In a world of power suits, carbon-copy captions, and espresso-fueled ego trips, one woman has flipped the script on what it means to be a real estate agent on Cape Town’s glitziest stretch. With charm sharper than a sea breeze and a philosophy rooted in authenticity over aesthetic, Nancy isn’t here to fake it till she makes it. She’s already made it, by being exactly who she is.
Let’s rewind the tape to 2008: a heavily pregnant Nancy, newly departed from her 9–5 admin job in Johannesburg, is contemplating a world outside of spreadsheets and office chairs. “When you’re young, you have a vision in your head of what life should look like,” she reflects. For her, that vision once involved being a stay-at-home mom. But the universe had other plans and so did a friend who nudged her toward real estate.
It wasn’t love at first sight. It was love at first lease.
Nancy cut her teeth in rentals, and she was good. Like award-winning good. She hustled. She managed. She flourished. And most importantly? She fell in love with the people, the pace, the unpredictability. “I can’t sit still,” she admits. “That’s why I love real estate. I’m always on the go.”
But success didn’t come tied in a neat bow. The more she climbed, the more she began to notice a creeping culture, one she describes as “very ‘me, me, me.’” The gloss started to crack, and behind the Instagram filters and luxury listings, Nancy saw something she didn’t like: an industry slipping into toxicity. So, she did something that most agents would find unthinkable.
She walked away.
“I just thought, ‘no more of this,’” she says. It wasn’t burnout, it was a bold rejection of the ego parade. And during her time off, Nancy dove into fitness. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Zoom fatigue set in and cabin fever became a national pastime, she and her rental team hit the gym. “It gave us something else to think about. A way to stay sane,” she says. It wasn’t just therapy, it became a passion. So much so that she became a qualified personal trainer, a role she still juggles alongside her real estate work.
But real estate has a magnetic pull and Nancy felt the tug. Still, she had conditions. If she was going back, it would be on her terms. “I didn’t want to become one of those ego-driven agents,” she says. Enter: Tyson Properties. A new start, with a mission to stay rooted in her truth. No glam facade. No false persona. Just Nancy.
“Being authentic,” she says plainly. “I don’t have to put on a persona. It’s exhausting to pretend to be somebody you’re not.”
That philosophy shapes every interaction she has, from the morning coffee run to multimillion-rand negotiations. “Whether I’m with a client, a colleague, or a stranger on the street, I should just be Nancy. Whatever that looks like.”
Her approach is raw, refreshing, and real. And in a landscape where some agents treat a R1 million buyer like a second-class citizen, Nancy brings the same dedication whether you’re spending one or fifty. “At the end of the day, it’s not about me. It’s about what’s best for you, where you’ll be happy,” she says. That’s why she’s the kind of agent who might – brace yourself – advise you not to buy her listing. “I’ll say, ‘don’t buy my unit, buy that one. It’s got everything you’re looking for.’” Real recognizes real.
She laughs when people assume she’s always confident. “I still have days off. I get anxious. But I’m always trying to grow into a better version of myself.” Her rule of thumb? If you have to force positivity, you’re not doing it right. “Unless you’re just a naturally miserable person, in which case… maybe don’t go into real estate,” she quips.
One thing she won’t do? Morph into another cookie-cutter clone. “Real estate has become very ‘copy and paste.’ But you have to stay in your own lane.” She likens it to horse racing: “Those flaps on their faces? They’re there so they don’t get distracted by the others. I see real estate the same way. Just focus on your own race.”
Now, she’s building something new: Team Metro. A bold new crew within Tyson Properties led by Nancy, where each member is handpicked not for their sales pitch, but their substance. “Each one of them brings their own flavour to the recipe,” she says. “And it’s fun, it’s tasty, and it’s definitely not bland.” The vision? A team where everyone is different, but aligned. Where the culture isn’t competition, but collaboration.
She’s teaching her team what she’s learned the hard way: don’t get seduced by the hype, the lifestyle, or the labels. Use advice from seasoned pros, yes. But don’t try to become them. “You’re not them. You’re you.”
And in this industry, that’s your biggest asset.
So here she is. Nancy. Unfiltered, unpretentious, and unapologetically herself, taking the Atlantic Seaboard not by storm, but by style. Not by flash, but by feel. If you’re lucky enough to work with her, you’ll get more than just a deal.
As she puts it: “Let us show you what we’re made of.”
Spoiler alert: it’s all the good stuff.
This article was proudly sponsored by Abrahams & Gross Attorneys.
