Owen Dormehl

I honestly believe teaching people is the way forward and always use that old saying about teaching people to fish rather than giving them a fish. And if you truly nurture people then invariably you will find that they are loyal and passionate.

Owen Dormehl had had his first taste of the professional property market late in 1993, when he applied for part-time work at a Kempton Park estate agency - and proudly points out that, having done his homework well, he managed to sell two houses while waiting for his interview. He was hired in a heartbeat.

Having long had a penchant for buying and fixing up houses for resale, Durban born Owen Dormehl always knew he would enjoy, and be successful at, channelling his time and talent in the property market, so he quit the military in 1996.

He went on to become a half-partner in Acutts in Durban and, prior to that, worked at Brink after having held a part-time job at Pam Golding on the Bluff. The first Dormehl branch opened in Pinetown, with partner Kevin Delport and Owen's wife, Amanda, contributing to its success. Within a month, eight experienced estate agents had become part of the crack team.

Owen, a Port Natal High School alumnus, next opened his head office in Westville's Church Road - and within 18 months Dormehl had seen 34 franchises spring up. The company now has 70 franchises countrywide.

Testimonial

We have been in the market for a long time (multiple years), trying to sell our property. While we accepted the fact that our property is in a very niche market and therefore we won't have as much interest as one would like, I was getting increasingly concerned about the limited number of people showing an interest in our property. At times there was no interest for a number of months in succession, with only one or two parties showing interest in between. We were ready to give up hope and withdraw the property from the market, when we were introduced to Owen Dormehl by one of our neighbours who had just sold their properties.

I appreciated Owen's open and transparent approach from the first moment he entered our home. He gave us credible advice, supported by sound reasoning and facts. Although he didn't always tell us what we wanted to hear, he always told us the truth. The first thing he told us was that we have completely overpriced our property, which he backed up with facts based on reports he had at hand. He pointed out the selling features (and flaws) of our home and laid out a strategy to market it. Although I have never supported the idea of sole mandates, Owen convinced us to sign a sole mandate - and made it worth our while by providing us with top-notch service. Within the first 3 weeks of listing with Owen, he brought more clients to view the property than what we had in over a year.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the property market as a result of lockdown restrictions, Owen kept in touch throughout and was back on the scene the moment restrictions were lifted and property sales were allowed again. Owen managed to sell our home during the volatile pandemic period, at our asking price. This was a phenomenal feat, despite the odds being stacked against him. We even bought our new property through Owen, and as expected, got the same great service as the buyers. We are delighted with the trustworthy and reliable service we received from Owen and will recommend his services to anyone, any time. He is in touch with the reality of the property market and in tune with his clients' needs. A true one-in-a-million estate agent! He has certainly convinced me that there is huge benefit in a sole mandate, despite what every other agent I ever had dealings with told me. If I ever sell another property, I will certainly contact Owen to be my estate agent. Thank you Owen!

Marc & Mellanie de Jager

082 829 2424