Out & about

Papakura wins ‘Top Office’ in C21’s quarterly awards — again

Papakura’s Century 21 Local Realty has again won Top Office for the Quarter in Century 21 New Zealand’s third quarter awards for 2021.

“Local Realty is barely two years old, yet the franchise has already taken out many sales awards. They’ve been one of the Top 21 offices across Century 21 Australasia, Century 21 New Zealand’s Top Office for 2020 and, for the second quarter running this year, Local Realty is Top Office,” says Tim Kearins, Owner of Century 21 New Zealand.

The South Auckland franchise on Papakura’s Broadway was named Top Office for the third quarter for both GCC (Gross Closed Commission) and Units (the number of properties listed and sold).

“The third quarter saw New Zealand go into Level 4 lockdown, with the entire Auckland region in lockdown for the second half of the quarter. Despite this and ongoing restrictions in real estate, Century 21’s salespeople and offices throughout the country have done a phenomenal job. This all bodes well for a strong summer, with activity already on the rise,” says Kearins.

New Zealanders rate Harcourts #1 for service for the fifth year in a row

“It’s truly an honour to be awarded the Reader’s Digest Quality Service Gold Award for real estate agencies for a fifth consecutive year,” says Harcourts New Zealand Managing Director Bryan Thomson.

“It’s a vote of confidence from New Zealanders and one that we don’t take for granted.

“In uncertain times, we all look to people and brands that we can trust. Harcourts has a long history of providing a professional and personalised service that gives our clients peace of mind. When they work with Harcourts, they’re confident they’ll get a great result, but we can’t be complacent,” he adds.

“In the environment we’re currently working in, our people, processes and technology must be constantly adapting to make good on our promise of exceptional service, year after year. Being awarded the Gold Quality Service Award for five years and the Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Award for nine consecutive years tells us we’re doing that.”

Professionals primed for growth

Nick Reid has joined the team at Professionals National Support Centre based in Newmarket, Auckland. As the new Business Development Manager, Nick will be responsible for growing the membership of New Zealand’s largest real estate cooperative.

With over 15 years of experience as a salesperson, most recently with apartment specialists Ockham Residential, Reid will play a role supporting Professional’s 45 offices across New Zealand with development.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Professionals at an exciting time for the organisation. I’m looking forward to talking with real estate business owners about their goals and how Professionals can help them achieve theirs,” Reid says.

Shaun Taylor, CEO at Professionals, is delighted to be able to attract someone of her calibre to join the tight-knit Professionals team.

Ray White’s virtual training platform ‘invaluable’ during lockdown

Throughout New Zealand’s Alert Level 4 lockdown, Ray White relaunched its virtual training platform featuring 69 guest speakers. Running from 23 August to 20 September, the training was well attended by members, with more than 9,500 people tuning in to virtual training sessions.

Guest speakers included Golf Warehouse CEO Eric Faesenkloet, Briscoes and Rebel Sport CEO Rod Duke, 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand Sir John Key, renowned industry speakers Josh Phegan and Tom Panos, ASB Economist Chris Tennent-Brown, independent economist Tony Alexander and rugby coach Sir Graham Henry.

“The virtual training program has been a great way to stay motivated and connected,” Ray White Sandringham agent Alastair Hubbard said. “It was inspiring to hear how some of our top-performing salespeople and business owners have created their success.”

As a new agent, Glen Thompson from Ray White Richmond said having access to so much motivational content was invaluable.

“The breadth of topics and quality of speakers helped to give me knowledgeable insights and hearing the success stories of top performers and what their focuses are, gives you confidence that you’re doing the right thing and have chosen the right career!” Thompson said.

Mike Heard joins Property Brokers as Hawke's Bay and Gisborne Rural and Lifestyle Area Manager

Born and bred in Hawke's Bay, Mike's hugely successful career in rural real estate spanning over 12 years has seen him achieve many notable awards along the way and well over $200million in sales across Hawke's Bay to date.

"It's really exciting to be leading the East Coast, rural team. I am fortunate to be in the enviable position of pooling talents and working with a great bunch of people. And, like me, they love heartland New Zealand and want to see it thrive, consistently adding value to the communities they call home," says Heard.

Conrad Wilkshire, General Manager at Property Brokers, says: "We are thrilled to welcome Mike into the Property Brokers family. He's well-known and respected in the area, and we're confident that the rural team will benefit from his broad knowledge; they are in great hands under his leadership."

"Our experienced rural team and vast grassroots real estate knowledge bolstered by in-depth data from Farmlands, our strategic partners, means that we are in a great position to deliver clients with smarter solutions. It's an exciting time to be in rural real estate," continued Wilkshire.

Professionals expands with North Otago office

Professionals Group New Zealand welcomed Maree Thorpe and her team to the cooperative group as Professionals North Otago. Maree has been operating in the town and surrounding area for the past 15 years. She is passionate about her community and “doing it with a difference to make a difference”. Shaun Taylor, CEO of Professionals NZ, couldn’t be happier.

“From the first time I met Maree, I was impressed with her integrity and willingness to go the extra mile for her clients, and this is true of her fantastic team as well. Their values are aligned with the groups’, and they are a welcome addition to our national network,” Taylor says.

“After discussions with Shaun and other Professionals members in the South Island we decided to move, and we couldn’t be happier. Professionals gives us the benefit of a national brand and the independence to run our business the best way that works for us and our community,” confirms Thorpe.

Ray White New Zealand celebrates its 2021 winners

Some 2,000 Ray White New Zealand members tuned in online in September to celebrate their best performers of 2020 - 2021 at the virtual annual awards ceremony. Ray White New Zealand CEO Carey Smith said he was proud of every member, their achievements, and their resilience for the 2020 - 2021 financial year.

“Ray White in New Zealand has continued to go from strength-to-strength this year, selling over $18billion worth of property and managing 20,050 properties for landlords,” Smith said.

“The last 12 months have seen the company increase its sales volume by more than 42% and has been a record year throughout the 187 offices.

“The recognition awards are an important part of the celebration of the contribution that members have to the organisation of Ray White.”Smith said that the performance of the network over the past 12 months had been extraordinary.

Harcourts supports Whale Tales Community Art Trail

In January, Whale Tales hits Auckland offering locals and visitors the chance to participate in a 12-week free public art trail. All thanks to a special partnership between WWF-New Zealand, Wild in Art and Harcourts New Zealand. The trail will feature 80 1.8m whale tail sculptures designed by well-known and emerging kiwi artists/studios which will be dotted throughout streets, parks and open spaces. There will also be 80 smaller tails decorated by students and the opportunity to participate virtually through a learning programme.

“It’s been a difficult year of pandemic for many, so we are keen to enable a free event that will lift up spirits for a majority of Aucklanders and visitors to the region this summer,” says Bryan Thomson, Harcourts New Zealand Managing Director.

“Many of our Harcourts business owners across Auckland have donated a small whale tail to local community groups or schools to decorate and display in public places, so the rest of the city can enjoy the event as well.”

“After the art trail is finished, our award-winning auction team will auction off the large tails to raise funds for WWF-New Zealand, particularly for their critical work in protecting and restoring our Hauraki Gulf treasure.”

Spreading love during lockdown

With the lockdown being tough on some people, various Barfoot & Thompson teams took the opportunity to reach out to small businesses, neighbours and clients to make their days a little brighter. Kurtis Thompson, Head of Property Management at Stonefields branch, went above and beyond by delivering fresh fruit and vegetables to terrific tenants on behalf of their thoughtful landlords.

The team at Otahuhu, while at Shanti Niwas, gave 400 grocery packs to the community. Bags of goodies were also given to Waitakere COVID-19 vaccination centres to enable them to attract more people to come and get themselves vaccinated.

In Kumeu, Property Manager Jenny Rollinson came to the rescue of a family left homeless after the recent floods. She found them an alternate rental and paid the first two weeks' rent. Steven Maserow, Branch Manager at Howick reached out and supported a local eatery by buying $500 worth of rolls, which he asked to be paid forward to community members.

$67,000 donated to help the West Coast

Property Brokers Westport Branch Manager, Charlie Elley, was thrilled to hand over a cheque for $67,000 to Buller District Mayor Jamie Cleine, contributing to the Buller Mayoral Relief Fund, helping those in the West Coast community who need it most.

When they saw that some West Coast residents needed a hand after severe flooding last month, the Property Brokers family came together to help make a difference.

Each of Property Brokers’ 80+ branches took part in a nationwide morning tea to raise funds. Guy Mordaunt, the group’s Managing Director, matched the donations dollar-fordollar resulting in over $14,000 being raised.

A charity auction at the NZ Realtors Rural Conference, driven by Property Brokers West Coast Area Manager Gareth Cox, and with the help of the NZ Realtors Network, saw a further $54,490 raised.

Special thanks to Property Broker’s strategic partners, Farmlands Cooperative, who donated auction items, Peter Thompson from Barfoot & Thompson, who generously donated on the night, and to Global HQ, Stuff, Tim Mordaunt, Great Journeys of NZ, Monk Family, Paroa Hotel, Christian Cullen, realestate.co.nz, Forest 360 and The Westport News. An outstanding team effort to support a wonderful community!

Harcourts Foundation donates over $40K in the latest round of grants

In August, Harcourts’ charitable arm, the Harcourts Foundation, completed its quarterly grants round, which saw 21 grants made to community organisations throughout the country totalling over $40,000. Harcourts offices and team members throughout New Zealand have a long history of giving to their local communities and supporting those in need by donating a percentage of their commission from the sale of properties. These funds are administered by the Harcourts Foundation and every dollar donated goes into communities where they’re needed.

The contributing offices know their local communities best and decide which charities, groups, or projects they wish to support in their area. Examples include local schools, surf lifesaving clubs, Riding for the Disabled, Hospice and other small charities which struggle to find funding.

Harcourts’ purpose of helping others achieve success is intrinsically linked to the Foundation’s purpose of providing ongoing support to assist, grow and enrich their communities. It is through the success of their businesses that they provide much-needed support to the communities in which they live and work in.

SPOTLIGHT

Quizzing raises over $260k for Starship

At the annual Barfoot & Thompson Quiz Night, a record-breaking amount of over $260,000 was raised for the tiniest patients in Starship's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Thanks to the incredible generosity of all contributors, phototherapy lights to treat jaundice, syringe feeding pumps to support neonatal babies who struggle to feed properly, infusion pumps to manage the administration of antibiotics, and other vital equipment and funds were donated to the hospital.

“Giving back to our community is an incredibly important part of our family-owned business and Starship’s ongoing impact on the health and wellbeing of children makes Starship a natural partner for us to support,” says Peter Thompson, Managing Director at Barfoot & Thompson.

Harcourts Cooper & Co ‘Measure Up’ for basketball fans!

Harcourts Cooper & Co recognised the phenomenal growth in the sport of basketball within their local community, taking the opportunity to support the newly established Auckland Huskies. Formed in 2020 to take up the NBL Auckland Franchise, the Huskies had their first season based at Eventfinda Stadium in Glenfield, Auckland.

Not only are the Huskies taking the New Zealand basketball world by storm — with a stunning first season culminating in a semi-final spot — but they’re also closely aligned to Cooper & Co’s values. The team at Cooper & Co aim to create better communities through their partnership with organisations such as LifeChanger Foundation — an organisation dedicated to identifying and developing inspiring mentors within their communities.

This has allowed Harcourts Cooper & Co the opportunity to take their partnership with the Auckland Huskies out and about into the local schools in the North Shore community. The players enjoy getting the opportunity to interact and engage with the next wave of basketball talent in Auckland, and deliver holistic self-development workshops for children and teens to create and sustain safe and resilient communities.

Harcourts Cooper & Co and the Auckland Huskies are looking forward to building on these connections with the community in 2022 and rewarding their awesome new following of fans with another exciting season of basketball ahead.

Ray White Home and Garden tour supports Ronald McDonald House

Ray White Canterbury fundraised for Ronald McDonald House South Island through its Home and Garden Tour. 100% of the proceeds from the Ray White Home and Garden Tour 2021 went to Ronald McDonald House South Island.

Ronald McDonald House South Island is an independent charitable trust that provides free accommodation and support to families who must travel to Christchurch and Invercargill for their child’s medical treatment.

Each year the charity provides a home-away-from-home for more than 1,200 families.

Held on 6 November, the Ray White Home and Garden Tour provided a rare glimpse into a hand-picked selection of some of Christchurch’s beautiful private homes and gardens, all while supporting an important cause.

Alice Mackenzie, Ray White Canterbury relationship manager, said businesses, brands and individuals contributing to the day’s planning meant some pretty great surprises were planned to give the tour a point of difference.

“It’s important to Ray White Canterbury to make our tour memorable,” Mackenzie said.

“We were blown away by the enthusiasm for the event.”