Tyson Properties , Chris Tyson’s founding vision was to create a specialist agency that was not only in tune with the needs of the KwaZulu-Natal property market but one that offered clients exceptional service and agents a platform to excel Still a proudly KwaZulu-Natal brand but with an ever-expanding national footprint, Tyson Properties continues to be a trailblazer in South Africa’s somewhat turbulent property sector. Every year, the company has exceeded its forecasts, grown its footprint and increased its market share and service offering. It takes a special company to not only navigate a global recession in 2008 and but also a two-year pandemic and ongoing national energy and economic challenges only to emerge stronger and better year on year. Interest rates plunged to the lowest levels in 2020 and then steadily climbed, placing the property market under stress. Dynamic and flexible, the Tyson Properties team persevered and proved to be the perfect guide for buyers and sellers. Building a company on a sound foundation is what founder and CEO, Chris Tyson, set out to do in 2005 and strong professionalism, intuitive knowledge of its markets and solid relationships have seen the company thrive. Setting up that first office in Morningside together with business partner Gavin Cunningham and a staff of just six now seems to be a long way away. After the 2015 opening of its offices in Gauteng and the Western Cape, Tyson Properties experienced an aggressive growth spurt across these three provinces as the company began to build strong market share within a very short space of time. By 2021, Tyson Properties had registered its best ever growth year during the most difficult of times with turnover having grown by 25 percent. In 2022, Tyson Property Holdings was created to support and grow the group’s regional operations. Tyson Properties is now double the size it was when Tyson took the plunge and decided to go national nine years ago. “I can still remember agonising over whether to expand nationally. We had 18 offices in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) at the time. We actually opened Cape Town and Johannesburg simultaneously. There are now six offices in Gauteng and seven in the Western Cape with a staff complement of 450 members nationally,” he says. Tyson Properties opened in East London two years ago and the company now plans to extend its reach still further. “We’ve done exceptionally well and feel that the time is now right for us to move into other areas,” he adds. Despite a subdued economy, Tyson Properties registered growth throughout 2023, adding three new offices in Somerset West, Overstrand (Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond and Pringle Bay) and Pietermaritzburg and welcoming 30 new agents in Gauteng. Throughout, the company has embraced change and moved with the times. Tyson’s approach is to spot the often-unexpected opportunities in different parts of the market as it evolves. Tyson Properties is hitting the hotspots in the Western Cape with Cape Town itself as well as towns such as Somerset West and Paarl proving extremely popular. Johannesburg remains the economic hub of the country and is the property market that never sleeps. “Believe it or not, there are more people moving to Johannesburg every year than any other area in South Africa. So, it’s a massive market with a lot of entry-level buyers. While market conditions in and around Joburg remain under pressure, there are still a lot of deals being done,” he says. Turning to his home province, Tyson says KZN remains both one of the most resilient and stable markets in the country. “The province has a lot to offer and property prices are still a lot more affordable than in other parts of South Africa. This, coupled with great weather, infrastructure and some really good schools makes KZN a great area in which to invest,” he observes. Ballito is a hotspot right now. “That once-small coastal town is now abuzz with shopping centres, excellent government and private schools and development. While still giving the locals a feel of a coastal town, it has also become an area of choice for working in Johannesburg and living on the coast. The airport is only a 15-minute drive away and it’s a quick flight,” Tyson says. But activity is not confined to the coast and Tyson says that there is a very real resurgence in the Midlands with areas such as Howick and Nottingham Road doing exceptionally well. No matter where the change or what the new trend, he is confident that Tyson Properties will never be far away. As one of KZN (and the country’s) most iconic property brands, it has matured into a company that will always be a leader rather than a follower and one of which he can be proud. CHRIS TYSON's interest in the property industry started from an early age as his family comes from a property background. Tyson said, "My father had a construction company. My mother was an agent for many years and owned her own agency. I can remember going to property viewings with her as a small boy." In 2001, his own real estate career started as an agent for a small agency in Durban. He then moved to a larger agency, where he built his initial Tyson Properties team. In 2005, the first Tyson Properties office was opened in Durban. Over the past year, Tyson Properties has consolidated its presence in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng markets and now has 31 offices. Going forward, Tyson Properties is expected to continue as a leader in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial property sector and grow the group's national footprint. In Gauteng, Tyson Properties have extended its footprint drastically and opened a new flagship office in Dunkeld West to accommodate its growth into the Sandton and Parks areas. Tyson Properties is also in negotiations to open its third office in Johannesburg later this year. In addition to marketing residential, commercial and rental properties, Tyson Properties has expanded its service offering to include a property management division that specialises in the administration of a number of exclusive properties and sectional title developments. Although there are many influences on a business success. Tyson says that that it has become a business owner's responsibility to make sure that their business is sustainable by constantly challenging the norm and striving for change and excellence. "Often doing new things means cutting existing budgets to achieve this. We do, however, see this as an advantage and have always used tough times to grow the company to position ourselves better for upturns in the marketplace. One either has to have reserves to ensure sustainability or work within a budget that creates reserves. This however can stunt the growth of a company," says Tyson. Part of ensuring sustainability is apparent in his leadership style, which he says is very relaxed. However, says Tyson, "I expect a lot but also give a lot in return. I look at every employee as a partner." "I also believe that I'm very inclusive and involve the team in driving projects and campaigns. I have always tried to balance the work environment, making it fair for both the agent and the company. This is achieved by supporting my internal team and building partnerships with outsourced agencies such as our marketing agency and public relations consultant." One of the business development advances that is extremely close to his heart is in the development of the newly formed After Sales Division. This division will deal with every aspect of the sale, from the date the sale agreement is signed, to the day that the property transfers, and beyond. "With the increase of first time buyers coming into the market we feel we can add real value here, ensuring that our clients receive the best possible advice and guidance," commented Tyson. Tyson is also committed to giving back to the community, which he says, "is very much a part of who I am and something I am passionate about". Before branching out into real estate, his early working career was for a large non-profit organisation. Consequently, each of the Tyson branches has their own social responsibility projects in their areas. Tyson Properties is also working hard at developing a group initiative. When not at work, Tyson spends time with his family to ensure that his own life is balanced. He concluded, "My personal life is very important to me and I make sure I balance it. I am married and have a son of four and a half years. We are a very homely family and we love to travel. We also enjoy the outdoors and keeping fit."CHRIS TYSON's interest in the property industry started from an early age as his family comes from a property background. Tyson said, "My father had a construction company. My mother was an agent for many years and owned her own agency. I can remember going to property viewings with her as a small boy." In 2001, his own real estate career started as an agent for a small agency in Durban. He then moved to a larger agency, where he built his initial Tyson Properties team. In 2005, the first Tyson Properties office was opened in Durban. Over the past year, Tyson Properties has consolidated its presence in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng markets and now has 31 offices. Going forward, Tyson Properties is expected to continue as a leader in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial property sector and grow the group's national footprint. In Gauteng, Tyson Properties have extended its footprint drastically and opened a new flagship office in Dunkeld West to accommodate its growth into the Sandton and Parks areas. Tyson Properties is also in negotiations to open its third office in Johannesburg later this year. In addition to marketing residential, commercial and rental properties, Tyson Properties has expanded its service offering to include a property management division that specialises in the administration of a number of exclusive properties and sectional title developments. Although there are many influences on a business success. Tyson says that that it has become a business owner's responsibility to make sure that their business is sustainable by constantly challenging the norm and striving for change and excellence. "Often doing new things means cutting existing budgets to achieve this. We do, however, see this as an advantage and have always used tough times to grow the company to position ourselves better for upturns in the marketplace. One either has to have reserves to ensure sustainability or work within a budget that creates reserves. This however can stunt the growth of a company," says Tyson. Part of ensuring sustainability is apparent in his leadership style, which he says is very relaxed. However, says Tyson, "I expect a lot but also give a lot in return. I look at every employee as a partner." "I also believe that I'm very inclusive and involve the team in driving projects and campaigns. I have always tried to balance the work environment, making it fair for both the agent and the company. This is achieved by supporting my internal team and building partnerships with outsourced agencies such as our marketing agency and public relations consultant." One of the business development advances that is extremely close to his heart is in the development of the newly formed After Sales Division. This division will deal with every aspect of the sale, from the date the sale agreement is signed, to the day that the property transfers, and beyond. "With the increase of first time buyers coming into the market we feel we can add real value here, ensuring that our clients receive the best possible advice and guidance," commented Tyson. Tyson is also committed to giving back to the community, which he says, "is very much a part of who I am and something I am passionate about". Before branching out into real estate, his early working career was for a large non-profit organisation. Consequently, each of the Tyson branches has their own social responsibility projects in their areas. Tyson Properties is also working hard at developing a group initiative. When not at work, Tyson spends time with his family to ensure that his own life is balanced. He concluded, "My personal life is very important to me and I make sure I balance it. I am married and have a son of four and a half years. We are a very homely family and we love to travel. We also enjoy the outdoors and keeping fit."

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INTRODUCTION

Chris Tyson’s founding vision was to create a specialist agency that was not only in tune with the needs of the KwaZulu-Natal property market but one that offered clients exceptional service and agents a platform to excel

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Chris Tyson

A property market trailblazer

Still a proudly KwaZulu-Natal brand but with an ever-expanding national footprint, Tyson Properties continues to be a trailblazer in South Africa’s somewhat turbulent property sector.
Every year, the company has exceeded its forecasts, grown its footprint and increased its market share and service offering. It takes a special company to not only navigate a global recession in 2008 and but also a two-year pandemic and ongoing national energy and economic challenges only to emerge stronger and better year on year.

Interest rates plunged to the lowest levels in 2020 and then steadily climbed, placing the property market under stress. Dynamic and flexible, the Tyson Properties team persevered and proved to be the perfect guide for buyers and sellers.

Building a company on a sound foundation is what founder and CEO, Chris Tyson, set out to do in 2005 and strong professionalism, intuitive knowledge of its markets and solid relationships have seen the company thrive.

Setting up that first office in Morningside together with business partner Gavin Cunningham and a staff of just six now seems to be a long way away. After the 2015 opening of its offices in Gauteng and the Western Cape, Tyson Properties experienced an aggressive growth spurt across these three provinces as the company began to build strong market share within a very short space of time. By 2021, Tyson Properties had registered its best ever growth year during the most difficult of times with turnover having grown by 25 percent.

In 2022, Tyson Property Holdings was created to support and grow the group’s regional operations.
Tyson Properties is now double the size it was when Tyson took the plunge and decided to go national nine years ago. “I can still remember agonising over whether to expand nationally. We had 18 offices in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) at the time. We actually opened Cape Town and Johannesburg simultaneously. There are now six offices in Gauteng and seven in the Western Cape with a staff complement of 450 members nationally,” he says.

Tyson Properties opened in East London two years ago and the company now plans to extend its reach still further. “We’ve done exceptionally well and feel that the time is now right for us to move into other areas,” he adds.
Despite a subdued economy, Tyson Properties registered growth throughout 2023, adding three new offices in Somerset West, Overstrand (Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond and Pringle Bay) and Pietermaritzburg and welcoming 30 new agents in Gauteng.
Throughout, the company has embraced change and moved with the times.
Tyson’s approach is to spot the often-unexpected opportunities in different parts of the market as it evolves.
Tyson Properties is hitting the hotspots in the Western Cape with Cape Town itself as well as towns such as Somerset West and Paarl proving extremely popular.

Johannesburg remains the economic hub of the country and is the property market that never sleeps.
“Believe it or not, there are more people moving to Johannesburg every year than any other area in South Africa. So, it’s a massive market with a lot of entry-level buyers. While market conditions in and around Joburg remain under pressure, there are still a lot of deals being done,” he says.
Turning to his home province, Tyson says KZN remains both one of the most resilient and stable markets in the country. “The province has a lot to offer and property prices are still a lot more affordable than in other parts of South Africa. This, coupled with great weather, infrastructure and some really good schools makes KZN a great area in which to invest,” he observes.

Ballito is a hotspot right now. “That once-small coastal town is now abuzz with shopping centres, excellent government and private schools and development. While still giving the locals a feel of a coastal town, it has also become an area of choice for working in Johannesburg and living on the coast. The airport is only a 15-minute drive away and it’s a quick flight,” Tyson says.

But activity is not confined to the coast and Tyson says that there is a very real resurgence in the Midlands with areas such as Howick and Nottingham Road doing exceptionally well.
No matter where the change or what the new trend, he is confident that Tyson Properties will never be far away. As one of KZN (and the country’s) most iconic property brands, it has matured into a company that will always be a leader rather than a follower and one of which he can be proud.

Full Name of Company: Tyson Properties
Nature of Business: Real Estate
Services / Products: Purchase, Sale and Renting of Property

Date Established: August 2005
Customer Base: Property Buyers and Sellers, Landlords and Tenants
KEY PERSONNEL
Founder and CEO: Chris Tyson
CONTACT DETAILS
KZN HEAD OFFICE
Physical Address: Station Building, Lion Match Office Park, 892 Umgeni Road, Durban
Tel: +27 (0)31 583 2700
E-mail: admin@tysonprop.co.za
Website: www.tysonprop.co.za

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