Batman has Robin. Wonder Woman has Donna Troy. And Harry Potter has Ron and Hermione. At Century 21 South Africa, our practitioners are blessed to have the inspiring Nicolene Hamaty at their side. Our resident National Training Manager and Head of Training Century 21 University SA, Hamaty helps support practitioners through their real estate careers. In Women's Month, Century 21 South Africa celebrates her achievements and the impact she has made in the industry.
Empowering practitioners
Some heroes wear capes, but others come armed with an expansive knowledge base, a commitment to excellence, and a passion for everything they do. That's Hamaty in a nutshell. She designs and develops real estate training and development courses, structures, and manuals. As the head of the Century 21 University SA (previously the National Training Academy), she developed and launched the website, giving practitioners the flexibility to train from anywhere and at any time. She's been a university guest lecturer and joined panel discussions on the international property market.
Somehow, Hamaty has managed to find time to become a fundi on all matters real estate. If you've caught her Facebook videos, you know she covers topics from sales, personal development, productivity, social media marketing, innovative strategies, and motivational speaking. It's a long list but not surprising for someone so invested in growing herself - and others within the industry.
Setting the bar high
Despite her role in the success of practitioners, Hamaty is modest about her own achievements. "I hold a National Qualification Framework (NQF) 4 in Real Estate, Professional Designation Exam Level 4 (PDE), NQF 5 in Business Real Estate Management, PDE 5, and a Master Practitioner in Real Estate (MPRE)," she says. "But I have also earned a BA Degree in Communication Science, an Advanced Diploma in Real Estate, and an NQF 4 in Auctioneering Support Services. Plus, I'm a qualified assessor and moderator."
With her qualifications in her back pocket, Hamaty has definitely made her mark. She rose to the position of vice president and then chair of the Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa (IEASA) in 2012. She's been a CEO and team leader, helping to recruit, retain, and train productive sales associates, developing their careers in the process. She's also been the go-to person for competitor research and marketing strategies.
"I have a passion for increasing productivity," says Hamaty, reflecting on her journey. "That's driven my approach to real estate, sales, personal development, productivity, and social media. I believe in using both technology and traditional methods to help individuals achieve their goals."
Breaking glass ceilings
While Hamaty makes trailblazing look easy, she does acknowledge the road to success has not always been easy, especially as a woman. "For most female property practitioners, it can be challenging to juggle it all at once, from being a mom, wife, and property professional. Each one of these roles is a full-time job and most female property practitioners are really superwomen when they manage to do it."
Hamaty has used her role at Century 21 South Africa to support female practitioners and help them break through these obstacles. "We have moved the majority of our training and courses online and most of them are self-paced," smiles Hamaty. "You can learn and educate yourself anytime, anywhere. This helps you structure the training to fit into your schedule."
There's also a no-nonsense approach taken with course material that caters to the needs of women practitioners. "We only focus on topics that are relevant for property practitioners and how to make them more productive and profitable," says Hamaty. "We don't include any fluff - only actionable, real activities that will get you the results fast. We know women are busy and want to give the relevant information to increase their real estate business."
Leading by example
Hamaty is backed by a team of other female professionals who she says always strive to "break through the glass ceiling and reach an even higher level in their career". Her biggest inspiration comes from her friend, Maritha Botha, who she worked alongside as an estate agent in Bloemfontein.
"Maritha taught me so much. She is just one of those people that just keeps going, through the good times, the bad times, and the sad times. No matter what life throws at her, Maritha has this incredible ability to power through it. She taught me how to be resilient and how to go for what you want in life. She is one of my favourite people and I will always look up to her and admire her. For me, she is what every property practitioner should strive to be," says Hamaty.
Hamaty is proud to work with women who inspire her and do her part to help female practitioners fulfil their dreams. In honour of Women's Month, she shares her message for those in the industry: "Get started! Get it done! Once we get started, we can move mountains, but we need to start. Once we start we realise it is not as hard as we thought it would be. Do all that you can do today, and do each of your activities efficiently. In real estate, you are where you are today because of what you did three months ago."