WITH 30+ years in the business of real estate, Kura Chihota has served on multiple boards and held roles in impressive leadership positions. In a bold move, the former executive director, Leapfrog Property Group (2012) and more recently, CEO of Ascendant Property Fund (Zimbabwe) has joined eXp South Africa. The extraordinary cloud-based operating model is one of the key factors influencing the move. “This is the ‘Amazon’ of real estate,” he said, “eXp is trailblazing a global movement… leading a worldwide industry revolution.”
In addition to cutting edge technology, building solid relationships have never been more important in real estate broking. “These two drivers will remain critical in the successful conclusion of deals for both new and seasoned property professionals,” said Chihota.
No other property brokerage enables agents better, to do this. As a respected champion of industry, Chihota brings his professional clout to the fastest-growing brokerage in the world, and a sniper focus to the commercial sector.
“I aim to augment the commercial property offering in the South African market. Powered by the innovative transactional model offered by eXp, this is a very exciting new chapter,” he said.
On Chihota becoming an associate, Andrew Thompson, designated managing broker for eXp SA, comments: “Kura has carved his niche in the industry and has a direct advantage when it comes to referring and promoting attractive property investments.” Thompson notes Chihota is equally well-placed to attract the right calibre of new agents into the businesses network. “Kura can use his positive influence as an opportunity to aggressively drive growth within the business.”
According to Chihota, the eXp model offers a phenomenal empowerment opportunity within the South African context for established operators and aspiring newcomers.
Real estate agents are entrepreneurial by nature and eXp’s world-class technology supports property professionals anywhere in the world. “As long as an agent has a phone and data, they can seamlessly operate. Their success is compounded by the support, skills development and training on offer.” This is where his drive to develop entrepreneurs and create employment comes in. Critically so.
“I will reinforce my mentorship practice by creating a pipeline of agents who want to work with me to enhance their skills. It’s a win-win situation and the financial reward is far more attractive than any existing agency commission split. In addition, agents earn equity in a global company,” he points out.
The model offers an unparalleled compensation package through a generous commission structure, a unique revenue earning program and the potential to earn eXp World Holdings stock awards (Nasdaq: EXPI). Agents can earn stock for various achievements such as closing their first transaction as well as the opportunity to earn back their yearly commission cap in stock.
While Chihota predominantly operates in the South African market, he eventually aims to establish himself as the ‘go to’ in bringing real estate investments to the South African capital markets, and represent clients’ cross-border real estate needs, with a focus on Africa.
“The JSE Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) sector has been a success story which can be easily replicated elsewhere. I want to leverage my 10 years on the boards of JSE-listed REITs to grow real estate portfolios across the region. A global brand and with rich experience is mine to call upon,” he concluded.
For more information about eXp South Africa visit: https://www.expsouthafrica.co.za/
