10/08/2026
Happy Heavenly Birthday to Uncle Fanie. 🤍
It has taken me a little while to find the words. I needed time to process the loss and find something meaningful enough to honour him.
On 19 February 2026, we said goodbye to my principal, mentor, and a father figure to so many of us, Fanie Viljoen.
When I joined RE/MAX Superior in May 2021, I was the first Muslim woman agent in our office. From day one, Fanie made sure I never felt different, only valued. At every event, he quietly made sure there was halal food for me. He made space for me with such normalcy and respect that it never felt like accommodation. It felt like belonging.
I learned so much by watching him: his calm negotiating style, strategic thinking, ability to read people, and the integrity and quiet strength with which he led.
But what he gave me went far beyond real estate.
I had spent much of my life being told I was “too emotional” and felt things too deeply. Fanie saw those qualities as a gift. He told me women often excel in real estate because of their emotional intelligence and kindness. He encouraged me to embrace my empathy instead of suppressing it. He taught me to see those qualities as strengths.
He didn’t just teach property. He taught self-belief.
I will forever miss the warm “Hello Mehreen,” the “Keep them offers coming,” our inside client jokes, and the moments when he would calmly say, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” Those words made you feel backed, safe and never alone.
His absence will be felt in every meeting, every deal and every milestone, especially the awards. The way he looked at me with pride, as though my wins were his own, is something I will never forget.
His legacy lives on in every agent he mentored, every lesson he taught, and every person he encouraged to believe in themselves.
Fanie was that person for me.
When I hugged him for the last time, I didn’t know it would be the last. Somehow, I held on just a little longer. 🤍
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Uncle Fanie. You are deeply missed and forever remembered.
With Love,
Mehreen and the Team Home Worth Family.
