A shake up for the better in the Bay of Islands

MEDIA RELEASE
17 February: For immediate release Harcourts Group Ltd

A shake up for the better in the Bay of Islands

The long established and successful office of Bay of Islands Realty Limited, previously known as The Professionals, has recently undergone its own North Island shake up as it rebranded with the colours of blue and white, the colours of the Harcourts brand.

From 1 February business owners Dennis Corbett and Bill Easton became a Harcourts franchisee.

Discussions began with Harcourts a number of months prior and although The Professionals business had operated in the Bay of Islands for many years, both Dennis and Bill say it was time for a change.

“With common views concerning growth, values, philosophies and systems, we [Bay of Islands Realty Ltd] decided our business needed to join forces with a bigger player who could help our valued clients achieve the best outcome which would help us grow our business to where we believe it could be - Harcourts, a New Zealand “born and bred” real estate group was the perfect fit,” say the pair. “We wanted to move our businesses exposure way beyond where it has been, and to take our current business to a new level of professionalism and service for the benefit of sellers and buyers.

As we specialise in all segments of the industry including residential, lifestyle, rural, commercial, business brokering, and property management the decision to join the Harcourts group became obvious."

As a reflection of this confidence in the new support systems now employed, along with a renewed focus on growth, Bay of Islands Realty have also just purchased and amalgamated the team of Century 21’s Bay Gold Realty of Kerikeri, who will also wear the blue and white of Harcourts.

“This acquisition was completed early last week and we are thrilled to be making a further and, such a strong step toward committing and developing business within the region. Bay Gold in Kerikeri has a strong rent roll, property management and residential sales side to their business that we want to fit under our business model."

Bay Gold team have now relocated from their corner site to the newly rebranded Harcourts building in central Kerikeri.

The Kerikeri office covers the many townships that frame the Bay of Islands region to cover Waipapa, Waimate North, Kaikohe, Matauri Bay, Kaeo, Whangaroa, Okaihau, Ohaeawai, Oponani, Omapere, Rawene, Paihia, Waitangi, Russell, Kawakawa, Opua and settlements in between.

“When we started in real estate it was driven by face to face communication and still is to a certain degree in our region. However we now find that we are rapidly moving towards less and less face to face communication as more of our purchasers are enquiring from outside of the area and in particular offshore. Sellers are also researching which company is best to engage to sell their property or business or manage their property investment. Purchasers do a lot of research which really influences their buying decision before they even visit the area,” says Dennis. “We know that by joining the Harcourts brand and expanding it in our region, our buyers and sellers will benefit which is what is important to us”.

Harcourts Group Ltd CEO, Hayden Duncan, welcomes the growth and addition of highly skilled professionals in the far north.

“It is our people that are the differentiator from other brands, and it’s this component that is positioning us to meet our growth targets by 2016. Our brand is surrounded by successful and competent people with vision, skill and determination to continue the growth, development and foresight to change how people experience real estate."

“Harcourts are thrilled that the platforms, systems and business models are continuing to attract New Zealand’s leading sales consultants and business owners. The strength and support of our culture really enhances the level and quality of service our sales consultants and business owners can provide raising the overall experience of buying property,” Mr Duncan comments.

Harcourts Bay of Islands Realty will now grow to 12 professional real estate sales consultants covering the areas of residential, rural, commercial, property management and business brokerage.

They are supported by 3 property managers and 3 administration assistants.

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