Estate Agents Against Crime

SUNNINGHILL COMMUNITY ACCREDITED ESTATE AGENT

THE ROLE OF ESTATE AGENTS

The role of the Estate Agent is an extremely important one in the upliftment and security of the suburb.  To this end Sunninghill Community has launched the “Accredited Estate Agent Initiative”.  Those Estate Agents that join Sunninghill Community, work with us and abide by our vision of “Creating a great place to live, work & relax in a secure and beautiful environment” will be accredited.   

How does an Estate Agent become accredited? 

• Join Sunninghill Community as a contributing member and abide by their rules.
• Join Estate Agents Against crime and TPN as a member and abide by their rules.
• Be registered with the Estate Agents Board 

What is Estate Agents Against crime and Tenant Profile Networks? 

EAAC was formed by the Sandton Community Policing Forum in September 2007.

The initiative involved TPN, a registered credit bureau and developer of the industries only specialised tenant behaviour and rental payment profile of its kind in South Africa. 

The aim of the initial project was to prevent criminal activity from within security complexes. The EAAC solution has outperformed its initial goals, resulting in the arrest of criminals charged from petty theft to entire criminal syndicates. 

Inside job crime continues to play a concerning roll within complexes built to protect their very residents. This is proven by crime statistics that show more crime being committed in complexes than in areas where there are free standing houses. It is also proven that many of the crimes committed in complexes are a result of “inside involvement”.  Local police confirm this is probably the work of a criminal living within the complexes. 

TPN provides the infrastructure and seamless services for SAPS to access and cross reference known criminal activities. The national rollout will include a centralised point of entry at SAPS head office to manage and track wanted criminals throughout South Africa. This single point of management will be easier to control and monitor to ensure the system is used to the best of its ability. 

Colonel with the Sandton Police, Guy Kilian has been working closely with his team to effectively track and locate suspects through TPN’s EAAC solution. “EAAC is one of the first tools we use to combat this type of criminal activity. Based on the success the project has had in Sandton which lead to several key arrests, the Sandton precinct SAPS encouraged the roll out of EAAC on a national level. The project requires the support and commitment of estate agents, property managers, managing agents and landlords and other pledged members to the EAAC to gain momentum in the fight against crime” 

How will being Accredited benefit the Estate Agent? 

• Sunninghill Community will promote accredited estate agents in the area by encouraging residents who wish to sell, buy and rent out properties to use only accredited agents.
• The details of those agents accredited by Sunninghill Community will be placed on our official website with links to the Agents websites.
• Complexes will be encouraged for security reasons to only use Estate Agents and letting agents who are accredited members of Sunninghill Community. 

The upliftment and improved security in the suburb that the above initiative will result in will increase the value of properties and investments in properties in the area – more sales and better prices.  

How will being Accredited benefit the residents?

• Better screening of proposed tenants and prospective new owners
• Fewer levy defaulters
• Reduction and eventual elimination of criminal activity in complexes
• Upliftment and increased value of investment in complexes. 

Sunninghill Community has recently held meetings with Estate Agents, Estate Agents Against Crime and Tenant Profile Network and are pleased to announce that our initiative was well received.  As this email goes out to the community, Estate Agents are sending in all the documents needed to be accredited.  Once received these agents will receive a certificate from Sunninghill Community to prove that they are Accredited.  

We encourage all home owners, body corporates and trustees to work with us by insisting that all Estate Agents and Letting Agents operating or doing business in your complex or letting or selling your free standing house are accredited.  This way you will know that whoever you are dealing with is legally registered and is working with us and the Saps to fight crime in the area.  

How will you know if the agent is accredited?  Simply visit our website: www.sunninghillnews.co.za and click on the accredited Estate Agent button on the left of the screen.  You can also insist on them producing their Sunninghill Community Certificate and id badge. 

We will keep you posted as to the progress as this initiative takes off. 

Sunninghill Community working for you – the residents and businesses of Sunninghill