Only a few short years ago, New Zealand was in the grip of a housing crisis. The headlines screamed about supply shortages, record prices were locking out first-home buyers, and rents were through the roof. Political parties blamed each other for decades of under-investment in housing. Fast forward to 2025, and we’re facing the opposite problem. We now have more homes than people willing to...
It’s not often we see a genuine first, but last month Dr Anna Breman was appointed the first woman Governor of the Reserve Bank. While not a Kiwi, she arrives with no political baggage and a clean slate, and with a bit of good management she will arrive just in time to steer us through the final days of the economic slump we have been in. The question on everybody’s lips, will she be bold enough to...
1987 was a big year for New Zealand. Optimism was in the air, we hosted the very first Rugby World Cup and a little-known director called Peter Jackson released his cult hit Bad Taste. As the All Blacks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup high in celebration of our win, the stock market too hit all-time highs. What a time to be alive! And then came Black Monday in the US. By Tuesday the 20th of October, the...
Amanda loves to travel and by proxy, I now love to travel too. It’s not always easy when you’re in real estate. That nagging feeling of guilt about being away, the worry that you might miss an opportunity. It never fully disappears, no matter how long you’ve been in the game. But travel is good for you. After all, if no one had travelled, Italians wouldn’t have tomatoes. And without tomatoes…...
At school, I wasn’t exactly known for my academic brilliance — though I did once win a top academic prize, much to the shock of the entire school (and myself). When it came time for career advice, the teacher in charge gently steered me toward a trade or the military. I told him I was actually planning a gap year, followed by business school. His eyes said it all: good luck with that. Fast forward...
Last month marked a significant milestone for Amanda and me – our 16th wedding anniversary, which also happens to represent 16 years of business partnership. We celebrated with a quick trip to Sydney (don't worry, I was back for Sunday open homes). The preparation for that trip involved plenty of farmers walks – not for fitness, but to build up strength for carrying shopping bags. When I asked about...
One of the most common things we hear from buyers is: "Can you get me a good deal?"The honest answer? No — not from my vendors. Real estate agents work for the seller, even if they aren’t the listing agent. Our legal (fiduciary) obligation is to get the best possible result for them. So, this month, I thought we’d flip the script and look at how buyers can put themselves in the...
I had one of those “Where has the time gone?” moments last month when I realised it’s been five years since we were first locked down. Five years! It somehow feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. Since then, we’ve ridden the Wellington property market's wild rollercoaster - soaring peaks, deep troughs, and now, finally, the slow levelling off. One thing I’ve been quietly...
When it’s time to sell your property, it’s natural to reach out to a few agents to get an idea of what it might sell for. Not too long ago—before property data became widely accessible—homeowners had little choice but to rely on agents for this crucial information. Fast forward to today, and we have a wealth of market data at our fingertips. From online valuation tools to recent sales reports,...
My taste in music might be a bit limited, but one band that stands out as my absolute favourite is the Red-Hot Chili Peppers. My love for their music started back in the day at the Riversdale Surf Life Saving Club, where Blood Sugar Sex Magik was played on repeat for weeks during those long summer days. In my humble opinion, their worst album was Rollercoaster. Now, that’s a bit harsh,...