Key Takeaways

  • Danie de Beer was appointed as asset manager in Pretoria for Atterbury in August 2022.
  • He has a 15-year career in the property industry, previously managing Atterbury Value Mart and a Rosebank portfolio.
  • He was drawn to Atterbury due to its story and the opportunity to join a company with a great culture and values.
  • He enjoys property management because there is no typical day and it involves many aspects of business, from technical to financial.

Danie de Beer is new to the team, but certainly not to the industry. In August 2022 he was appointed as asset manager in Pretoria.  We met with Danie recently to learn more about his career path that led him to Atterbury and how he experienced his first month with us.

  1. Tell us more about the career path that led you to Atterbury? What made you take the step to join the company?

I started in the industry in 2007. In my 15-year career I have been involved with a few properties. I was the GM of Atterbury Value Mart for six years and thereafter I spent six years in Rosebank managing a portfolio of buildings in the node. My path however started as a Creditors Administrator working mainly on properties that formed part of the Attfund portfolio. Atterbury was a major shareholder in Attfund and actively involved with management of the buildings. Being able to interact with them and the professional teams at an early stage was a great training ground for me that laid a good foundation for what was to become a career in Property.

I followed the Atterbury story closely ever since and it was never going to be a difficult decision to take if ever I got the opportunity to join the family.

  1. How does a typical ‘day in your life’ unfold in this new position?

There is no such thing as a typical day when you work in property, every day brings new challenges that needs your undivided and immediate attention. I am involved with everything from the day to day operational and financial management of the properties to designing and implementing of new business, leasing and marketing strategies. My day can take me to anyone of the properties I am responsible for. You must be flexible and able to adjust your calendar at short notice.

  1. Tell us a bit about your personal life and what you are passionate about.

I have been married to an amazing woman for twelve years. Mari and I have two boys, Damian (10) and Ruben (8). Time with my family is what I cherish the most, whether it is relaxing at home, working in the garden or taking a road trip exploring new locations.

  1. How does your expectations compare to reality?

I don’t like surprises and try to keep my expectation in touch with reality, this is not always possible as I like to dream big. There were a couple of surprises, but overall, the reality was exactly what I expected. The people, culture and values of the company is what I dreamed it would be.

  1. Where and when did you realise you have an interest in property development?

I could never see myself in a career where you are doing the same thing every day and I knew from my first day on the job that the property development and management environment was the right place for me. No other industry can give you the same level of exposure to so many different aspects of business like property development does. You are involved with everything from town planning, design architecture, financing, engineering, technical, marketing, negotiations, deal making, legal and HR. In a way you need to be a jack of all trades (master of none, but the one you call when you want the job done) and that suites me fine.

  1. If you could be a professional in any industry, what would it be?

A Formula One Racing Driver.  I love the sport and can see myself flying all over the world, competing in exotic locations and being part of a team like Ferrari or Red Bull.