Independent property educationists YDL are claiming a world first: an investment programme in which investors use the properties they want to buy as case studies.

"It combines education and a property market," says YDL CEO Anton de Leeuw. "Buyers can get hands on experience with top experts before they decide to purchase."

Properties include – for example - flats in Yeoville and Bellevue at yields of about 15%, a block of flats in Johannesburg South at 15%, a block of flats in Germiston at around 16%+, and new developments in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Rustenburg.

Thousands of people have completed YDL workshops, seminars and inner city safaris in the last two years as the property market took off in South Africa. "But they have found it difficult to find the best combination of risk and return because prices have been rising so fast," he adds.

He says YDL has wide contacts in property and decided to use these to find a range of potential investment properties. "We found these as well as a double benefit for our students. Our policy is to offer investors completely independent advice. So we don’t take commissions or any other income from property sellers. Our sole source of income is from investors and a few major sponsors who subsidise the costs."

Any potential commission on the properties is being passed on to the buyers, and experts brought in by YDL are free to criticise the properties in any way they wish. They include property economist Francois Viruly, Financial Mail property editor Ian Fife and legal and tax experts from Werksmans.

The first course starts on July 10 and runs for two weeks. Delegates form MBA-style syndicates that study the properties of their choice under guidance. Sellers and developers are available for questioning. And the end of the course, delegates negotiate with the sellers, still guided by the experts.

Anton de Leeuw can be contacted on 083-408-9988 for further commentary.

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Issued by:    Kerry Osborne, Marshall Inc, 193b Lambert Road, Morningside, Durban, 4001, Tel No: (031) 303 9723, Fax No:                        (031) 312 9497, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.