TM
Thozama M
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2021
25 May 2025, 15:41
Worst service ever. I wouldn't recommend anyone to use these people
I wouldn't recommend any person to use these people. I bought a house at Birch Acres for R1 780.000, which i was made to believe that the house plan is up to date. On occupation it took me 3 months to get the dated plans.
The house is leaking from the roof when it rains, the electricity wiring is faulty and tripping, the ceiling is a playground for rodents. The eKurhuleni sent me an evaluation of the house at R1 464.000.
I'll be taking the sellers along with these people to court.
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Intro real estate's replyOfficial
27 May 2025, 20:48Good Day Thozama,
Thank you for your feedback. While we are truly sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction, we believe it is important to provide clarity and context for fairness and transparency.
The transaction was conducted in accordance with South African property laws, and all legal requirements were met. The Immovable Property Condition Report was fully disclosed and signed by all parties, as required under the Property Practitioners Act 22 of 2019, and the Offer to Purchase clearly outlined the roles, responsibilities, and conditions agreed to by both the buyer and seller.
The Seller disclosed all known defects to the best of their knowledge, as confirmed in the mandatory Immovable Property Condition Report, and all legally required compliance certificates—including the Electrical Certificate of Compliance (COC)—were provided prior to registration, as per the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993. The electrician who issued the COC is registered, and their details were shared with you. When post-registration concerns were raised, our Property Practitioner also informed you of your rights and provided you with the Electrical Conformance Board (ECB) contact information as well as the process for lodging formal complaints, should you wish to do so.
Regarding the structural plans: the property was purchased by the seller in its current form, and no structural changes were made requiring updated municipal plans. It was not a condition of sale that plans be provided, and it is not a legal requirement in South Africa to have building plans to transfer a property unless alterations were made. Once you requested them post-sale, we made continuous efforts to obtain them—communicating with the Seller via WhatsApp, phone, and email—until the Seller provided them. We acted beyond our contractual obligation to assist you.
On the matter of the roof leaks and electrical concerns: These were formally addressed during mediation proceedings arranged by Intro Real Estate, at no cost to you. That process concluded with a signed letter from you, dated 25 April 2025, confirming that the roofing issues had been resolved to your satisfaction. It is now approximately nine months after registration and the initial raising of concerns, following a period of significant rainfall across the country, that further issues appear to have arisen—possibly due to wear or weather-related deterioration, which unfortunately affects most properties and falls under ongoing maintenance rather than that of a latent defect.
As for the purchase price, it is important to clarify that the municipal valuation (currently R1,464,000 as noted by you) is determined using a general formula for property rates based on area average and property square meterage etc. (Property Value x R0.01152 ÷ 12 = Monthly Assessment Rate) and is often significantly different from market value. Your purchase price of R1,780,000 was backed by a Comparative Market Analysis using Lightstone data from the Deeds Office and other recent Birch Acres sales. More importantly, your bank (which you app**** directly to) approved the mortgage bond for the property, which would not have happened had they considered the property to be overpriced.
As outlined and acknowledged by yourselves in the signed Offer to Purchase, our role was strictly that of a facilitator in line with Section 1 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, which distinguishes between the seller (as supplier of the property) and the agent (as a provider of a service). The contract explicitly states that the Property Practitioner is not liable for the condition of the property and therefore is unable to offer any guarantees.
In conclusion, we acted in good faith, in full compliance with all statutory obligations, and consistently went above and beyond to assist post-sale—despite our legal role concluding at the transfer of ownership. We understand that purchasing property can be emotionally charged and complex, but we remain committed to transparency, fairness, and ethical conduct at all times.
Should you feel that the Seller wilfully misrepresented any defects, you are fully entitled to pursue the appropriate legal avenues.
We trust this response offers important context and reassurance regarding the integrity of the process and our handling of the matter.
Sincerely,
Intro Real Estate
Intro Real Estate
Intro real estate's reply27 May 2025, 20:48
Official
Good Day Thozama,
Thank you for your feedback. While we are truly sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction, we believe it is important to provide clarity and context for fairness and transparency.
The transaction was conducted in accordance with South African property laws, and all legal requirements were met. The Immovable Property Condition Report was fully disclosed and signed by all parties, as required under the Property Practitioners Act 22 of 2019, and the Offer to Purchase clearly outlined the roles, responsibilities, and conditions agreed to by both the buyer and seller.
The Seller disclosed all known defects to the best of their knowledge, as confirmed in the mandatory Immovable Property Condition Report, and all legally required compliance certificates—including the Electrical Certificate of Compliance (COC)—were provided prior to registration, as per the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993. The electrician who issued the COC is registered, and their details were shared with you. When post-registration concerns were raised, our Property Practitioner also informed you of your rights and provided you with the Electrical Conformance Board (ECB) contact information as well as the process for lodging formal complaints, should you wish to do so.
Regarding the structural plans: the property was purchased by the seller in its current form, and no structural changes were made requiring updated municipal plans. It was not a condition of sale that plans be provided, and it is not a legal requirement in South Africa to have building plans to transfer a property unless alterations were made. Once you requested them post-sale, we made continuous efforts to obtain them—communicating with the Seller via WhatsApp, phone, and email—until the Seller provided them. We acted beyond our contractual obligation to assist you.
On the matter of the roof leaks and electrical concerns: These were formally addressed during mediation proceedings arranged by Intro Real Estate, at no cost to you. That process concluded with a signed letter from you, dated 25 April 2025, confirming that the roofing issues had been resolved to your satisfaction. It is now approximately nine months after registration and the initial raising of concerns, following a period of significant rainfall across the country, that further issues appear to have arisen—possibly due to wear or weather-related deterioration, which unfortunately affects most properties and falls under ongoing maintenance rather than that of a latent defect.
As for the purchase price, it is important to clarify that the municipal valuation (currently R1,464,000 as noted by you) is determined using a general formula for property rates based on area average and property square meterage etc. (Property Value x R0.01152 ÷ 12 = Monthly Assessment Rate) and is often significantly different from market value. Your purchase price of R1,780,000 was backed by a Comparative Market Analysis using Lightstone data from the Deeds Office and other recent Birch Acres sales. More importantly, your bank (which you app**** directly to) approved the mortgage bond for the property, which would not have happened had they considered the property to be overpriced.
As outlined and acknowledged by yourselves in the signed Offer to Purchase, our role was strictly that of a facilitator in line with Section 1 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, which distinguishes between the seller (as supplier of the property) and the agent (as a provider of a service). The contract explicitly states that the Property Practitioner is not liable for the condition of the property and therefore is unable to offer any guarantees.
In conclusion, we acted in good faith, in full compliance with all statutory obligations, and consistently went above and beyond to assist post-sale—despite our legal role concluding at the transfer of ownership. We understand that purchasing property can be emotionally charged and complex, but we remain committed to transparency, fairness, and ethical conduct at all times.
Should you feel that the Seller wilfully misrepresented any defects, you are fully entitled to pursue the appropriate legal avenues.
We trust this response offers important context and reassurance regarding the integrity of the process and our handling of the matter.
Sincerely,
Intro Real Estate
Intro Real Estate