pass the examination after two months, others can take up to two years to do so. She feels it is because Namibians are not business-orientated enough that South African franchise real estate firms have mushroomed in Namibia.