Jonty De La Porte and Marlene Conradie of the De La Porte Property Group.

R600 million portfolio for De La Porte’s property management arm

The decision last year to diversify the core business of the De La Porte Property Group through the creation of a property management arm has resulted in a growing portfolio under management currently valued at nearly R600 million.

The new division, De La Porte Property Management (Pty) Ltd, is operating from DLP’s headquarters in Milnerton. The group has been established for the past 12 years as a commercial and industrial broker, working mainly in Milnerton and Montague Gardens.

“We have always specialised in broking and letting, and diversified last year based on a decision to broaden the base of our operations, increasing our service to aspects of the property industry that we had not covered before,” says DLP’s Jonty De La Porte.

One of Cape Town’s most experienced property management professionals, Marlene Conradie, has been appointed MD of the new division and she joined the group bringing a number of landmark sectional title business parks with her to add to the portfolio. These include Woodbridge Business Park, Platinum Junction, which consists of 163 sectional title units, and Constantiaberg Business Park in the southern areas, where DLP intends to make inroads.

De La Porte Property Management will concentrate primarily on private landlords, bodies corporate and property owners’ associations that require a more personalised service than the listed funds.

Conradie, who is supported by fellow directors Jonty De La Porte and Sue-Anne Wucherpfennig, has, in her career so far, been associated with other top property names in the Western Cape, including Norwich Properties and the Investec Property Group.

Wucherpfennig, who joined DLP last year, has 20 years’ experience in various property industry specialities including shopping centre management and financial services with Southern Life, Seeff and Spearhead.

De La Porte says in support of the new division DLP has installed top of the range software.

“The NICOR property management software provides a full financials and reporting function, including automated rental escalations, all utility accounts and vacancy levels. The expansion of the firm follows what appears to be a new vibrancy in the broking arm of the business,” says de la Porte.