It seems unbelievable that three years ago we first started talking about COVID-19. Little did we know that the world was to be turned on its head and some of the far-fetched scenarios would become our reality: the whole world quarantined, not an airplane in the sky, global, bustling cities grinding to a halt and becoming ghost towns, and following on its heels the killer disease that ravaged cities, killing hundreds, all caused by a disease that was prevented by the wearing of a simple face mask. The threat of the unknown loomed large in the minds of all, and after we had recovered from the initial shocks, the reality of the present and concern for the future started becoming top of mind.
Landlords started realizing that they were not in the business of renting space but were in the business of relationships; those who had forged meaningful and real relationships with their tenants found it easier to understand the needs and develop workable solutions. Had it not been for technology, we would have lost our minds, and possibly our businesses. Zoom calls and WhatsApp groups became commonplace and were not only used to communicate with our families overseas but with our neighbours and family next door.
Three years later, some things have become a distant memory, while others have become clearer. Flexible working spaces and hybrid working arrangements have become the new norm, leading to speculation about the end of the office sector as we know it. Technology has influenced how we bank, communicate, and interact, so it was obvious that it would determine how we worked; Covid-19 simply sped up the process. What is more important is how we react to it and how we change to accommodate it.
The need for real estate will always be there, but how we use it, sell it, and offer it to clients will change. As we come to the end of 2022, we face many challenges in the property industry, such as rising electricity costs, the current political climate, and a decline in the office sector. As the new year approaches, we face it with trepidation but also a sense of hope. Despite a rather disorganized ANC conference, the President came away with a more solid mandate to govern, and hopefully this will manifest itself in decisive action on corruption and policy. We teeter on the brink of collapse with Eskom, but with new political teeth, we live in hope that if sabotage and subterfuge are behind the power outages, it will be dealt a swift blow.
Over the last three years, much like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, my unseen companions have been Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion. When Covid was at its worst, like the Lion, we needed to muster up the courage to face the pandemic and its consequences on our families, friends, and businesses. We needed the courage to get up in the morning and face.
When Covid was at its worst, like Lion, we needed to muster up the courage to face the pandemic and its consequences. Consequences on our families, our friends, our businesses. We needed the courage to get up in the morning and face not only businesses on the brink of disaster, but the reality of the death of friends and loved ones.
Now we face a new dawn; we know that we have the courage and the heart, but like the Scarecrow we need to exercise intelligence and wisdom. Wisdom to understand that although the world has changed dramatically, it is not the first time, nor will it be the last. Wisdom to understand that change is good. Most importantly, we need to exercise intelligence in making the change, embracing technology, and bringing products that will meet the new needs of our customer base.
So as we see out 2022, and usher in 2023, we at Quoin wish you well for the future, and trust that we can partner with you to bring new, exciting property and technology products to the market.
Wayne van der Vent
