Getting to Know Leapfrog Melkbos
As the notorious two ‘’P’s, Patricia Lerm and Petra van Asch, walk into the busy coffee shop in Century City for our meeting, I can’t help but notice how in step they are with one another.
Petra seems to be optimism personified. It is not difficult to sense her enthusiastic disposition towards everything in life, and to conclude that she is a warm, caring and dynamic individual with a flair for the creative (judging from her brightly coloured, well-manicured nails, vibrant accessories and bubbly personality). In direct contrast, Patricia is dressed in equally stylish, but more formal colours and carries an effortless elegance about her. It is obvious that she is a woman of stature who has earned her stripes through calculated risks and some of the hardest curveballs that life can throw at you.
I sense a camaraderie between the two of them that extends beyond a mere successful professional relationship, and I can’t help but wonder how the paths of these two ‘’P’s’’ crossed. As could be expected, their story (told with animated flair and finishing off each other’s sentences, as if they have relayed it a thousand times before) is one that leaves you believing in the fortunate fates that life can so often dish up.
And so started my informal ‘’getting to know you’’ chat with the individuals that are
Petra van Asch and Patricia Lerm from Leapfrog Melkbosstrand.
Petra van Asch
Petra entered the property arena with Dune Properties, an independent agency in Melkbosstrand, 13 years ago. They were then approached by and joined the Leapfrog Property Group during its inception in 2007.
It is very apparent that her many successes as a real estate agent is as a direct result of the very close relationships that she fosters with her immediate community. You will often find Petra up in the early hours of the morning to bake and sell pancakes for her favourite local charity, Peanut Animal Welfare Melkbosstrand, just one of the many local initiatives she is involved with. In addition, she also serves at the Neighbourhood Watch control room at the local SAPS, is a member of the Melkbos Garden Club, and trains in Ballroom and Latin dancing at the Dance Domain in Blaauwberg! Phew, even just writing all of that down has left me breathless!
This passion for her community, along with the many career highlights, saw Petra walking away with the very prestigious Leapfrogger of the Year Award at the Annual Leapfrog Gala Convention 2016 for the second time!
Patricia Lerm
Widowed at the young age of 28 and left to raise her 4-year old twins and 1-year old singleton alone, Patricia had no choice but to pick up the pieces and move forward. After raising her children as a single mother and sending them off to university, she successfully transformed her home into a 4-star guest house, known as Casa Blanc. As if all this was not enough, she also trained as an interior decorator, which saw her collaborating on large hotel projects and prime properties for Casa Interiors, Cape Town.
After selling the guest house about 13 years ago, Patricia purchased and moved into a property on the Atlantic Beach Golf Estate. A mere 6 months later she managed to sell off her neighbour’s house at an attractive profit (and that was before starting her career in real estate). She then proceeded to purchase her second property on the estate and decided to pursue this passion for real estate by training as an estate agent with the Pam Golding Property Group, during which time she was also assigned as the resident agent for the entire estate. She later continued to join Remax Property Associates in Table View, where she was awarded as the top listing agent for 6 months in succession.
Two ‘’P’s’’ land in a frog po(n)d
After 2 very successful years with Remax, Patricia started our own independent real estate company (Realty-24) in partnership with her then colleague. Realty-24 operated successfully for 6 years, but after a sudden stroke, she sold off her shares to her business partner.
During the time that Patricia worked in her office at Melkbosstrand she met Petra, who was in fact situated next door at Dune Properties. Patricia kept gravitating to the bubbly Petra (whom she at the time thought was the receptionist – but of course she was really the agent).
In 2007 Petra and Dune Properties ventured out and joined the Leapfrog Property Group. Patricia took the leap and joined the group in 2012, at which time she and Petra had already realised they were two frogs born of the same pond.
A rewarding friendship
Within the first 6 months of Patricia joining Leapfrog, the dynamic partnership between herself and Petra was awarded with the Top Country Partnership in Unit Sales, as well as the Top Country Partnership in Sales Value for the same year!
Since then, they have continued to regularly reap in the awards:
2012
Top Country Partnership Sales Value Regional
Top Country Partnership Unit Sales Regional
Top Partnership in Sales Value National – 2nd Quarter
Hot Office – Customer Service Recognition – Oct 2012 – Sep 2013
2013
Top Country Partnership Unit Sales National
Top Country Office Unit Sales Regional
Business Class 2013
Top Partnership in Sales Value Regional – 1st Quarter
Top Partnership in Sales Value National – 2nd Quarter
Hot Office – Customer Service Recognition – Oct 2013 – Sep 2014
2014
Top Partnership by Registered Commission National – 3rd Quarter
Top Country Office by Registered Commission National – 3rd Quarter
Top Partnership by Registered Sales Regional – 1st Quarter
Top Country Office by number of Sales Coastal – 3rd Quarter
Club Class National
2015
Club Class National
2016
Top Partnership by Registered Commission (Regional & National) - 1st Quarter (1 Jul – 30 Sept)
Top Partnership by Registered No. of Sales (Regional & National) - 1st Quarter (1 Jul – 30 Sept)
Top Country Office by Registered Commission (Regional / Coastal) - 1st Quarter (1 Jul – 30 Sept)
Hot Office – Customer Service Recognition – Oct 2015 – Sept 2016
Top Partnership by Number of Sales Regional – 3rd Quarter (1 Jan – 31 March)
Top Partnership by Registered Commission Regional – 3rd Quarter (1 Jan – 31 March)
For the love of Melkbos
Albeit a small and close-knit community, they agree that Melkbos can be a cut throat area. Reputations matter most and so does fostering close relationships with sellers – and for these two – selling properties is just a natural extension of all the resources, time and selfless love they so actively and effortlessly invest back into their immediate community!
So, if ever you happen to find yourself in the area, pop in, pull up a chair, and be prepared to Move On and Move Up with this dynamic duo!
To learn more about Leapfrog Melkbos, please visit our website and follow their branch on Facebook.
15 Nov 2016
Author Annelie Fouche
