Agent Vivien Adler Celebrates 20 Years of Rental Victories with Seeff

"This job ain't for sissies", said Vivien Adler, when asked about what it takes to be a successful agent. "It can be a tough gig and it takes a special person to succeed in a competitive market."

Vivien would know. After all, she's been thriving in the property game for over 20 years - most of which have been with Seeff. Now, she's synonymous with the Atlantic Seaboard high net-worth rental market, and together with her partner, Barbra-Ann Briner, continues to excel at delivering the creme de le creme kind of service you only get from the best.

Vivien's Property Journey

While Vivien exudes luxury, she's not afraid of hard work. When she joined Seeff in 2000, after relocating back to Cape Town from Port Elizabeth with her two sons, she found a job as an agent assistant. Of course, that's not where she stayed for long.

"I ran the Seeff portfolio for two years and then joined the parent company as a sales agent selling in the housing market, having had three years of rental experience at that time," said Vivien. "I had a successful career in Sales and sold full title properties until I took a job selling Sectional Title properties for another large national company in the high-end residential market. Having shored up all that experience, I returned to Seeff and went back to the Rental market where I have enjoyed a buoyant career ever since."

Working the High-End Rental Market

Vivien specializes in rentals in some of Cape Town's (if not the world's) most exclusive suburbs, including Camps Bay, Fresnaye, and the V&A Marina Residence. She amassed a loyal following and a suite of clients who still call on her as their agent of choice. "It gives me a great kick to know that I still speak to my clients from 20 years ago," she quipped.

The Seeff Secret Sauce

What keeps clients coming back to Vivien and Seeff Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl? Vivien believes its the level of professionalism and trust she (and Barbra-Ann) provide.

"I know the market and I will never give out false information. I am brutally honest with both tenants and landlords about the state of the market and our valuations are always realistic and done with integrity. I honestly think that trust is vitally important. Our clients do trust our judgment and advise and appreciate it. I feel very accomplished when I put my head on my pillow at night and know that I have given the landlord and/or tenants the best and most practical advice so that they can make an informed decision about moving forward with a deal."

Having been in the Atlantic Seaboard market for 20 years, Vivien has witnessed its rapid growth as well as the challenges and opportunities that have come with it.

"Development in the area has burgeoned and that has created new opportunities for us as a rental team," she reflected. "We do have competition at our doorstep these days with the newer younger agents that are flooding the industry, but I always know that our experience and expertise put us above the rest. We also have our training academy at Seeff and that is very advantageous. I can honestly say that if you work with a Seeff agent you are working with the best and most professional agents on the block."

Just like clients are loyal to Vivien, so she too has been loyal to Seeff. What has kept her with us for so long? Vivien answers that it's a keen sense of belonging to a family.

"I have always belonged to the Seeff home and I do not think I will ever leave them. They are a concerned group of kind and loving people who never forget who you are and are always around for support, no matter your role. The feeling of a family is the best way to describe Seef."

Vivien on Family

Speaking of family, Vivien loves her own, both biological and the one she has formed with the team at Seeff. Chief amongst those is her partnership with Barbra Ann Briner.

"She is the ying to my yang," laughed Vivien. "We have been partners for the past 12 years and she and I have a great relationship. We love each other as people and have each other's best interests at heart. Barbra is practical and level-headed whereas I can be a bit impetuous and slightly more intense. She balances me out so well and I think that makes our partnership unique. We are both hard-working agents and have amassed a huge amount of knowledge over these years, but our biggest strength together is the lack of ego on both our parts. We both work hard and diligently, and where I may be weak in an area she is the strength and visa versa."

When Vivien isn't with her Seeff family, she relishes time spent with her sons and granddaughters, Charly and Ruby. "It is my greatest pleasure and fulfillment as a grandmother to watch these two little girls grow up and become such gorgeous children," she enthused. "I look forward to every single visit with them."

This vivacious lady also enjoys the richness that the Western Cape has to offer, and under normal circumstances, you might find her enjoying an al fresco lunch with friends, attending a movie, or even road-tripping through the hinterlands.

However, for Vivien, nothing invigorates her quite like working with people who are serious about finding a good property to rent. "I love closing a deal - I always get a huge sense of accomplishment," she added.

Advice for Eager Agents

What advice would she give to budding estate agents, eager to attain even a modicum of her success? For Vivien, it's all about temperament.

"You need tenacity and staying power. It is a great career to go into but you have to start the right way with good solid morals, integrity, and honesty. Learn from a mentor and ensure you put all the building blocks into place. Become accredited as soon as possible. Knowledge is powerful and other than being self-enriching it is a necessity. Know your market well, study the trends, and be able to offer good solid advice to your clients. Finally, dress for success every day and reach for the stars. It's achievable!

About the Wild Year of 2020

While Vivien's domain is the rentals side of things, she works closely with the sales agents to ensure the best outcome for clients. The beauty of having a team like Seeff at hand is the assurance that they will work hard to find a buyer or seller the right solution for the time.

"If a seller would prefer a rental income while the market strengthens, we can arrange that. Similarly, if a buyer wants to wait until they feel more secure in their decision to purchase, we'll find something suitable in the rental market for them until the time is right. I believe that things will reach an even keel and we just need to ride out the craziness for a little while longer until there is harmony. What is important that our clients enjoy working with Seeff and do not want to shop anywhere else. We like to keep our clients safe and secure in the interim of them buying and selling."

It's been an honour to have such a dedicated, knowledgeable, and professional agent like Vivien with us for the past 2 decades. We look forward to celebrating her ever-increasing achievements, and the wonderful memories that come with them. Cheers to 20 years Vivien!