PLANS by Chas Everitt International to establish a national franchise network have got off to a successful start with the launch of the group's first five franchise offices in Cape Town.

These will serve the key City Bowl, Constantiaberg, Southern Suburbs, Table View and Somerset West markets.

Three of the offices are former ERA franchises - the two former ERA Steer offices located in Tokai and Newlands and the former ERA City Bowl office in Tamboerskloof.

The Table View office is also a well-established local operation that has converted to Chas Everitt International, while the Somerset West office is a newly established agency.

Barry Davies, CEO of Chas Everitt International Franchises, says the Western Cape had been identified as a key objective in terms of achieving a strong national presence, and that the addition of these operations to the group is a coup.

Berry Everitt, MD of Chas Everitt International, says the group has had an excellent response since announcing its franchise plans earlier this year.

"We have been inundated with applications, and will be shortly be launching in other major centres as well."

Andre de Villiers, formerly the MD of ERA Steer and now the Chas Everitt International spokesman in Cape Town, says itis not just a case of a Gauteng company opening offices in the Cape, but the first step in a national roll-out of franchise offices.

He also says that while the Steer name will no longer be included in the trading identity of his offices, Chas Everitt International in the Cape will maintain a close relationship with both Steer and Co Property Administrators and Steer and Co Commercial as these businesses will complement its "mainly residential" focus.

The Steer Property Group is one of the Cape's oldest real estate organisations and chairman Hadden Steer has endorsed its co-operation with the new Chas Everitt International franchises, as has Steer Property Administrators MD John van der Spuy, whose wife Heather is the principal of the new Chas Everitt International office serving the City Bowl.