Jason's raring to go at Cotswold Downs

AFTER four years of property sales in the Upper Highway area as a valued member of the fast-growing Dormehl Phalane Property Group (DPPG), Johannesburg-born and Pietermaritzburg-raised Jason Howes has a fresh focus that has got him raring to go.

Early in September, this amiable go-getter began prioritising the 706 properties - 75% of which are complete - at the exclusive Cotswold Downs gated estate, near Hillcrest, which is modelled on the UK's Cotswold area.

One of only 14 property practitioners, representing 11 agencies, who now sell in this in-demand estate, Jason is the sole accredited representative of DPPG, launched in 2009 and now with 64 franchises countrywide.

The 50-year-old is relishing turning his talents to this peaceful community, set amid rolling hills and indigenous bush, and where luxurious A-frame homes feature grey slate roofs, exposed timber trusses and stone cladding. The estate also offers an 18-hole golfcourse, great birdlife, free-roaming antelope, water features, maximum security and a grand leisure centre and club house.

Says Jason: "I have a wide group of influential contacts at the estate which I want to cultivate more deeply and meaningfully to be seen as a premier agent in the area. I will still deal with general property covered by DPPG's Upper Highway branch, but I'll be putting much more focus on luxury-lifestyle, community-orientated living".

The Waterfall-based husband of self-employed book-keeper Leigh and father of their daughters Rachel, 11, and Abigail, 13, has made many valuable friendships and contacts at Cotswold Downs via school, parents, his children and members of his church.

He sees himself as being good with people, proudly professional, and believes his integrity and enthusiasm show in his open, caring manner: "I seem to establish trusting relationships with ease".

Jason achieved his NQ4 in 2014 and is a fully qualified property practitioner, having passed his PDE exam in March this year. The words he chooses to describe his strengths are "Integrity, Loyalty, Tenacious, Caring, Approachable and Resourceful".

Born in 1973 at South Rand Hospital in Johannesburg, Jason has an older sister and a younger brother. His mother, Judy, was a credit controller/account manager for PG Woods/PG Bison and his father, who passed away when Jason was seven, was in the steel works industry.

His family moved to Pietermaritzburg when Jason was about three, and he attended Ridge Pre-Primary, Pelham Primary and Maritzburg College, matriculating in 1991. He then went on to complete National Military Service in the Maintenance Unit in Kimberley and Pretoria.

Quite the Jack of All Trades is Jason. Over the years he's been a police detective (four years in Richmond) and a handyman (he ran his own business for four years). He's also dabbled in hospitality and telecommunications (two years in the UK) as well as been involved with retail sales, plumbing, air-conditioning and office furniture.

His first serious job was as a policeman in SAPS, from 1994 to 1999. He then worked in the UK from 1999 to 2001. After making a living in various other fields, Jason entered the world of real estate for the first time in 2009, a year after he and Leigh married. This came about after he had worked in the engineering industry, doing external sales, and was travelling a huge amount.

"I did not particularly enjoy the engineering industry or the travel. I had formed a relationship with my wife's boss, Jenny, and her husband Dave, who had actually introduced Leigh to me at church. Dave ran a real estate company from the same offices that Leigh worked from in Jenny's accounting firm.

"It had crossed my mind to have a chat with Dave one day, as a few years previously it had been suggested that I would be well-suited to the property industry - but had never looked at it before. I decided to give real estate a go and ended up being the top seller for Dave in 2010."

Jason tried a change in direction from early 2015 to April 2019: "I started out doing small jobs for housewives and the elderly, then progressed to roofing, gutters, kitchen and bathroom renovations and small building works. I had wanted to try my hand at something different, but it did not really generate the income I was looking for... and I missed the property world".

By then, says Jason, Dave had sold his company and many of the agents he had worked with had left for various reasons: "A good few had joined Dormehl and in chatting to them I found that the Dormehl ethos, way of life and values were in line with my own. The agents I knew were very happy in this environment and the company is run more like a family than a corporate entity."

Jason joined the DPPG Upper Highway team in May of 2019, working mostly from the Waterfall office and occasionally the Gillitts office. He and wife Leigh bought their first home together in Waterfall in 2010, two weeks prior to Leigh giving birth to Abigail. The family have lived there ever since.

"We have two dogs - Dusi, a beautiful-natured but scary-looking rottweiler, and Daisy, a tiny brat of a Jack Russell that think she's human. Then there's Merlin, a ginger tabby that mostly ignores us until he decides it's time for loving, and Nala, who alternates the bed she sleeps on to pass the love around."

Jason loves the DPPG brand: "Blue is my colour - but, seriously, I love the ethos and integrity behind the brand and that we are really just one big family".

Owen Dormehl, leader and mentor of the company, gets a high thumbs-up: "Owen is great, very approachable and always willing to listen to ideas, or help chew on challenges we face daily. He is generous to a fault, always willing to help, and has integrity and an amazing ability to think out the box and come up with great ideas."

Jason's view on the current property market is that South Africa is still in a buyers' market and will be for a while: "With interest rates having risen, buyers are more conservative and sales have slowed down. I am, however, optimistic and believe that if a property is priced and positioned in the market correctly it will sell.

"There will always be up and down cycles in the property market. Our job as agents is to be tuned into existing conditions and trends, to best be able to advise our clients. It is important to keep upskilling oneself on marketing trends, regulations and laws, to stay relevant and professional."

Away from property, Jason enjoys being active outdoors, be it a hike with family, a quick run or a game of tennis with the kids. His favourite thing, though, is dirt-bike-riding, mostly bush and track: "I have done a few WFO enduro races and plenty of fun rides, but just getting out with mates and challenging ourselves is what we love".

He also enjoys mountain biking: "I did the Argus with Owen and a few others this year, although I do prefer off road/track and regularly do 40-100km events."

As for his daughters, Jason is justifiably proud of both: "Both girls do well and are high achievers, academically. Abigail is in the school marimba band, and both have participated in the choir. Both enjoy all sports, with favourites being hockey, tennis and cross-country.

"Abigail has made first-team hockey, hopefully taking after her mom who made the KZN Northern Coastal teams and Natal Country Districts. Abby is also in the A tennis team, is regularly top three in cross-country and has made it to inter-school level. Rachel enjoys participating, but has not yet developed a competitive mindset. She's more in it for the fun."

Final word from Jason about Cotswold Downs?

"The estate exemplifies a coming-together of a luxurious lifestyle, beautiful outdoor living, wholesome family life and security! This is where community becomes family!"