Is: ‘the land of the long grey cloud’ a more fitting name for our country, as we find ourselves in a recession once again? While the word ‘recession’ carries plenty of negativity, there are always opportunities in a downturn. So, this month we look at how to find the positive in times of recession. Just Get It Over With As a child I spent plenty of time at the dental clinic. Nothing...
What’s it really like to be a real estate agent? Despite writing this blog monthly for the last thirteen years it always takes me by surprise to receive a reminder in CAPS urging me to get my draft through ASAP. While pondering this month’s topic I passed Wellington City station and watched as CBD based workers headed home for the day. It was in that moment I had a brief flirtation with the...
During the slow news period over Christmas and New year, New Zealand’s weather stories take centre stage. The daily news often features what’s hot, what’s not and what regions are recording record breaking temperatures. As we headed off on our annual holiday we did so with trepidation because the long-range forecast was looking less than tropical. But the good news is our reality was much...
A great salesperson is someone who can convince you to buy something you don’t actually want. Back in the 1980’s the greatest of all door-to-door salesperson was the Kirby vacuum cleaner salesperson. These American trained salespeople would walk the streets looking for an opportunity to demonstrate these ‘vacuums of the future’. As a child, I was once witness to such a pitch. I vividly remember...
One of the few benefits of getting older is that you start to notice cycles, which doesn’t mean you can predict the future it just means that you are more aware of what stage of the cycle you are in. In this current cycle (and depending on what side of the ledger you are on) buyers are still trying to pick the bottom, and vendors are looking for the rebound. The problem with picking the...
A few years back, due to some financial pressures, we had to say goodbye to Sky TV. It was about then that my love of rugby started to wane. The game has struggled to maintain its dominance in the New Zealand psyche, so I was surprised to hear that the opening game of the 2023 Rugby World Cup was free to air. Having not seen a game in years, I quickly rediscovered my passion for...
In the early 2000’s New Zealand signed a free trade agreement with China, a first for any developed nation. Through this, New Zealand benefited from exposure to over a billion new customers, something that the dairy industry has leveraged very effectively. For the next few decades this relationship served us well and their economy grew nicely, even weathering the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. But...
The family and I were lucky enough to head to Japan for the July school holidays, and if you haven’t already been I would place it high on the list of countries you simply must visit. It is the perfect mix of wonderful people, fantastic sightseeing, sophisticated culture, indescribable food and attractions your children (or inner child) will love you for – Disneyland,...
Most members of the home owning public will be aware that real estate agents offer “free appraisals”. And anyone looking to sell will likely have commissioned a handful of appraisals to compare their potential sales range. But the longer I spend in the industry, the more I ponder what role do appraisals really play in a property sale? In my former career, as a registered valuer, I...
Keen observers of our business may have noticed a significant shift in the approach we have taken to selling real estate in the current market. Auctions. This will come as a big surprise to many as it has long been argued ‘Auctions don’t work in Wellington’. This month’s Barometer will provide you with insight into our decision and shed light on why auctions have become a game-changer. The...