A LATE career as a property practitioner seemed almost inevitable for Pietermaritzburg- born Piotr Wallas, who has always had a passion for real estate – for years having had a sideline penchant for the renovation, maintenance and sale or rental of homes. He has long enjoyed buying, renovating, renting and selling property on a personal basis, all as a sideline to first working as a Telkom technician, then as a labour broker for the South African Customs Union (SACU), before more recently becoming a project manager for Openserve. This father of two daughters says he has become even more passionate about the property business since he joined Dormehl Phalane Musgrave in 2020, having been persuaded to do so by branch manager Gordon Swensson, with whom Piotr has crossed paths for many years. Married for 36 years to wife Bernadette, energetic and cheerful Piotr has been in Durban since the age of three, when his family moved to the city from Pietermaritzburg. He attended Durban Boys’ High School. His hobbies include woodwork, cycling and paddle-skiing, and his love for renovating extends to revitalising old cars, among them a Bedford van and an Alfa Spider Junior. His view on what makes a good property practitioner? “Someone who is passionate about what they do, and who can see the potential in property. Someone who listens, understands and cares about a client’s requirements,” is his reply. Piotr’s motto in life is to “be happy and live life with a positive attitude”, while he lists his strengths as “perseverance, determination and adaptability” and further describes himself as being “hardworking, dedicated and conscientious”.