If real estate had a soundtrack, Bertho Marais’ would be an upbeat anthem – loud, energetic, and undeniably catchy. Walk into the Tyson Properties Northern Suburbs office, and you’ll hear him before you see him. He’s the kind of agent who doesn’t just enter a room, he arrives. Charismatic, driven, and radiating positivity, Bertho has spent the last nine years carving out a career that blends professional excellence with a deep-rooted passion for people. But before he was closing deals, he was flipping through newspaper property listings, dreaming about where he might live one day.
“I started having an interest in real estate from a very young age,” he recalls. “Back then, newspapers like Die Burger and Rapport would have property features in the middle pages, and I’d sit there thinking, ‘I’d like to stay there.’”
But Bertho’s journey to real estate wasn’t immediate. His career took a few scenic detours – working in restaurants all over the U.S. and Cape Town before transitioning into car sales. And he was good at it. But it wasn’t until he started house-hunting that his true calling became crystal clear.
“So instead of buying the house, I became a real estate agent,” he laughs. A classic case of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’ On January 4, 2017, he made it official and nearly a decade later, he hasn’t looked back.
Unlike some agents who treat real estate as a paycheck rather than a passion, Bertho is all in. He recently asked another agent if they enjoyed what they do, only to be met with a lukewarm response: “Not really, but it pays the bills.” The idea was unfathomable to him.
“Sure, there are tough days, like with any job,” he admits, “but 80% of it, I absolutely love. And for the other 20%? I get other people to assist me.”
That 20%? Admin. The necessary evil of every great salesperson.
“Most salespeople love interacting with people, but sitting down to do detailed admin work? Not our strong suit.” Bertho emphasised.
If Bertho’s career is a well-oiled machine, his wife is the engine that keeps it running.
“I have a beautiful wife who has made so many sacrifices to support me and our family,” he says, his tone shifting to one of pure gratitude.
Being a full-time real estate agent is one thing. Being a full-time father at the same time? That’s another level of commitment. While his wife takes the lead on their children’s schedules, Bertho is intentional about being present – whether it’s reading with them at night or taking them swimming on weekends.
“At the end of the day, you want to enjoy seeing them grow. That’s part of the journey of being a father,” he reflects. “We have kids to enjoy life with. It doesn’t make sense for me to just work and miss out.”
And while some agents take a more transactional, cutthroat approach, Bertho is in it for the long haul.
Bertho believes there are two types of agents: the ones that swoops in, does the deal, and moves on, and the ones who build genuine relationships with their clients.
He firmly places himself in the latter category. “That’s definitely my strong suit. When I meet someone a year before they decide to sell, by the time they’re ready, they trust me completely.”
That said, Bertho doesn’t think being a cutthroat agent is necessarily a bad thing. Some people thrive in that high-pressure, no-nonsense environment, and that’s great for them. It’s just not his personal style.
His strategy is simple: make people feel special.
“It’s about the small things – dropping off something thoughtful, remembering their birthdays, making notes about their kids’ exams. If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll eventually get what you want.”
As for the future of real estate? Bertho believes teamwork is the way forward.
“If you go alone, you go fast. If you go together, you go further.”
And with his unstoppable energy, unwavering dedication, and the rock-solid support of his family, there’s no doubt – Bertho Marais is going further than ever.
This article was proudly sponsored by Abrahams & Gross Attorneys.
