On September 3rd, 80 years ago, the very first Wakefields Real Estate office opened its doors…
In this era of disposability, 280 characters for a Tweet, and a Whatsapp message rather than a conversation, any business celebrating 80 years is a rare phenomenon. Wakefields can claim that. Longevity equates to quality, and it certainly means that the public, through eight decades, has continually supported and appreciated the ethos and authenticity of the brand. From one single Wakefields branch, there are now 31 throughout Kwazulu-Natal.
For Keith Wakefield, Chairman of Wakefields, it’s a birthday of some real significance. His grandfather – the founder - his father, himself, and now, his children, have all been part of the province’s property landscape through all its changes, its highs and lows…and its excitement. The family’s love of property is the hallmark of the Wakefields brand.
“If I had to say what I consider to be the most significant thing that happened to the property market over the past 80 years,” says Keith, “it would be when the Banks, rather than Building Societies, began lending money. The way Building Societies were structured, meant buyers could wait up to 12 months before the funds were allocated! And that was for an approved loan! This move into the loan market by the banks – and the competitiveness which ensued - completely altered the way property was bought and sold.”
September 3, 1939. The start of WW2…and the day Wakefields entered the world of property. Eighty years. That’s quite something in today’s world.
Happy 80th birthday Wakefields!
News supplied by Wakefields.