There’s no doubt about it — Lalian Fourie has been on a remarkable winning streak in 2024, solidifying her status as a real estate powerhouse. At the Century 21 Pearl Awards 2024, she claimed not just one, but several honours. She was named Agent of the Year 2024, while also earning titles for Highest Oyster Points, Highest Agent Sales in Category 1, and National Winner for Highest Agent Sales.
The glamorous awards ceremony, held in Hoedspruit in September, celebrated the best-performing real estate agents and franchises across the country. It was a tight race for the top title but Fourie’s dedication, skills, and exceptional performance ensured she emerged victorious.
Although Fourie embodies Century 21’s SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.™ spirit today, she had to put in the work to launch her career. “For most of my children’s school lives I did administrative work half day to be there for them,” she says. “Once they left home, my career in property started in 2001 with conveyancing attorneys.”
Fourie’s passion, however, was always to work with people in sales. “Eventually, I joined Apple Creek (later Pam Golding Properties) at the end of 2003 as an agent assistant,” she shares. “Over time I worked my way up to become a registered real estate agent and had great success. I joined Century 21 Fourways at the beginning of 2020.”
Fourie’s triumph at the Pearl Awards came as a surprise for her. “What a shock,” she says. “I thought I was going for a bit of R&R and then that happened.” To inspire future winners, she shares the six valuable lessons learnt along the way:
1. Every difficult lesson can make you better the next day.
2. Take a systematic approach to potential homebuyers and understand their needs, budget, and personal situation.
3. Aim to learn and grow so nothing (or almost nothing) will trip you up and be outside your scope of work.
4. Be courteous and read your clients. Find out how they prefer to communicate, on which days, and during which hours. This eliminates a lot of issues down the line.
5. Stay in touch with your network. When you take a vested interest in your clients and check in from time to time, they are much more receptive to your calls the day you list their dream property and give them a call.
6. Remain open, honest, and transparent even if it means losing a sale. Integrity and acting ethically are everything in sales and if you lose it, you cannot get it back.
- Contact Fourie for your property needs in Sandton and Midrand.