Rotorua investor is Landlord of the Year 2009

Rotorua investor is Landlord of the Year 2009

Debbie Van Den Broek of Rotorua Property Investors’ Association was named Landlord of the Year at the Gala Dinner of the NZ Property Investors’ Federation (NZPIF) Conference on Saturday.  In presenting the Award, Jeff Montgomery, Client Services Manager for the Department of Building and Housing, said “All finalists in the Landlord of the Year Award demonstrate the value of getting it right when managing their rental properties.  It makes good business sense to treat tenants as valued customers.  Installing insulation, responding quickly to repairs and maintaining professional relations result in tenancies which are long lasting and more profitable.”

Sponsored by the Department of Building and Housing, this is an annual Award open to members of property investors’ associations affiliated to the NZPIF. The runners up were Jan and Lyle Galloway of Auckland Property Investors’ Association and Robita and Chris Johnston of Tauranga Property Investors’ Association.

Debbie Van Den Broek has been in the business of being a property investor and landlord for the past twenty years. She and husband Ed own rental and holiday accommodation in the Rotorua area. These properties have provided a passive income, allowing Debbie free time to spend with her family. Debbie believes in providing a spotless, warm home for people who cannot afford or choose not to own their home.  She invests long term and offers people an opportunity to have continuity in their living.  She employs a gardener who maintains the gardens and the edges and tenants do their own lawns.  This ensures that the properties always look well cared for.  She has also decided to allow people to own pets as rentals in which animals are welcome are hard to find.  The properties are fenced making them safe for both children and dogs. 

Runners up Jan and Lyle Galloway decided that property investment best met their criteria as a vehicle for creating wealth after attending a three day course ‘Money and you’ in the early 1990s.Initially heavily geared, and doing all the renovating themselves, their budgets now allow them to employ professional assistance at renovation time. Over the years, Jan and Lyle have learned to be friendly but professional in their relationships with tenants.  After vetting each tenant thoroughly, they use straight forward Tenancy Agreements and conditions.  Some of their tenants have been with them for up to fifteen years.  Jan is a member of the Board of the Auckland Property Investors’ Association (APIA).  

The other runners up, Chris and Robita Johnston, are members of Tauranga Property Investors’ Association (Tauranga PIA).  They became involved in property investment seven years ago after reading books by Robert Kiyosaki and Dolf De Roos.  Since then they have acquired nine residences which they have steadily maintained and improved.  They have also developed respectful relationships with all their tenants. Those we interviewed who spoke highly of them as landlords.

In congratulating the winner and the runners up, Martin Evans, President of the NZPIF, said “This annual award gives us the opportunity to highlight the professionalism of the many members up and down the country who are landlords.  We know people join property investors’ associations in order to learn how to be better investors and landlords and the entrants for this Award demonstrate the high standards which are being achieved. We very much appreciate the continued support of the Department of Building and Housing in sponsoring this Award.”

This year three of the members of the Judging Panel represented the Department of Building and Housing, f the Executive Committee of the NZPIF, the affiliated property investors’ associations, and the fourth member was an independent property manager. “This is a very knowledgeable group of people,” said Mr Evans, “and we very much appreciate the time they have given to this task.  We also sincerely thank all the entrants who participated”.

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