It was concerning to read over the Easter weekend about another Auckland home owner who had sold their home privately, only to have it on-sold by the new owner at a profit. 

The original homeowner was “mortified” to find out the home was back on the market and that it sold for some $530,000 more than they had received for it! The original home owner was quoted as saying that “in hindsight they wished they had used a real estate agent”.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of people having similar regret after a private sale. This regret comes from things like the amount of time spent managing the process, contractual challenges, lack of legal protection for both seller and buyer and many others.

So we thought we’d give you the 5 main reasons you should use a licensed real estate professional to sell your most prized asset:

1. Ease

Let’s face it, it’s just easier. If you are looking to sell your home yourself, you will have to take calls from interested parties, arrange viewings, answer questions and deal with lawyers. You might find the process getting in the way of your job, family, time with friends over a period of weeks or even months. The sale of a home needs to be given someone’s full attention for the best result. A professional real estate sales person works full time dealing with the challenges and making sure that they maximise the likelihood of enquiry turning into a sale. 

2. Negotiating Isn’t Easy

I’ve heard a few people say they’d rather deal with the negotiation directly with their buyers, because they don’t want someone in the middle.  It’s true that in some circumstances that would remove a layer of complexity, but that’s assuming that both parties are reasonable and like-minded. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

A good real estate sales person can be the buffer between two parties that wouldn’t ordinarily get along. They are professional communicators who handle tough conversations to ensure that the deal goes smoothly and ends in a good result.

3. Real Estate Agents Are Required To Disclose

In New Zealand the REAA (Real Estate Agents Act 2008) does a great job of protecting the Vendor (and the buyers) in a transaction, from dishonest and poor quality sales people by providing, monitoring and enforcing a set of clear guidelines for real estate transactions.

4. Team

Whilst you get team support in most real estate businesses, not many can provide it on the scale that you get at EVES. We showcase every property with our entire team, even having them visit the property when it comes to market so they can put it in front of their buyer database. When you combine this with the network of our sister brand Bayley’s, you get access to a huge database of active buyers immediately.

5. Maximise Your Sale Price

The story at the start of this blog highlighted the main benefit of dealing with a good sales person. Backed by a strong team and a well-positioned brand they will assist you in showcasing you property to as many buyers as possible to ensure you get the maximum value for your property. 

There are many things mentioned above that will help this happen, but a good sales person is not only an expert negotiator but a marketing professional too. They understand how to get your property in front of the largest amount of people who are most likely to buy your property for the right price.

The Bottom Line

While there are people out there who would probably do a good job of selling their own home, stories like the one at the start of this blog are all too common. When you consider how dealing with a licensed real estate sales person will make your life easy and maximize the value of your property transaction, it really is a no brainer to engage one of our EVES agents.

Simon Anderson
CEO 

It’s been a challenging week weather wise for many and today we sit and wait to see what Cyclone Cook brings.  No one has suffered more than the poor people of Edgecumbe. Spare a thought for the 1,600+ residents who have had their town flooded. This has a significant effect on a number of people’s lives. We hope for the best for them over the next 24 hours.

At EVES we wanted to do our bit. As a Company we have reached out and asked our people to help with donations to the Whakatane District Council “Give a Little” campaign, with an agreement by the Company to match all donations dollar for dollar. I'm pleased to say we've seen unbelievable generosity from our team and will add this contribution to the current campaign to help with immediate needs.

Whilst the weather has not been a positive topic, real estate has been.  Across Tauranga, Papamoa and Mount Maunganui we sold only 7 less properties in the March quarter than we did in the December quarter! Of these sales an amazing 69% were generated by the auction process. This is a huge credit to our 109 licensed sales people and evidence of the strong economic future in this region. 

It was so pleasing for me, to see some of the good news stories in our community have a positive influence on those who need some good news of their own.

Have a fantastic Easter, stay safe tonight and look out for the EVES Open Home signs.

EVES, more people selling more property.

And just like that it’s all on again…

Happy New Year, we hope it’s been a relaxing, refreshing holiday for you all. While the Christmas and New Year period provided some relaxation with friends and family for our EVES teams, a high volume of buyer enquiry and SOLD signs went up. Reality is that our business never really stops.

We wanted to take some time this week, not only to say Happy New Year, but also to update you on what’s been happening in our business, so you can catch up a little on the property market. One thing is certain in our market, it’s always changing.

Through December and the holiday period excellent numbers of additional properties came to market across our EVES branches and we have a huge auction day coming up later this month. The last few months of 2016 brought some price stability settling in, providing good opportunities for buyers at all levels, and continuing to provide very acceptable prices for well presented, well marketed properties.

There will be a continuing high level of interest in our region through 2017 from those wanting to move here for career and lifestyle reasons. We’ve already seen Tauranga overtake Dunedin to become New Zealands 5th biggest city this year.

Ongoing troubles and unrest in many overseas locations will provide a strong platform for our local property market from a widening group of potential buyers. Our web traffic continues to tell us that this is the case.

We’re going to work very hard to keep you well informed in 2017, so watch this space for up to date information on “what’s happening out there”.

On behalf of all at EVES I again wish you all a safe, happy and healthy New Year

From the second half of this blog title you might think we were sending you out to find the greatest letterbox you can find (which could be fun for those who have a passion for great letterboxes). But, don’t worry this can all be done from the comfort of your couch or sun drenched outdoor chair, or maybe just maybe, your favourite beach spot. 

To celebrate the opening of our EVES The Lakes office on the 29th of October, we’ve decided to give away 3 prizes of $1000 cash to some lucky hunters. All you have to do is go to www.eves.co.nz/letterbox and hunt for the listing with the red letterbox. Once you’ve found the winning listing the hard work is done. Click through from there, follow the simple instructions and you’re in the draw. Turn up to our grand opening day at our new office on October 29th and you might hear your name.

The second part of our good news story came from the latest priority one report. For our region, growth has been a big focus. The question is, how do we keep growing to accommodate those that want to live and work here? And therefore continue to create more commercial activity, which in turn attracts more businesses. It’s an important cycle for Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty’s future.

This quote from the latest Priority One report answers how we are going with the first part of this cycle;

“Following a record breaking year in 2015, building consents issued in 2016 are continuing to track very well for both Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.  For the nine months to September 2016, both local authorities issued the highest value of consents than in any year since Priority One records commenced in 2003.  Consents for the combined sub-region were valued at $773 million for the nine-month period, 29% more than the previous high recorded in 2015.

Construction on new residential properties continues to be high this month, with Tauranga City Council issuing the second highest number of single dwelling consents in the last 12 months and Western Bay issuing the third highest number over the same period.”

This is exciting stuff as we think ahead to try and ensure growth doesn’t stall.

Talking to Realty Group CEO Ross Stanway, he had this to add to the Priority One comments;

“Around the region these high levels of residential, commercial and industrial build activity are obvious.

This stimulates demand for homes, for rental property, consumer spend, traffic volumes and a very positive economic outlook.

The number of new residents in our area grows by the week. Exciting stuff!”

This is exciting for our business as we try and maintain our growth to keep up with the increasing number of Bay residents. There are many strategies that we’re employing to enable us to do this and the new EVES office at the Lakes is just one way to help us to continue to provide our legendary EVES service.

To keep up with what we’re up to follow us on this blog and Facebook @eves.co.nz

Contrary to some media conveying “the bubble is bursting” sentiment recently, the strong demand for property in our regions is continuing.

The only thing that has changed in recent weeks is that we have seen some resilience from buyers to any perceived over pricing. Buyers seem to have a firmer view of what they are prepared to pay for a given property. Behaviour like buying a property sight unseen, or submitting a high pre-auction offer to try and take out any competition has decreased. This slight shift is bringing back a culture of well informed buyers, purchasing properties for prices that they believe are fair. This has to be a good thing.

However, well presented and well marketed properties are still selling strongly.

More commonly though it is what has occurred prior to the sale that has changed. Sellers who are realistic, have taken on board the buyer feedback during their marketing campaign and are aware of this slight change in the market are still achieving great results.

In a market like this, we thought it would be good to share some tips on what can make a real difference to your sale price:

1.     Share all the information with potential to buyers

Supplying potential buyers with a copy of the property title, the LIM report, a recent builders report and even receipts for any work done on the property can all make a difference. Not only does this give buyers a good picture of what is behind the appearance of the property, but it sets a good level of confidence and goodwill. If you have nothing to hide, make it known, be an open book.

2. Broaden your marketing campaign

The salesperson selling your home should offer you a range of marketing options and ideas that will help maximise the exposure of the campaign. Make sure they are thinking outside of the “real estate box” and looking at channels like Facebook and PR to drive real interest. It is horses for courses, but a good real estate salesperson will have some useful information about the type of potential buyer and where they may come from. We are seeing huge interest in our regions from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, but also from overseas. People from Australia, UK, US and Asia are all visiting the EVES website in their hundreds each week.

3. Provide a great first impression

Help potential buyers love your property the way you do. Show it in its best light.

• Let the light shine in. So easy, yet so effective. Maximise the natural light entering your home by cleaning windows, having curtains, drapes and blinds open and pruning trees.
• Make your home inviting. Clean all entryways, buy new front door hardware, remove excess furniture, board pets and get rid of odours. If you really want to make your place feel homely, get those inviting smells going by baking some muffins in the oven and have that freshly brewed coffee aroma in the air before open homes or inspections.
• Mow, trim and re-sow bare lawns, remove all debris, secure fences and add colourful plants and flowers.
• Furnish with love – Some buyers may lack imagination when it comes to an empty home. Many people can’t visualise where or what furniture would look good or be practical in a space. This is especially important when selling a vacant home. Buy, hire or borrow a few items to fill the emptiness and give your home character. To take it to the next level, decorate the house with fresh flowers and remove personal items. For the next level of result consider hiring home staging professionals. The effect can be outstanding.

6. Repair the broken stuff

• Before showing the house make sure the obvious things are fixed.
• Fix all defects to light switches and overhead lights. Replace plumbing fixtures that are not operating as perfectly as they should.
• Take a look at your kitchen and bathrooms. Make the most obvious improvements first. If necessary, replace damaged tiles and bench tops, repaint, or touch up cabinetry.
• Keep floors clean at all times. If necessary replace worn out vents and patch, repair or replace flooring.
• Make sure all doors open and shut well.
• Replace or clean carpets - if carpets are not faded or damaged, consider shampooing to improve smell and appearance.

7. Touch ups

Give special attention to garage, front doors and window and door frames and blistering paint. Tired fences, holes in gutters and downpipes, missing tiles on the roof etc should be attended to. Remove dirt and mould from pathways.

Consider removing dated wallpaper, whitewashing dark paneling, having leaks, watermarks and cracked ceilings repaired.

It may seem like a long list, but it is worth it. A recent example of following these ideas through, saw a great result for one of our Hamilton sellers. It's worth noting that this is a normal house in a typical Hamilton suburb. The sellers set a realistic reserve that reflected feedback from potential buyers and recent sales data. The house was tidy, the touch ups were done and it was ready for sale. A broad marketing campaign meant there were a wide group of buyers, both local, national and international. A professionally delivered auction saw bidding go a phenomenal 44% above reserve. An awesome result!

We want a result like this for you too.

If you are thinking of selling, talk to us for more information and guidance on what will make a difference to your sale. Ask one of the EVES team about our free appraisals - click here to find your nearest EVES office.

Recent publicity has been given to the Bay of Plenty region’s largest commercial and retail development underway at The Crossing.

This new centre, next to the Lakes residential area at Tauriko will be the new home for our latest EVES Realty office due to open in October.

With offices in Katikati, Gate Pa, Cameron Rd, Cherrywood, Bethlehem, Mount Maunganui and Papamoa our team provides unmatched coverage of the region. Each of these suburbs offers something different with property types to suit any buyer.

Tauranga’s population growth is particularly evident in the Lakes and Pyes Pa area as our city spreads to cater for a growing population. This is a pattern locals are becoming used to. Tauranga has grown by spreading rather than by increasing density. Over the last 15 years Tauranga’s urbanised population grew by 27%, while its urbanised land area expanded by 25%. In fact, Tauranga’s growth 'went out' more than any other New Zealand city this millennium.

Not surprisingly, this area has attracted a lot of attention from both local and out of town buyers.  The area has schools at all levels opening soon, world class shopping facilities not far away, is only 10 minutes from the CBD via Takitimu Drive and 20 minutes (approximately) from Mount Manganui’s beautiful beaches.

Our new EVES branch at The Crossing is strategically located so we can continue to offer a 'local specialist' service and experience that people have come to love.

One of our highly regarded management team members will head up the branch and manage a team of experienced agents. Excitingly, we’ve had excellent agents from other brands approach us keen to join this team and be part of its growth.

If you are interested in joining EVES at the Crossing, call me personally on (07) 579 0640 or email me at ross.stanway@realtygroup.co.nz

Ross Stanway
CEO

Put your home in front of over 49,000 potential buyers!*

The property market is hot and sellers are keen to relocate to the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato where properties are considered better value and lifestyle is a priority. EVES are taking properties from these areas to the Auckland Home Show, 7th - 11th September - don't miss out!

Speak to your real estate agent or call into your local EVES office to find out more.

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

*Source: Auckland Home Show - 2015 Post Show Report

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Over the past 2 years we've seen a big change in the wider Tauranga community. The area was mocked for being a large rest home by the sea... and let's be honest there was an element of truth to that. Tauranga has, historically speaking, had a large representation from the older demographic. 

But, as I'm sure you've heard from many sources, that’s changing. 

Tauranga is now one of New Zealand’s fastest growing cities. This has been thanks to an influx of people from other, larger centres. Local house sales have leapt by 38% in 2015 and annual employment growth was 13%.  

There are a number of different reasons why people are moving to Tauranga but, there are some that our teams hear consistently:

• less traffic
• more flexible lifestyle
• cheaper house prices
• larger sections

We've seen a mix of demographics enquiring about property but, again there are some consistencies. The majority of the people/families moving to the region are first home buyers and/or investors. 

As a real estate business, the changes in our market have meant we've had to evolve. The question always has to be, "what is the best sales plan to deliver the best outcome for our vendor?" If you're always asking that question then you have to evolve to deliver.

Tauranga's evolution is now mature enough that we've started to see the first of the new wave bring their properties back to market. This is often the first opportunity that these families have to capitalise on investment. This is something that our team find really exciting. Here's the story of one of these situations:

• First home owners in Papamoa had spent two years renovating their home and due to their growing family it was time to move on.
• They set their reserve for auction day with little or no room to move if the market didn’t meet their requirement on price. Adding even more tension, to what is already a tense experience. 
• Competitive bidding brought them delight and a comfort zone for them by selling $32,000 above their reserve.

Recent market conditions have been favourable to auctions and it's been amazing to see these deliver results. There is nothing better for us than seeing a young family walk away smiling and well set up for the next part of their story.

A big congratulations from the EVES team to this awesome young family. We loved being part of this journey and look forward to many more of these stories too come.

Thinking about going to auction? ask one of our sales people to see our auction tips video.

There are people who need, or wish, to sell their property, but may be hesitant for fear of not being able to purchase their next property in a rising market with lower levels of homes for sale in some areas.

Some in this situation have been able to find their next home before selling the current one, by focussing on just that - finding the next one.

By working with our EVES agents and the broad network which then opens up within our group the following scenario has been possible.

Firstly finding their next chosen property of choice, then negotiating a longer term settlement on that purchase, putting their current home in a successful EVES auction campaign and finally if required, organising bridging finance through our Rothbury mortgage brokers.

The linkage between finding the next home, successfully marketing the current property and organising any short term or longer term finance is all part of the reason EVES have more people selling more property.

If you are in the situation of considering putting your property on the market and need to discuss your next planned move with people who can really help, contact EVES. Make our success in the market your success.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Vendors attempting to sell privately advertised their property looking to achieve a sale price in the mid $400,000 range. 

After approx. 6 weeks they relented and listed the property for auction and subsequently received an acceptable pre-auction offer slightly higher than their desired price. 

Electing to bring the auction forward they witnessed 7 real estate agents with buyers on the phone or in the room and sold their property for $535,000.

Make our success your success.

Call 0800 743 837 or speak to your EVES real estate agent today.  

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

It is extremely satisfying to see the many outstanding results achieved for our sellers through our leading EVES Property marketing campaigns. People put their property on the market because they want to move on with their lives and plans. Selling their property well is a huge part of that process. Getting the best price possible for property is EVES focus and responsibility. We ensure our marketing process highlights the property to the widest genuine buyer pool, creating strong competition between buyers.

Last month EVES sold 103 properties at auction. That is 103 property owners we have assisted to move on to the next stage of their plans and 103 buyers who have purchased the property they wanted. In many instances the sale price has exceeded our seller’s expectations.

EVES ability to develop relevant, powerful and cost effective marketing plans for our clients produces this volume of success because our focus is on marketing the property superbly and professionally negotiating the sale with the best buyer.

If you are interested in getting the best price possible for your property rather than be diverted into the cheapest commission and minimal cost campaign, talk to EVES now.

Ross Stanway
CEO

One of our vendors who sold last week was originally going to sell privately. They chose to auction with EVES and sold for $52,000 more than they were going to market their home for privately!

Auction results for June -
103 properties sold:

88% Sold under the hammer
5% Sold prior
7% Sold within 14 days post auction

Make our success your success.

Call 0800 743 837 or speak to your EVES real estate agent today.  

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

Ongoing publicity has been given to lower numbers of homes on the market over recent times. Yet our company statistics show a significant increase year to date of EVES listings compared to last year.

Our volume of sales has increased concurrently with fast turnaround times for EVES properties, particularly through auction.

Informed sellers know the main prize is not what may be offered as an incentive to list with a particular company, but more importantly the opportunity to obtain the best price possible. 

Marketing packages and ‘deals’ offered by some can be misleading, placing attention on the wrong end of the transaction. Saving a small amount when listing can have consequences at the critical end of the process. The quality of the marketing campaign and power of the listing agent and brand to find the best buyer is where the rubber really hits the road for the seller. 

Talk to EVES about those happy sellers we have been delivering exceptional results for where it really matters, obtaining the best price possible through our proven powerful team’s marketing and selling methods. This is what all sellers want, to be in the strongest position to then move forward with their plans post sale.

Ross Stanway
CEO

“If we sell now we may not be able to find what we want to buy”.

Ironically, if those in this position put their property on the market this would be less of an issue, with more property available for buyers.

Financial motivation, career moves, health or life stage changes and relationship changes all bring property to market. These are also the drivers of buyer activity.

Interestingly, our EVES branches, year to date, have achieved over 100 additional listings compared to same months last year. 

However, the much shorter time on market now means fewer homes available for long periods of time. Days on market in some areas have reduced by two or three weeks, meaning for some, days to sell can be as short as 14!

Buyers’ decisions now occur over much shorter periods of time. Sellers who provide comprehensive property information and engage a high profile market leading brand now capture strong buyer demand and can move quickly to become buyers themselves. Longer settlement periods can often be negotiated so sellers have more time to find their next home.

Talk to EVES about this, with more people listing and selling more property. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Recently we celebrated a special annual event for those in our group who have been with us for 10 years or more.

Very few businesses can boast any significant number of their team in this milestone category but this year we acknowledged 92 of ours, many of whom have been with us for more than 10 years. That represents 22% of our total company personnel which is outstanding in any industry but particularly so in real estate.  

Those in our “10 Year Club” are predominantly salespeople and managers but also include property managers, marketing, administration, IT and accounts team members. 

Our knowledge and networks throughout the region and dedication to providing clients the best possible real estate experience contributes strongly to our company’s success. Our significant company profile and volume of real estate business as a market leader is of course due to our people and the strong repeat and referral business that comes from having such a well known and longstanding team.

In recent years many new, capable team members have joined us so we are fortunate to have such a well balanced group all committed to doing their very best for those we deal with. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

The latest property market statistics for our region highlight several important factors which anyone thinking of selling should take into account.

There is a shortage of property available for sale and this, combined with ongoing buyer enthusiasm from existing residents plus people moving to the region, continues to move prices upward. The days on market for properties that are well marketed is shorter than it has been for years.

Mortgage interest rates remain at low levels with banks competing strongly for lending business. The auction method of marketing in this situation is bringing results for sellers that often exceeds their expectations.

The inevitable question of “what is a property is worth?” only established in today’s market by auction when open competition between buyers is created.

EVES renowned rates of auction success for sellers, combined with leading edge marketing programmes and our large, experienced, dedicated sales team throughout the region is a major factor in so many sellers choosing EVES. Now is a good time to sell. 

Call any of our local EVES offices now if you are thinking of selling and find out for yourself why EVES has more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Busy, successful real estate professionals usually have a wide network of friends, colleagues, referrers and influencers. This is valuable when it comes to letting people know what’s happening in the world of real estate.

It’s also valuable to communicate to as wide a group as possible, in regard to any particular property currently being marketed. All this is to maximise the opportunity for a salesperson to find the best possible buyer for any given property.

At EVES we have some very busy salespeople who take time to play an active role in their community. This may be through involvement with their children’s school, a sports team, cultural activity or through belonging to an interest group, service club, charity or church. There is a very long list of these sorts of possibilities and across our EVES teams we cover almost all those bases. 

EVES leading profile in the region is as a result of the significant number of properties sold by our teams, but also definitely due to the major part our people play in the wider community.

Talk to EVES about what’s happening in the Bay and if it’s superb real estate services you require, that’s what we do!

Ross Stanway
CEO

Winter is letting us all know it is on the way to spend some time with us. However, the region’s high economic confidence levels and low unemployment rate provide a welcome warming factor. Our region’s appeal and demand for property has driven house prices upward sharply over the past year. This is making it very difficult for some home buyers and for tenants seeking suitable rental accommodation. 

A quick overview of the rental market provides the following ball park figures; median weekly rent for three bedroom house Tauranga $425, Mount $450, Papamoa $475.

Greatest tenant demand is in the sub $400 per week range, but biggest supply is in $500 plus per week range. Anecdotally there has been a 5-10% rent increase over the past 12 months.

Properties within the high volume $400k-$500k selling range, provide good investment opportunities given the high tenant demand. It is this which attracts investors from outside the region into our market, combined with having a stake in our market should they wish to reside here in the future.

EVES is ideally placed to work with home buyers, investors and tenants with market leading real estate and property management teams. Talk to EVES now, with more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Like all businesses, EVES real estate operations are based strongly on good relationships, developed over a period of time. Many of our transactions with buyers and sellers are based on repeat business and referrals from satisfied clients.

This week’s publication acknowledges EVES personnel who earned company awards working at the top of their game for their clients. Their success is based on developing lasting relationships with the people they work with and work for. Often they are doing business with second and third generation family members and extended family as clients.

In real estate it is not always possible to provide an absolutely perfect result for all parties. It is possible to provide the best professional experience for those we deal with and that is our company goal across all aspects of our business.

Our focus across our EVES sales teams with new and experienced agents alike, is this development of positive relationships, leading to business opportunities in any market.

For our sellers this means finding the best buyer, not merely the ‘first one’ and for our buyers, assisting them to find the most suitable property for their circumstance.

Explains why, at EVES, more people are selling more property. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

As a leading, long established real estate company, at EVES we’re very proud of the achievements of our people and the relationships built over many years with our thousands of clients.

Last week at our Annual Awards we acknowledged our many top performers across all aspects of our business. Success in real estate is based on numerous key factors, all of which we place considerable focus on through continuing education, training and upskilling.

Knowledge of the regulations which apply to specific markets and trends, understanding clients’ needs, developing effective and relevant marketing plans, diligent follow up with sellers and buyers and effective negotiation skills. 

These are some and they are paralleled in our Property Management business dealing with our landlord owners and with tenants.

In support the multi-talented personnel in our administration, marketing, accounts, IT systems and our Rothbury team provide a full range of insurance, financial services and mortgage brokering.

Overall, a high performing, winning team committed to providing the best experience to all those we deal with.

Our position as a highly respected, leading company with a very strong connection to the community is one we are proud of and work hard to continually improve. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Recently media covered property availability at a certain price range across suburbs in Tauranga. Statistically, the largest volume sales are occurring from $400k to $700k in Tauranga, Mount and Papamoa areas.

That is a broad price band, but within it, the largest volume sales come from the $400k to $500k range. In fact, slightly more at 191 (REINZ Jan-March 2016) than the two next bands $500k-$600k (156) and $600k-$700k (123). 

With the median price increasing over the last 12 months there are obviously more properties being ‘pushed’ into the next higher price bracket but the biggest volume effect in the first quarter of the year is in the $400k to $500k band.

Compare 191 this year first quarter with 175 last year in the $400k-$500k band. In any market and given price band certain constants apply;

Property needs to be well presented, well marketed and stand out to capture buyer attention.

The auction process continues to be a successful, true test of market value.

The salesperson engaged must be knowledgeable, enthusiastic and absolutely committed to achieving the best result possible for their client.

Talk to EVES, long recognised as experts in this busy, demanding playing field. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Grappling with this question is very real for many in our region. Often the key issues which should be taken account of are overlooked. Of course the fundamental of the $ amount which is available and affordable is the baseline in either decision. 

However, two key issues which are critical from this start point are; the length of time it is likely the dwelling will be home for the decision makers and the likelihood of any annual capital gain. If it is uncertain regards likely length of time of residence, or known to be relatively short (say less than 12 or 18 months) with low chance of appreciable capital gain then renting if it is available for the amount affordable is the favoured option. 

Conversely if length of intended residence is longer term and the chance of capital gain over that timeframe is real then buying - if mortgage funds are available - makes sense. In that instance the challenge is to find a suburb, a street, or possibly a specific property where the capital gain aspect has yet to really gain momentum and the potential is yet to be realised. This is worth spending time on and can be time well spent. Want help with this?

Talk to EVES now.

Ross Stanway
CEO

I have been away on annual leave the past few weeks and I hope like me, you have enjoyed the comments from our Group Sales and Marketing Manager, Karen Worley.

It seems that there is no let-up in on going media coverage of Auckland’s housing woes and the impact of that on our region. Some data of interest follows:

The (Saturday 16th April) NZ Herald reports that up to a value of $600k only 30% of homes in Auckland are available. This compares with 77% available up to that price level in the Tauranga region. However the sales made in our region in the first calendar quarter to Aucklanders is around 20% of the total sales and the median price has moved up nearly $80k March ’15 to March ’16 now at $511,500. 

Through one of the real estate industry’s leading websites in March, 33% of searches on Bay of Plenty properties were from Auckland and 26% came from existing Bay residents. In Tauranga, Mount and Papamoa first quarter this year a total of 543 properties sold under $600k.

The long term impacts of this increase in property purchases by those moving to our region is positive, bringing new families, increased skill base, new employment opportunities adding to an already growing economy.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Having recently taken two investment properties to the market there are some things that I really believe contributed to the successful sale of both properties. The first thing was getting the house ‘dressed’ to sell. Both properties were empty so we had a company come in and furnish them. It felt like we made the houses into homes and gave them a soul. Even if your home is furnished, these companies advise on placement of your furniture and can add a few bits and pieces to smarten it up if required. 

Having the grounds right, things trimmed in the garden and the exterior looking clean is important too. 

The next thing that comes into play is photography. This has never been more important than now with online marketing where buyers scroll through numerous photos and either want to view or eliminate the property! 

The final thing in my view is how much profile the property gets and where it is promoted. This is where EVES salespeople can offer great advice and provide real time stats for you to enable you to decide where your property needs to be seen. We are experts at what we do so call us now.

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

Real Estate in regional New Zealand is benefitting strongly from all the Auckland activity over the past two years and the Bay of Plenty is no exception. Low interest rates, tight numbers of properties for sale and booming net immigration would tend to suggest this buoyancy will go on for some time. All of these factors are manifesting each week in our auction room. This week we auctioned 32 properties; last week 38. Our vendors are certainly becoming more optimistic for the price they might achieve and buyers are plentiful.  

My advice to vendors last week was to ensure their properties were auction ready with builder’s report, LIM report and anything else a purchaser might require to bid unconditionally at auction. This week the message is to the buyers to get themselves auction ready. They need to have completed due diligence (checking of all documentation and reports available) and they need their finance well and truly sorted. Our Rothbury Financial Services arm has been instrumental in assisting hundreds of purchasers to get the best mortgage deal in the market allowing them to bid further to secure their dream home. Don’t forget to include them in your due diligence! 

Have a great week.

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

If you are an experienced REAA licensed Real estate Salesperson with management/leadership experience and you would like to become a member of the Eves Realty management team, I would like to talk to you.

Our team operates from Omokoroa through to Waikino and Whangamata with a majority of business within a 15km radius of Katikati. We service the residential, lifestyle and rural market place.

Strong base salary with quarterly bonuses, company car and phone.

Apply in strict confidence to Bruce McCutcheon, Manager/Principal

Eves Realty Ltd, Katikati

027 498 4800

bruce.mccutcheon@eves.co.nz

What a fantastic Easter Weekend with no shortage of opportunities for locals and visitors to get out and about and enjoy everything good about the Bay of Plenty! Personally, a couple of friends came up from “the other bay” – Hawkes Bay and thoroughly enjoyed everything on offer.

The Bayleys International Race Day was bathed in sunshine even though there was an incredible amount of rain in the days prior. The day was a stunner and the Fashion in the Field simply outstanding.

The National Jazz Festival provided the big crowds with a variety of concerts, shows and entertainment. The local bars and restaurants really turned it on in terms of service and attitude.

Then the long line fishing on Papamoa beach took a few hours but meant we dined well on fresh snapper.

Our friends were certainly impressed and they come from an area known for its own well established events bringing thousands into their own area, so they were experts when it comes to appreciating good entertainment and well run events.

We are seeing copious quantities of buyers coming in to our area and we need properties to sell them. Who can blame them? We live in paradise. Call us now if you want to sell!

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

The auction room is absolutely going off at the moment. 19 out of 23 auctions sold under the hammer last week with vendor’s expectations in most cases well and truly exceeded. Our vendors are, in the main, really well educated in terms of what resources they need to provide to a potential purchaser to allow them to be in an informed decision to bid. 

These resources include LIM report, builder’s report and in some cases a registered valuation. By providing the required reports, a purchaser can confidently bid for the property without the expense of paying for the reports with no guarantee of purchase. This is particularly important in the case of first homes where buyers can ill afford the cost of numerous reports for failed attempts at auction. Putting more bidders into a room creates more completion and ultimately a higher sale price.

We are desperately short of property to sell. If you are even thinking of selling, then make sure you give EVES a chance to present a free appraisal and talk to you about the free marketing we offer. After all, our goal is the same as yours – to get you sold at the highest price possible in the shortest time frame. 

Give us a call today.

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

Some of the biggest percentage volume and price increases are occurring in suburbs and localities which previously had lower average prices and lower demand than other ‘sought after’ areas.

Gate Pa, Parkvale, Welcome Bay, Arataki for example are now attracting keen buyer interest based on excellent value for money. First home buyers and investors alike see the potential in these areas to purchase solid homes in affordable price ranges. Over time, whole streets and neighbourhoods can progressively undergo transformation in this way and then new price levels and new communities evolve.

More even demand patterns are now establishing across many suburbs, rather than the previous highs and lows of traditional demand, based on preconceived ideas about specific suburbs.

EVES are dealing with buyers focused on looking at where the best value for their money is, combined with the potential to add further value through improvements.

Those thinking of selling, wherever their property is located, should talk with EVES. This will provide accurate up to date market information relating to exactly what is happening in their neighbourhood and how to achieve the best selling price.

Talk to EVES, with more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Some important trends have occurred in the region over the past year in the rental market. The shortage of rental properties has been driven by several factors over the last couple of years.

On the demand side we live in one of NZ’s fastest growing, most popular regions, attracting people across a wide range of age groups and family status, some who are long standing tenants.

Many new residents move here to ultimately purchase their own home but rent in the meantime until they buy. Additionally, first home buyers have often purchased previously tenanted homes from investors keen to sell.

Then we have major ongoing construction commercial and residential projects requiring an increased workforce to relocate from outside the area.

Reduced supply of rental properties has been driven by absentee owners returning home to their (previously rented) property plus existing investors taking advantage of high buyer demand and increased selling prices.

This is a challenge for tenants but highlights the opportunity for investors to enter this market now with high demand from potential tenants in a market where increased rents are possible. 

Talk to EVES now about their excellent potential investment properties available now in areas of high tenant demand. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Auckland is no longer the sole growth engine of the housing market. Several regions have reached new median price highs.

Foremost amongst them are key areas which EVES has a strong presence in - Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Across these two popular regions at the end of 2015 sales volumes were up 30 percent and prices up 11 percent.

On a weekly basis, our EVES sales teams deal with enquiry from buyers within the region who are selling or buying for all the usual reasons based on family circumstance, career moves, health and lifestyle motives.

However, the interest in our region from those further afield continues to grow. In addition, the exodus from Auckland for those seeking value for money, new careers and a change to a better lifestyle is a major factor. Over the past six years 38,000 people have left Auckland for the regions.

This brings additional business opportunities, resources, skills and growth in regional communities. Our EVES sales teams are dealing with record numbers of buyers and sellers in this buoyant market.

If you are thinking of selling, now is a very good time to contact the experts at EVES with more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

One of the many advantages of working with EVES is the value that can be provided from comprehensive professional assistance across the whole property transaction process.

Through our Rothbury partners, access is available for competitive mortgage terms, house and content insurance, landlord insurance and wider financial service advice.

Rothbury’s experienced team of Advisers deal with a rapidly growing client base, negotiating competitive mortgage packages, providing comprehensive insurance cover and sound financial structures for buyers and sellers alike. 

Finding the best interest rate can be made easier by using a qualified Rothbury Mortgage Adviser. This provides an excellent opportunity to make buying decisions based on sound advice through the established connections our Rothbury team have with major lending institutions.

Rate is a key driver to saving money, but taking the right advice around loan structure is equally important and 40% of borrowers use a Mortgage Adviser to achieve that.

Our EVES sales teams work hand in hand with Rothbury and can organise seamless introduction to your local Rothbury Adviser. Our aim is to provide the best possible experience for all those we work with. An introduction to Rothbury through your EVES contact could provide exactly that.

Some things about the market are always changing, but some things never change. One constant is that if a property is well presented and up to date information is provided then that significantly increases initial buyer interest and the potential for a good sale.

Many tasks required to tidy up a property are the simple ones - depending on the state of the start point. Lawns mowed, garden tidied, the house washed or freshly painted, paths water blasted, interior clean, tidy and uncluttered and so on.  

Sellers compete for buyers’ attention and there are other practical steps a seller can take to greatly assist buyers’ decision making. Sellers who provide their own recent reputable builder’s report, a copy of the title, a LIM Report and even a current valuation to potential buyers, show transparency and a willingness to assist the selling process.

Even in a market where days on the market are shorter and volume of sales are high, the fact remains that those properties that sell for the best price the market can provide are well marketed, well presented and make the due diligence process for buyers easier.

Talk to EVES now about how your property can be a stand out in this market and achieve the best selling price. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Positive activity levels have been maintained through the holiday period with high sales volumes and keen buyer interest.

However, some important factors are now in play. Firstly, due to these sustained high sales volumes the amount of property on the market for sale is at lower levels now.

Often this would lead to increased prices that buyers are prepared to pay given the competition for property purchases.

However, the new higher price levels that have been set over the past 12 months may now be resulting in buyers taking a firmer stance on what they are willing to pay.

Sellers can appreciate that price increases do not continue at the same rate forever and levelling off periods do occur.

Buyers have a clear view of what they are able or willing to pay and sellers need to be aware of accurate market feedback from their chosen real estate salesperson.

This highlights the value of engaging a well informed, market savvy salesperson working in this active market, but one which absolutely requires accurate and up to date buyer feedback for sellers.

Talk to EVES now, with more people selling more property and get that SOLD sign on your property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Recent stats show around 60,000 migrants to NZ last year and of those some 23,500 from Australia, most being Kiwis returning home. 

This year is predicted to be a record one for tourism numbers. Serious and unsettling events going on overseas will no doubt add to both the above statistics in the future.

All of this highlights what will be an increasing awareness and interest in our country and in our region.

We have seen the effects of that over the past year and without doubt as we look to what 2016 will bring, the property market in the wider Tauranga area will continue with high levels of activity.

On the supply side, the increase in new housing stock across existing subdivisions and those going through the planning stages are critical if prices are to remain at reasonable rates of increase over the next 12 months.

Our recent auction and sales results this month show that levels of demand are still high.

Our outstanding marketing campaigns and effective sales teams are delivering excellent results so now is the time to talk with EVES whether you are considering buying or selling.

EVES, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Recent data from recruitment agencies highlight significantly increased Bay of Plenty job placements and is verified by an 18% increase in job listings year on year 2015 vs 2014. This is the highest increase in the country and three times the national increase of 6%.

This combines with record breaking building consent stats for 2015 (just over $843m in the wider region) compared to previous high in 2006 of $654m.

For some time our region has been right in the public spotlight nationally and for all the right reasons.

It is a fantastic place to live and work in, has world class recreational opportunities on our doorstep and offers excellent infrastructure for business operations across a wide range of industry sectors.

Little wonder then that house sale volumes and prices have been increasing month on month since early last year. The demand for homes across all price ranges is high and competition amongst buyers is very keen.

EVES have a number of powerful and effective marketing packages to suit every seller’s needs.

If you are thinking of selling, now is a very good time to talk with one of our team.

EVES, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

This week brings over 400 passionate golfers, partners and friends to our Tauranga area to play in the EVES 5 Course Classic.

Many have played in all the previous events over the past 20 years and some now own property here.

This year players are from throughout NZ and eight international groups from as far afield as our Pacific neighbours, South East Asia, USA, UK and Canada.

Play is on local courses over the five days, at Te Puke, Mt Maunganui, Omanu, Tauranga and Omokoroa.

EVES as naming sponsor have company personnel interacting during the week with players and over the years many friendships and business relationships have developed.

The high level of interest and activity in our local real estate market will undoubtedly be a hot topic during the week amongst players.

EVES Property publication will be available at each Golf Club venue, so our vendors properties will achieve additional exposure to this group of visitors.

EVES warmly welcome players and partners for what will be another great week here in the Bay. Hopefully their time here will also provide a good insight into all that we have on offer in this fantastic region.

Ross Stanway
CEO

“What will the property market be like in 2016?”

“What factors influence our region’s property market?”

Our EVES teams reported over recent weeks through rain and shine, locals and visitors seemed to maintain a balance of simultaneously holiday making and house hunting.

Net inbound migration numbers with significant expat volumes are at record levels and unlikely to ease. So more pressure on the Auckland market in particular, in turn a continuing flow of Auckland buyers to our community.

Interest rates are predicted to remain at current lows for some time yet.

Business confidence and employment levels in our region look to be at positive sustainable levels.

New build housing stocks should continue in established subdivisions and a number of new ones which will feature this year.

The widespread positive awareness of all that our region has to offer is likely to continue.

Pressure on prices will be a mix of all the above, but there is no doubt in the current market it is a good time to sell and a good time to buy!

To get a good view on what’s happening out there, talk to EVES now, with more people selling more property. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

The past few weeks have seen thousands of visitors enjoying all the good things about our region, which those of us lucky enough to live here permanently, enjoy all year round.

This year, more than ever, the level of enquiry our EVES salespeople have handled over the holiday period has been huge.

Our first day of auctions in a couple of weeks on Thursday 21st has over 30 auctions booked already for buyers.

With over 100 properties coming to auction in the first couple of months of this new year, as predicted the market is still moving along at a very good pace.

The fundamentals driving interest in our region’s property market remain strongly in place. Low interest rates, competition from banks for mortgage finance custom, high immigration numbers, an excellent range of home and investment properties available for buyers. All this combines with an increasing awareness of the region as a place to live in, invest in and operate business from.

If you are buying or selling, talk to EVES, with more people selling more property, our team can provide you with all the options.

From all of us at EVES, enjoy the rest of summer and our very best wishes for the great year that will be 2016!

Ross Stanway
CEO

As in the past, over recent weeks and for a while yet, our region has been the holiday destination for thousands of visitors.

They enjoy, what we as locals have on our doorstep all year round. The great outdoors with rivers, beaches, parks, forests, plus great retail opportunities and numerous attractions have been a major motivation for many deciding to become new residents over the past year.

2016 promises more of the same and our EVES teams have been busier than ever over the festive season dealing with significant buyer enquiry.

Low interest rates, a great range of new and established properties across all price ranges and a very positive economic outlook for the region are continuing to bring more people to the area. This is on the back of numerous business relocations and start ups providing a very positive employment outlook.

EVES has a long, well established and successful reputation as a market leader and we look forward enthusiastically to assisting with the real estate needs of buyers and sellers throughout the year ahead.

From EVES, with more people selling more property, we wish you all, residents and holiday makers alike, a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.  

Ross Stanway
CEO

For one of the few times this year my message is very little about the property market, but all about this very special time of year and the many hundreds of buyers and sellers who our EVES teams have assisted to achieve their real estate goals this year.

The next few weeks for most are a time to relax with family and friends, to enjoy what the past year has brought and hopefully to remember the many highlights experienced amongst those we share Christmas with.

This year has been a record breaker for our region’s property market and our local community has been swelled by newcomers in big numbers to the region.

I want to take this time to thank sincerely all of those who have entrusted their property needs to EVES this year. 

We greatly value the relationships that this enables and the opportunities presented, in which we strive hard to deliver the very best we can.

To all our clients and readers of this publication on behalf of all of us at EVES, have a Merry Christmas and a safe, memorable and fun time with those close to you over the next few weeks.

My best regards to you all.

Ross Stanway
CEO

If you are thinking of selling it can be tempting to place excessive short term attention on the particular offer made by any given salesperson or company pitching to list your property for sale.

This can potentially end up being expensive in the long run if the best price possible for your property is not achieved.

Saving a small amount upfront at time of listing for sale, needs to be assessed against the track record of the salesperson, their team, the market profile and their brand’s ability to find the best buyer in the market at any point in time. 

EVES focus is very firmly fixed on doing everything possible to obtain the best buyer for every one of our sellers, not just presenting the seller with the ‘first buyer available’.

EVES provide excellent, competitive, proven effective marketing packages, but most importantly, have a track record which is setting new benchmarks for sale prices for our vendor clients.

Our clearance rates for auctioned properties, provided hundreds of satisfied sellers over the past year and many buyers happy to have secured the property of their dreams.

Talk to EVES about how we can put an even bigger smile on your face when that SOLD sign goes up.

Ross Stanway
CEO

The signs are evident everywhere highlighting how our region is performing economically. Record building consent statistics, increased job opportunities, a recovered and buoyant kiwifruit industry, one of the busiest years ever for tradespeople and suppliers plus a record year for the property market.

How long will all this last? A key to this answer is the extent to which the region is capable of attracting and coping with the increasing flow of residents, businesses and demands on infrastructure.

Forward planning some years ago has created significant capacity for considerable future growth in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. There is huge activity in areas all set to accommodate expansion. The region’s top spot in the country is a position achieved through many years of public and private initiatives working toward a business and community environment that is now second to none. 

The large numbers of properties selling at our weekly EVES auction sales, provide a very good guide to any market trends.

For the best opportunity to be fully informed on what is happening and how you, as a buyer or seller, can be in the best position, talk to EVES. More people selling more property. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

The longstanding role EVES plays supporting many community organisations is one we are very proud of and willingly participate in.

EVES personnel contribute annually and generously to the TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter Service and $16,000 will be handed to Pilot Manager Liam Bretkelly this week.

Recently our team gave much needed products for those looked after by Women’s Refuge in Tauranga and our EVES people recently completed a garden makeover for Bay of Plenty Sexual Assault Support Service Safe House.

Local Bowling Clubs getting set for the busy summer season benefit from the level of sponsorship and support provided by EVES into that popular sporting pastime.

Our Surf Lifesaving Clubs provide invaluable service over the summer holiday period and EVES continues as a major supporter of that sporting code in our region.

Bay of Plenty Sports Awards has EVES sponsoring the Junior Sportswoman of the Year Award. This year we have invited students from Otumoetai Intermediate Sports Academy to soak up the atmosphere provided through interaction with our region’s top sports people.

Our EVES in the community role is one we take seriously and passionately, as we do to achieving the best possible outcomes for many hundreds of buyers and sellers we work with.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Find out more: eves.co.nz/community

EVES provides stand out exposure, current market information and a most dedicated, superbly networked sales team across the region, providing the best possible outcomes for buyers and sellers in today’s market. The real estate salesperson’s role is critical if the seller is to receive the best possible result. Regular, accurate feedback from the salesperson highlights how the property is seen by the buying public. Ongoing reviews of the marketing campaign and creating continual awareness of the property amongst colleagues, buyer databases and any enquiry follow up, all require constant work.

The auction method of marketing brings this process into the open with genuine buyers contacted during the marketing campaign.

The value of the commission is returned many fold when these processes are professionally and diligently carried out by the salesperson. This ensures that genuine buyers have been engaged with, successfully negotiated with and the best possible outcome achieved. The value of the commission can be returned many fold through this process to maximise the price which the market can provide from serious buyers.

EVES sales teams are trained, informed and aware of the importance of the above processes to deliver the best experience and outcome possible for their vendors. 

Contact EVES, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

It has been interesting over recent months to note some buyer demand shift toward areas where they see new value for money.

Traditionally sought after streets and suburbs still continue to attract high levels of buyer enquiry. However, many buyers are now seeing future value in localities that have not been as relatively high priced or keenly contested.

Some examples are in the catchment areas from Tay Street through to Girven Road at the Mount, parts of Otumoetai, Brookfield, Gate Pa, Greerton and Welcome Bay. Homes in these areas are often well built from the 1960s and 70s, may be on fuller sections, can be renovated cost effectively or sit on prime sites for redevelopment.

At EVES our teams are extremely busy right now covering all these areas and more, listing and selling increasing volumes of excellent value homes. Buyers can be residents trading up or down, investors and many out of town couples relocating here.

Our leading marketing campaigns, wide buyer networks and absolute commitment to get the best possible outcome for our vendors is resulting in sales that are setting new records.

If you are thinking of selling, now is a very good time. Talk to EVES, with more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

More properties are now coming up for sale and our EVES auction campaigns are increasing in popularity for very good reason.

It is well understood that buyers compete for any given property. What is often overlooked by sellers is that they too compete for buyer interest with many other sellers. Buyers now have a wider choice of properties to choose from, in any given locality and in any given price range. 

A key step to maximise genuine buyer interest, especially for property in the first home buyer market, is for sellers to provide useful basic information to buyers. This will capture interest from significantly increased numbers of first home buyers.

A property title, L.I.M report, builder’s report from a reputable building inspector and even a current valuation if provided by the seller can help increased numbers of first home buyers become ‘purchase ready’ before the day of auction. Sellers who provide this are placing their property in a very competitive and advantageous position compared to those properties where it is the buyers who are left to gather this important information. 

Talk to EVES about how this information package can open up more buyer interest in your property. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Once again our region hosted thousands of visitors over a most enjoyable Labour Weekend break.

The harbour, beach, bars, restaurants, parks, Tauranga Arts Festival events and every other possible opportunity for enjoyment was well patronised by locals and visitors alike.

The level of enquiry and activity during the long weekend, for properties being marketed by our EVES teams, was extremely high and predictably many interested buyers came from outside our region.

The presence of EVES at Home Shows over recent years in Auckland, Hamilton and Rotorua, as part of widespread exposure of our clients’ properties, has resulted in a whole new band of database contacts, new vendors, new buyers and new investors.

Our EVES sales teams have progressively put the wider Tauranga region in the middle of the radar screen for hundreds of additional people.

The outstanding number of properties taken to auction and SOLD as a result has provided a great experience for sellers and buyers alike.

There is no likelihood of these numbers easing as we head into the big countdown towards the festive season, so now is the time to talk with EVES if it is a successful outcome you are seeking.

EVES, with more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Days on the market for Tauranga homes to sell halved from 56 days in August 2014 to 28 days in August 2015. 

The median price in August for Tauranga went from $354k in 2014 to $470k in 2015. 

For Mount Maunganui and Papamoa properties, days on the market went from 48 to 31 days, and the median from $435k to $495k. The period July, August, September 2015 showed a 56% growth in volume of Tauranga sales over the same quarter in 2014 and 60% of those sales were sold for under $500k. 

The same period showed a 48% increase in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa sales with just under 40% of those selling below $500k. The highest volumes in both markets were in the $400-$600k price range (source REINZ statistics). 

What this means is clear. Increasing demand for homes in our region looks like being maintained for some time yet. 

The worth of a good market appraisal of your property is essential to have an appropriate marketing programme targeted to the most likely buyer group. Prices are increasing and interest rates remain at low levels for borrowers. 

Now is a good time to sell and you should talk to people who know what’s going on out there.

Talk to EVES now, with more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

In and around our Tauranga region, anyone can see the rapid expansion of new commercial, residential and roading projects underway or completed. These give a very positive feel to the economic and community growth occurring that continues to provide for the future of the region. Right here, right now we are in a better position to encourage and manage this growth than any other region in the country.

Resource consents, employment, business attraction, business expansion, education initiatives, and overall investment in the region are all heading to new highs. Events like the recent NZCT AIMS Games attracted a record 8,000 plus athletes, along with many hundreds of supporters. This gave many of these visitors a fantastic look at what is on offer here.

The wider group of contacts from the numerous new residents and property owners who have recently become part of our growing population is also resulting in a new wave of enquiry for property. 

Our EVES teams are dealing effectively with this on a daily basis for our vendors and the volume of sales, particularly through our auction campaigns, is at an all-time high. 

Talk to EVES now about how your property can be part of this action.

Ross Stanway
CEO

House sales in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa have hit a nine-year high with 141 homes selling in September - an 81 per cent leap from the same month last year.

The volume of sales was the highest the area had seen since November 2006 when 151 houses sold. It was up by 30 per cent from August.

The median price also skyrocketed along the stretch of coastline to $582,000 - the highest recorded in the area since the Real Estate Institute started collecting data in 1992.

It also made the area the most expensive in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty last month.

EVES and Bayleys Real Estate chief executive Ross Stanway said the busy month reflected what he had seen in both Eves and Bayleys sales figures.

"There's been a significant lift in interest and activity," he said. The market had been fuelled by more listings coming up for sale as sellers were realising how much interest there was from buyers.

"They've been met by a very ready market of buyers."

A healthy real estate market was reflective of how much the region had to offer, Mr Stanway said. "The beach lifestyle is a factor but not the only factor... there's a lot happening in our region," he said.

Despite the huge leap in sales in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa and the average month in Tauranga, he said sales swayed each side of the bridge month-to-month.

By Rebecca Savory - Bay of Plenty Times

Click here to read the full article

High levels of investors and new residents from outside our region continue to be a major driver of property market activity.

We are now seeing a second wave of interest as the circle of friends and family of those who have relocated here over the past year or so also make the decision to move to our part of New Zealand.

A new appreciation of the lifestyle, career opportunities and value for money is driving ongoing real estate enquiry.

Extended families of some who have relocated to the Bay recently are now also wanting to see what is on offer in a region which provides something for all age groups.

The April, May, June quarter results for our EVES auctions have reflected this activity upswing.

During that period our auction success rate of properties sold prior to auction, at auction or afterwards within the listing agency period was a record total of 93% SOLD.

Given the volume of auction properties we have dealt with, that is a huge number of satisfied sellers and buyers who have been able to purchase what they have been looking so hard to find.

If you want to join them, contact EVES now, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

A  seminar for those looking for a change of pace!

Looking for security and in your later years? A change of lifestyle and a change in pace? Register for the Later Lifestyle Seminar and hear industry leaders on making the move to the lifestyle/care village.

Topics for discussion will cover:

• Benefits of residence in a lifestyle / care village
• Legal aspects, costs of ownership or occupation 
• Do I sell my existing home or hold and rent it out?
• Is it a good time to sell?
• How to make moving stress-free
• What next?

Tuesday 20th October, 11am
@ EVES Hamilton, 25 Mill Street 

Limited seats available!
RSVP Trish on 07 839 9996 / hamilton@eves.co.nz

Greg Petrin
Branch Manager / EVES Rototuna

You can follow Greg's blog here

As reported recently in the Bay of Plenty Times our region has for the second quarter running recorded the highest levels of economic optimism.

This is based on increasing employment levels, a rebounding kiwifruit industry, retail spending, vehicle purchases, steady house price increases and significant increase in property sales volumes.

Supply and demand for houses is being maintained by the record number of new homes being built which to date has kept price increases in single figures.

Our recent EVES auctions have been bringing unprecedented volumes of property to the market with record success rates of clearance.

A key feature in this success story are all our well informed sellers who have been kept fully updated during the marketing campaign by our EVES salespeople regarding feedback from genuine buyers. As a result we have seen many hundreds of satisfied sellers and buyers in our auction room over the past few months.

Our EVES salespeople are absolutely committed to identifying the best buyer for each property we take to market for our vendors.

Our results speak for themselves with 82% of properties in EVES auction campaigns sold in September.

Call EVES now if you are thinking of selling, we have more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

We are seeing frenzied activity in the auction room where a vendor accepts a pre- auction offer only to have that offer well and truly exceeded by fierce bidding.  

In the current fast paced market auction is definitely being seen as the preferred method of sale. Why you ask? Auctions offer a method of completing the sale and purchase negotiations transparently and publicly. A key aspect of auctions is that the deal is cash, unconditional. Once the hammer comes down there are no outs, the sale is binding upon completion of the auction.

Each week in our auction rooms the competitive bidding process provides the best possible price that the current market can provide. Sometimes within a week of the marketing campaign’s commencement the auction can be brought forward if genuine buyer interest is shown at an early stage. It is not uncommon for homes to now be sold in this way within a week or two of going to market and still providing the best chance of the best price through open competition.

Talk to us now about how we can help you to achieve these eye watering results!

Karen Worley
Marketing Manager

Our wider region continues to shine brightly. Key economic indicators can show how well we are tracking compared to the rest of the country. For this healthy picture to continue, well planned growth strategies need to be in play.

High levels of communication, understanding and commitment between local councils, regional council and the private sector are essential. The next level of quantum growth requires some key issues to be addressed.

Firstly, a positive developer friendly environment which is well regulated and encourages further residential subdivision growth in strategic areas. This is essential if we are to maintain moderate property price increases in the future. 

Appropriate community amenities need to be provided for those living in the newer residential areas to enjoy the same high standard of amenities available in the established residential areas. Additionally, some new or upgraded amenities are a necessary next step in the areas of sport, entertainment, art and cultural facilities.

As the city and environs grow and take on a bigger city profile, with excellent surrounding townships and lifestyle options, some interesting trends in buyer demand are evident. 

Talk to EVES and find out how best to promote your property in this exciting new market.

Ross Stanway
CEO

From Wednesday 9th to Sunday 13th September at the Auckland Home Show over 60,000 visitors came through, well up on 40,000 last year.

Nearly 90 pages of local properties marketed by EVES and Bayleys were there in a bumper Home Show publication. Our branch managers and salespeople in the EVES booth at the show spoke to hundreds of Aucklanders genuinely looking to move to our regions.

With more properties now starting to come onto the market and much shorter days on market before a successful sale, there has never been a better time to put property up for sale.

However, in this busy market it is extremely important to engage with a brand, team and individual salesperson who is skilled at finding the best buyer, not necessarily just the first buyer.

Open competition between buyers at our auctions provides confidence to sellers that every opportunity has been explored to find the best buyer for their property.  

The sustained success rate in our EVES auction room is proof of how well this approach works for both seller and buyer.

The past month has seen over 100 properties in EVES auction campaigns with an 83% sales success rate that same month.

Talk to EVES, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

There is no doubt that one of the favourite seasons for many people has arrived. The property market has maintained a high activity level right through winter and into early spring.

We are now starting to see more property coming up for sale, providing more options for those who sell and then look to purchase their next home.

There is an excellent response from buyers who are genuinely set to purchase. Days on market are getting much shorter and many of our auction campaigns are being brought forward providing successful results for sellers.

Spring is a time of year when property owners are able to present their homes at their very best after the annual ‘spring clean’.

As always, properties that are well presented and well marketed through a proven successful brand, with professional well networked sales teams and absolutely committed agents, are achieving great sales results.

Our goal is to provide the best possible real estate experience for all those we work with.

Talk to EVES so we can help you join the growing number of many happy sellers we have worked with over the past few months. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

House values continue to rise throughout the Western Bay as interest rates remain low and inquiries from Aucklanders remain high.

In Tauranga, the average value last month was $493,054 - 2.4 per cent above the 2007 market peak and up 8.6 per cent year-on-year.

In the Western Bay, values jumped 7.2 per cent to an average of $441,642.

Ross Stanway, chief executive of EVES and Bayleys Real Estate, said property values had been increasing every month for quite some time pushed up by two main factors.

"The normal supply and demand - there's not a lot of property on the market but that is slowly changing. The other thing is, without a doubt, the interest from buyers outside the region, not just from Auckland."

Mr Stanway said the market had attracted local investors but agents were also seeing interest from Aucklanders who planned to move to the region and were buying properties and renting them out until they were ready to move.

There was a lot of interest from Aucklanders in Mount Maunganui, stretching back towards Concord Ave, Carysfort St and Paterson St.

About 80 per cent of the properties sold fell in the $350,000 to $600,000 range.

Mr Stanway said low interest rates meant some people could now afford the sort of house they wanted but would not have been able to afford a year ago.

By Amy Wiggins - Bay of Plenty Times

Click here to read the full article

The past few months in residential and lifestyle real estate have been some of the busiest ever across our Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.

Sales volume increases of 80% across Waikato, Bay of Plenty July ’15 over July ’14 indicate the increased level of buyer activity in these two thriving regions, but still held at just over 7% price increase. (REINZ News Release August 2015).

Positive employment growth, retail spending and solid consumer confidence across both regions are also up. (refer May 2015 ANZ Regional Trends).

The sustained trend of lowering interest rates continue and is of real benefit.

Waikato and Bay of Plenty are well served by major roading projects completed or well underway increasing the regions’ competitive advantage for commercial and industrial operators as well as commuters.

There are large tracts of consented and developing residential subdivisions offering great value land and build packages, particularly for first home buyers. Various government, mortgage lenders and KiwiSaver options are also driving purchase power. 

The available land for expansion is not restricted to residential markets with major commercial and industrial developments in full swing as well, providing a positive environment for local business expansion and significant new business relocations around the well established business hubs in Hamilton and Tauranga.

Much publicity has been given to the wave of Auckland home buyer and investors into our regions. This is growing week by week with many young families, ex pats and retiring people selling their home in Auckland or moving to buy their first home in Waikato or Bay of Plenty at prices which represent excellent value, quite unlike prices in the hot Auckland market.

Across Waikato and Bay of Plenty the increasing employment market combines with unbeatable lifestyles, sporting and schooling options along with ease of commuting.

Our dedicated sales teams are working hard with a large pool of genuine buyers and there is an excellent range of properties across all price ranges on show in this special publication.

A strong market for investors is also evident with high demand by tenants for good homes either for long term rental or as a stepping stone to evaluate purchase options. Our EVES Property Management teams are ready to assist landlords to maximise the returns on their investment.

Our company aim is to provide the best possible real estate experience for all those we work with.

We look forward to welcoming any enquiry on the properties you'll find listed on this website, and welcome all contact from any home owners thinking of selling in this very positive market. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Lifestyle property prices have soared and sales in Tauranga have already exceeded the number sold in 2014 with the Western Bay expected to blitz its tally over the coming months.

Figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand show 49 lifestyle properties sold in Tauranga to the end of July this year compared to 36 in 2014 and 31 in 2013. Records for the Western Bay of Plenty revealed 197 sales to the end of July compared to 267 in 2014 and 237 in 2013.

Chief executive Colleen Milne said the median sale price in the Western Bay of Plenty had lifted from $480,000 in 2014 to $620,000 in 2015 and days to sell dropped from 179 days in 2014 to 120 days in 2015. There had also been an increase in sales each month in Tauranga with 88 per cent more during May and June alone, she said.

Ross Stanway, chief executive of Eves and Bayleys Real Estate, said with demand growing for residential property in Tauranga and its fringe suburbs, buyers were looking further afield for attractive lifestyle options or affordable housing.

"We are seeing families opting to raise their children on lifestyle blocks or in rural support towns for the same price they would pay to live on a small section closer to work in Tauranga."

By Carmen Hall - Bay of Plenty Times

Click here to read the full article

For over three decades EVES has and continues to be a dominant, highly respected real estate brand with one of the largest and most successful team of managers and sales professionals in the region.

For much of that time the significant high profile marketing skills of our fellow teams in Bayleys Real Estate have provided huge additional advantages to buyers and sellers across rural, commercial, industrial, business and residential sales markets.

Welcome to the first of our future weekly publications bringing the market leading power of both EVES and Bayleys sales teams together providing sellers and buyers with a huge range of opportunities to market their property for sale or find the property they seek to purchase.

Continuing with our leading edge marketing initiatives this joint brand publication will be promoted to buyers throughout the region in the Bay of Plenty Times as always every Friday, in multiple distribution boxes throughout the region and outside the region at such events as the Auckland Home Show next month. 

If you are serious about getting your property promoted to the widest group of buyers by the largest network of acknowledged successful sales achievers make sure you list your property in this publication dedicated to getting your property SOLD.

Ross Stanway
CEO

For all the years I have been in real estate, there have always been those people who will not use an agent to sell their home because of the commission payable. There is not enough room in this section of EVES Property to go into the real benefits of using a real estate company but I will tell you this for free!

In today’s market we are seeing salespeople go and appraise property and the vendor wanting to get a premium price, as they should. Then through expert marketing, great skill by the salesperson and an extremely active market, these properties are achieving considerably more than the statistics would show the property was worth and considerably more than the vendor’s own expectation. Those people who think that selling their property and saving the commission will never know what they might have achieved by putting their property in front of cashed up, very willing buyers.

The auction room is still producing UNBELIEVABLE results and right now EVES is marketing auction properties for FREE! If that doesn’t tell you what you need to know about the way to market property, nothing ever will. Have a great week!

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

I have heard a number of buyers getting upset about “those Auckland buyers” coming through to the Bay of Plenty and snatching up all of the properties for sale and that criticism will become even greater as things tighten up regarding availability of stock. But those people who are selling are delighted that there is plenty of competition for their property giving them a sales price well and truly exceeding their expectations in many cases! Auction is still the preferred method of marketing property in today’s bullish market with some unbelievable results every week in the auction room. If you haven’t been to the auction room to see it for yourself, you need to pay us a visit on a Thursday afternoon.

A survey done for the month of July shows that a third of the properties sold went to Auckland buyers. That makes it more important than ever that you accept the inevitable and market your property to where buyers are. To this end, EVES is once again going to the Auckland Home Show at the start of September and we are taking our magazine to Auckland promoting Bay of Plenty properties. You need to think about getting your property into this magazine to ensure we don’t miss that one third of buyers who are buying our homes.

Talk to us today.

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

The past few months in real estate have been some of the busiest ever across our Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.

Significant volume increases (56% growth in Waikato at April 2015, compared to 2014 and around 30% in Bay of Plenty) and price increases up to 7% in the residential market are becoming the norm month by month through the winter period. This combines with positive employment growth, increased retail spending and solid consumer confidence across both regions. While lower global commodity prices and decreased pay out in the dairy sector are having an impact, the decreasing rate of the NZ dollar with our trading partners and sustained trend of lowering interest rates are of benefit.

Both the Waikato and Bay of Plenty are well served by major roading projects either nearing completion or well underway. This will increase the regions’ competitive advantage for commercial and industrial operators as well as commuters. In addition there are large tracts of consented and developing residential subdivisions offering great value new land and home packages particularly for first home buyers.

Much publicity has been given to the wave of Auckland home buyer and investors into our regions. This is very real and growing week by week. With many young families, ex-pats and retiring people selling their home in Auckland or moving to buy their first home in Waikato or Bay of Plenty. Acquiring property at prices that are a thing of the past in the hot Auckland market and represent excellent value. Across Waikato and Bay of Plenty the increasing employment market is also a strong attraction; combined with unbeatable lifestyles, sporting and schooling options and ease of commuting.

Our EVES sales teams are working hard with a large pool of genuine buyers and there is an excellent market now for home owners thinking of selling irrespective of the price range they are in. A strong investor market is also evident with high demand by tenants for good homes either for long term rental or as a stepping stone to evaluate purchase options.

If you are considering ‘when is a good time to sell?’, the above factors all point to the fact that now is good. Our company aim is to provide the best possible real estate experience for all those we work with.

Contact your local EVES office for the best market knowledge, sound advice, great marketing options and excellent service.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Put your home in front of over 76,000 potential buyers!*

The property market is hot and sellers are keen to relocate to the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato where properties are considered better value and lifestyle is a priority. EVES are taking properties from these areas to the Auckland Home Show, 9th - 13th September and the Waikato Home Show, 1st - 4th October.

Speak to your real estate agent or call into your local EVES office to find out more.

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager

*Source: Auckland Home Show - 2014 Post Show Report & Waikato Home Show - 2014 Post Show Report

Leigh Stewart is a very happy EVES client having just saved $500 off the deposit on her new home! She and her husband Bevan were renting through EVES Rentals before they bought a property. Buying through EVES ensured they were awarded $500 off their deposit.

EVES not only have the reputation as one of the best real estate companies to deal with when renting or buying but we make it well worthwhile for our tenants by offering them $500 towards their deposit and another $500 towards their insurance when they buy a home though a member of the EVES Sales Team.

Congratulations to Leigh and Bevan Stewart. There are more $1000’s up for grabs to give EVES tenants who purchase through EVES a head start as home owners.

Joanna Hart
EVES Rentals

Factors at play in the market are now well known. Significant keen buyer activity, sales occurring at a faster rate than homes coming onto the market for sale, new price levels are establishing and days on market to a sale are reducing rapidly.

It is tempting now for some sellers to accept the first offer put to them, particularly if the house is priced, the offer is near the asking price and it comes soon after listing for sale.

At EVES our aim is to find the best buyer, not just the first one. Property marketed through an EVES auction gets the widest exposure in a defined time frame, usually four weeks.

Each week in our auction rooms the competitive bidding process provides the best possible price that the current market can provide.

Sometimes within a week of the marketing campaign’s commencement the auction can be brought forward if genuine buyer interest is shown at an early stage.

It is not uncommon for homes to now be sold in this way within a week or two of going to market and still providing the best chance of the best price through open competition.

Talk to EVES, with more people selling more property and finding the best buyer for you.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Read more about our auctions

Find your nearest agent

Home Loan borrowers get another boost from the banks today with the Reserve Bank announcing another reduction in the OCR from 3.25% to 3.00%. This should see the banks move pretty quickly with reductions in their floating lending rates, whilst the competitive nature of the Banks trying to write good lending business at LVR levels of 80% or better, is encouraging some longer term fixed rates under 5%.

The OCR announcement follows some challenging times for the Reserve Bank. We are still awaiting the introduction of further LVR speed limit restrictions on the Banks in attempts to cool the Auckland investment property market (effective 1.10.2015), and we appear to be experiencing substantial falls in business confidence, particularly in relation to the falling dairy commodity prices over the last few months. Global economic conditions indicate that it is quite likely that the Reserve Bank will be encouraged to reduce the OCR even further during the remainder of 2015.

There is still an opportunity for buyers with less than a 20% deposit, both with the banks, and with the Government administered scheme known as Welcome Home Loans, and the use of Kiwisaver contributions and the Homestart Grant. And of course there is always the ability to get support from family members in the form of a guarantee.

It is important to seek professional advice when considering a property purchase and to carefully consider your interest rate choices to suit your own particular circumstances and goals in light of the current climate of volatility and change.

The Rothbury Mortgage Team is available to offer you an free, no obligation opportunity to discuss your home lending needs. Please feel free to contact us any time on 0800 33 34 35 or email info@rothbury.co.nz to talk to one of our Mortgage Advisers

www.rothbury.co.nz

New hope has emerged for home buyers with interest rates set to drop in response to a series of predicted cuts to the official cash rate.

The Reserve Bank is expected to cut the official cash rate from 3.25 to 3 per cent tomorrow - helping more people into the property market, local experts say.

The markets regard it as virtually certain that the Reserve Bank will cut the official cash rate tomorrow and many economists are predicting the cuts to continue - some expecting it to reach 2 per cent by the end of the year.

This reflects a combination of falling export dairy prices, feeble inflationary pressures and a deterioration of business and consumer confidence.

Rothbury Mortgage adviser Josh Martin said the predicted cuts would present an opportunity for first-home buyers to get in to the market. "A lower cost of borrowing is making mortgages more affordable across the country. This helps to offset the increase in property prices which is good news for first-home buyers who otherwise might have been shut out."

However, he did not see any immediate change fixed rates.

"Lenders have already factored in a further cut to the OCR in their previous fixed rate announcements, the floating rate, however, will drop if the OCR does," he said.

If the rate continued to drop later in the year as predicted then fixed term interest rates might begin to follow, he said.

He also said that when loan applications were considered for approval, they were calculated at an interest rate of about 7.5 for long-term safeguarding, despite whatever the current interest rate was.

Ross Stanway, chief executive of Realty Services, which operates Eves and Bayleys Real Estate, said it would bring more people into the market.

Ideally, to keep up with demand, it would also spur on more home owners who had been considering selling to make the move when they saw a busy buyer's market.

By Rebecca Savory - Bay of Plenty Times

Click here to read the full article

We had a very busy weekend at the Daily Post Rotorua home show. Our stand looked fabulous and we met heaps of past clients plus many other folk who are considering either buying or selling a property over the coming weeks or months.

Real estate is certainly a topic on many people’s minds at the moment, only a few weeks now until Spring, so if you have been holding off doing something until then, now is the time to act putting you ahead of others.  

Our listing promotion with four trips up for grabs to Fiji has been extended to the end of this month, we had a winner last month from Rotorua so contact us now to find out more.  

Tony Stack - Sales Manager

EVES Rotorua, Cnr Eruera & Amohia Streets
Call 07 349 7120 or email Tony

As one of the largest residential property management operators in the region, EVES is supportive of landlords who provide warm, safe and insulated homes. This creates a win-win situation for all concerned. Recently announced legislation will require properties for rent to be warm, dry and safe with smoke alarms installed, (mandatory in rental properties from July 2016), with underfloor and ceiling insulation required by July 2019.

Competition exists in every business and landlords compete for good tenants even when there is a shortage of available homes for rent.

EVES also makes contact with landlords to provide timely, relative asset maintenance through appropriate tradespeople.

A further invaluable service is provided to our landlords through Rothbury Landlord Insurance. Insuring the dwelling is essential, but protecting your investment from non-controllable events should also be considered. Rothbury Tauranga is well placed to advise you how to minimise your income risks as a landlord. In the past week our Rothbury team have won Best Branch, Best Commercial and Best Domestic Broker across the Rothbury business nationally, so you are in good hands.

EVES provides THE one stop shop. Property purchase, asset and income protection and rental management can all be taken care of by the EVES and Rothbury experts.

Ross Stanway
CEO

The market continues to show positive signs of sustainability in Rotorua with buyers keen to secure that next property.

We had an example last week with a new listing into the office on Friday afternoon, contract in place by Saturday afternoon and at a price point that is very acceptable to the vendor.  

So, should you be considering selling, now is a great time along with the added bonus of the chance to win a trip to Fiji if you list with EVES by the end of July.  

Tony Stack - Sales Manager

EVES Rotorua, Cnr Eruera & Amohia Streets
Call 07 349 7120 or email Tony

Houses are selling more than twice as fast as they were five years ago, while the number of sales have jumped nearly 50 per cent from the same time last year.

The 48 per cent leap in sales comes off the back of May - the busiest month of sales in eight years - and marks yet another healthy month for Tauranga's housing market.

The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand's figures for June 2015 showed that in Tauranga alone, sales increased 49.6 per cent from 119 sales to 178.

Across the bridge in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa, sales jumped 45.5 per cent from 77 to 112. Stronger demand versus supply in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa saw the number of days to sell a house continue to drop - plummeting from 71 days in June 2011 to only 31 days last month, according to figures from the Institute.

Tauranga couple Lisa and John Kerr put their three-bedroom home in the Lakes on the market last month and it sold within 10 days.

Mrs Kerr said they never expected their home in The Lakes to sell so fast.

They could not believe it when they received an offer "well over" its valuation after only 10 days listed with EVES. "We accepted it that night," she said.

The house had sold for much more than they had paid for it a year earlier, she said.

EVES and Bayleys Real Estate chief executive Ross Stanway said last month proved the days of slow winter months were long gone. "Demand is very, very high," he said. "I think this has been a very warm winter in the property market."

By Rebecca Savory - Bay of Plenty Times

Click here to read the full article

The Bay of Plenty is in great shape to accommodate and support further business and population growth with land and other infrastructure in place for both.

Recent announcements confirm new areas designated for housing developments in Papamoa and Ohauiti. These will be well serviced by roading projects underway or near completion.

The Eastern Arterial Route is due for opening very soon and Route K already provides efficient entry to and from the residential, commercial and industrial Tauriko development area. Good news also to see pressure being applied on the much needed SH 2 upgrades to improve flow from Katikati to Bethlehem.

Increasing cooperation between our tertiary education providers will also attract more young people to the region providing an excellent employment resource for many of our key specialty business sectors.

All of this stimulates migration flows which are reflected in our property market. If you are thinking of selling then ‘now is good’ and our EVES sales teams have genuine buyers all set to go. Recent successes in our auction rooms have seen many happy sellers and satisfied buyers, so give any of our EVES salespeople a call and enjoy this positive real estate market.

EVES, more people selling more property. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Check this out.

Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses has his home up for sale. All you need is $10,995,000 and you could own it for yourself. I wonder if he is going to autograph it for you or at least leave one of his iconic guitars on the wall?

Slash of Guns N’ Roses fame lists his rockin’ Beverly Hills villa

The one-of-a-kind residence in the guard-gated Mulholland Estates lives up to its owner’s rock star status with alligator print wallpaper, cheetah print rugs and crystal chandeliers fashioned as pirate ships.

Love the skateboard half pipe in the backyard.

Greg Petrin
Branch Manager / EVES Rototuna

You can follow Greg's blog here 

News & Views from Rotorua.

The Rotorua property market continues to show positive sentiment with good buyer interest from both within the city and outside of Rotorua. There is keen interest from local first home buyers along with investors from particularly the Auckland and Bay of Plenty regions.

We have recently experienced a number of multi offers and early interest on new properties to market which is a reflection of less stock coming to market versus the increase in sales volume. With lower interest rates and a positive vibe in our local economy we are confident of sustained activity over the short to medium term.

With lower listings for sale currently should you or anyone you know be considering selling either now or in the near future we would love to hear from you.   

Tony Stack - Sales Manager

EVES Rotorua, Cnr Eruera & Amohia Streets
Call 07 349 7120 or email Tony

I joined EVES six months ago taking up the role of Chief Operating Officer, a newly created position. The role’s focus is process improvement and business development; along with the core platform disciplines of Finance, IT, HR and Property Management.

I’m fortunate to have been part of the urban drift out of Auckland into the regions. This theme is set to continue. This year to May 2015, 48,000 non-tourist arrivals landed in Auckland. Expats, migrants and residents of Auckland will look to the regions to improve their buying power when compared to the overheated Auckland market.

This is fantastic for the BOP region as new people not only bring a wave of willing buyers for property but they also bring capital, skills and experience, relocation of businesses and jobs in some cases. 

I bought at auction six months ago and strongly believe in this process having observed our auction room in action. Last week we had 18 properties up for auction, four sold prior and nine sold under the hammer with active bidding on the remaining properties. 

If you’re thinking of selling, talk to EVES today and take advantage of the great market dynamics and utilise our highly professional and transparent auction process that’s geared towards results!

Heath Young
Chief Operating Officer

May, is the new NZ record inward migration month, after 10 months of consecutive record months. Arrivals are up 15%, a net gain of 57,800 for the year ended May*

However, for Auckland it adds to the property market heat for many in that city and wider region. It is common to meet people on a daily basis now who have made the decision to move themselves, family and often business interests from Auckland to our regions.

Those newcomers from Auckland are often in the 30-45 year age bracket and have moved here to work and be part of our community. They contribute for some home owners here achieving a sale in a shorter time frame than previously.

Also, some from Auckland who plan to move here in the future are purchasing investment property, assisting to provide more homes for a ready tenant market.

The key focus for our EVES salespeople is to do everything possible to identify the best buyer, not just the first buyer in this market. Great marketing and skilled negotiation remain as all important.

So, if you are thinking of selling and want to know your best interests are pivotal in your sale transaction, talk to EVES.

More people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

*Source: Bay of Plenty Times Tuesday 23rd June

Our region has always been an attractive location but increasingly now it rates as a first choice to locate business in and to live, work and play in. 

Employment growth, increase in building consents, volume of house sales, economic performance and level of interest from Auckland buyers and investors are all interlinked.

The next few months promise to be very active for property transactions and the level of interest for homes in many of our suburbs continues to rise. A feature of the market now is the short time on the market required to achieve a sold sign for well marketed properties that are attracting early buyer commitment.

More property is now starting to come to market and that is providing more choice for those thinking of selling and then looking to purchase in our region.

Retirement village expansions and a busy new build market for first home buyers are both in growth stages. Projects underway are adding additional choice for buyers.

Our EVES teams have never been busier working with buyers and the next few months could provide plenty of warm cheer for those who put their homes up for sale in this market.  

EVES, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

The real estate agent’s role demands professionalism, market knowledge and hard work if the home seller is to receive the best possible experience and result. The most appropriate marketing campaign for the property is an important start. The current market is showing increased levels of buyer interest, so tailoring the marketing campaign to provide stand out exposure against other property competing for buyer interest is critical.

Regular, accurate feedback from the sales agent highlights how the property is seen by the buying public. Ongoing review of the marketing campaign and creating continual awareness of the property amongst the real estate agent team colleagues, use of databases and any enquiry follow up, all require constant work.

The auction method of marketing brings this process into the open to achieve the best result possible from genuine buyers contacted during the marketing campaign.

The value of the commission and marketing campaign is returned many fold when these processes are professionally and diligently carried out by the salesperson to ensure the best buyers have been engaged with and the best outcome possible achieved.

EVES sales teams are trained, informed and aware of the importance of the above process to deliver the best experience and outcome possible for their vendors. 

EVES, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

The region's booming economy has helped fuel a 6.7 per cent jump in property values, a property expert says.

QV's May residential price movement index showed Tauranga average home values increased 6.7 per cent year-on-year to $480,727.

Values in Western Bay of Plenty also increased - up 1.7 per cent to $424,824.

A recent report by ANZ showed the region's economy was the fastest growing in the country - up 4.8 per cent year-on-year, compared to a national increase of 3.5 per cent.

Eves and Bayleys Real Estate chief executive Ross Stanway said the region was appealing to out-of-town buyers.

"These real-estate statistics are in a way of a consequence of [economic growth] but also a cause," he said. "Employment has grown 13 per cent year-on-year so people are coming to the region for new jobs with new businesses that have relocated here or existing businesses that are expanding."

Good properties were getting snapped up fast, he said.

"Properties that are well listed and marketed are facing a very ready and quick market. We're certainly seeing it now in our auction properties where there's a very high level of buyer activity.

"In some cases, we're bringing auctions with four-week campaigns forward to just two weeks.

"We'll also almost inevitably get multiple offers on good properties listed."

Mr Stanway expected the busy times to continue. "Days of winter being a quiet time are long gone. We've had some excellent months in the past couple of winters as people have a bit more time to go around to open homes and explore the market."

By Rebecca Savory, Catherine Gaffaney - Bay of Plenty Times

Click here to read the full article

Local media has been full of positive news regarding the state of our region’s economy.

Last week’s National Business Review Special Report on Tauranga placed us on the national stage with seventeen pages of priceless promotion of the current growth and future prospects for the region.

The feature focused on our region’s employment growth, successful attraction of new businesses, available land for current and future industrial and residential expansion, the positive state of the kiwifruit industry, education initiatives and the Port of Tauranga growth. 

The positive publicity referred to above is driven by real productive growth providing more jobs, more opportunities and is definitely attracting more people.

If ever there was a good time for those thinking of selling their property, it’s now. Many buyers are ready to purchase immediately and our EVES teams report genuine buyer interest within hours of listing some properties. The auction dates for many properties are being brought forward to enable buyer interest to provide sellers with a result sometimes within a week or two of listing with EVES.

In summary, this is a very good time to put your property on the market. Talk to EVES, with more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

I enjoyed a very good meeting last week between suppliers of print media, digital marketing and radio marketing. Without doubt a lot of the enquiry we deal with comes off our website, Trade Me, realestate.co.nz and others. 

However, a recent survey of over 850 sales shows that the more mediums used to market property the higher the percentage above capital value the property achieves. Print media is very good at capturing the ‘passive’ buyer - that didn’t even know they were looking. The demographics in the Tauranga area would also point to the reality that a large number of people still use print media to find property. 

EVES Property is a strong publication with approximately 20,000 copies going into the local market every week. 

The most successful campaigns we have that attract more enquiry and more people to open homes are those where the coverage and promotion is spread across all media including radio, digital and print.

Talk to any EVES salesperson today about the options available to market your home. 

Have a great week. 

Karen Worley
Sales & Marketing Manager 

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Recent publicity highlights the region’s volume of sales, positive trend in prices, and increased outside buyer enquiry, particularly from Auckland. This has combined with lower number of homes currently on the market for sale.

Additional factors are the continuing low interest mortgage rates, and the more favourable conditions for first home buyers through KiwiSaver and HomeStart initiatives.

Our Rothbury Mortgage advisors are now dealing with an increased level of enquiry from first home buyers with many now coming back into the buyer market.

These factors make for an excellent selling market and this is being picked up on by some who have been “thinking of selling” and moved to successfully listing, marketing and selling their properties. In Tauranga for example in April 2015 the number of properties sold increased by 26% compared to April 2014, with average days on market down from 48 days April last year to 34 in April 2015.

In summary this represents the best combination of factors for those planning to sell.

At EVES our hard working teams and great marketing programs are rolling with those vendors, and we have serious buyers looking to complete the loop.

Talk to EVES now, more people selling more property! 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Tauranga City Council April building consents were certainly positive.

Consents up around a $6m value increase on April 2014. Commercial consents related to some significant relocations and new business establishments in the region. Activity at Tauriko continues apace and will soon also accommodate the Tauriko Crossing retail centre, adding to the facilities available to the rapidly growing residential community at the Lakes. This is mirrored in the Papamoa East developments which include commercial, retail and residential property activity.

All of the above attract new skills, new residents, new investment to our region. This is driving buyer activity for residential property and tenant demand for accommodation.

Price increases steady for a while around the 5% per year but are now edging upward, with a definite increase in buyer commitment, particularly in our auction rooms.

Many potential sellers have been waiting to spot their “next purchase” before listing their own property for sale.

Our extensive Eves network in the area has our teams working successfully with those clients thinking of selling, to concurrently identify options for their next purchase.

If you are thinking of selling in this good market , then talk to Eves now about selling and also identifying your next purchase.

EVES, with more people selling more property! 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Experts cannot agree on whether the current Auckland housing bubble will continue or the bubble will burst.

interest rate decreases, strong competition between banks for new customers, a serious lack of homes available for ever increasing demand, and rising Auckland immigration numbers are the key price drivers up there. These factors are not expected to change in the near future. Hence the bubble may well continue to expand.

Auckland average house price is now around $810,000, and prices increased about 15% over the past year.

In our Tauranga market the comparable figure is under 6% price rise, and an average house price of $475,000. There’s a steady supply of new homes being built in existing subdivision areas with plenty of capacity for more stock. Demand from buyers outside our region continues.

The comparable advantage of our region’s life styles, plus excellent real estate value for money has never been more evident.

Competition between buyers is becoming more intense. Our successful EVES auction results along with numerous multiple offer transactions are excellent indicators that now is a very good time to consider selling.

Talk to EVES now about how to best promote your property to a keen buyer market.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Last week our company celebrated the achievements of Award winning performances by many of our Eves teams, salespeople, property managers, administrators and Rothbury personnel.

This annual event is a highlight for those in the Eves group who have met and exceeded major milestones in their respective areas of activity.

At Eves we place significant continuing focus on training, mentoring and supporting our people across all facets of the property business.

This provides a constant lifting of the bar in terms of performance requirements. Our management and training resources are based on providing all those in our group with the skills, experience and knowledge required to deliver the best possible experience to all those we work with and work for.

As a market leader there is a very strong relationship between the emphasis we place on industry and market knowledge along with an absolute passion to do the very best we can for all of those we connect with.

Our EVES group has a unique blend of those who have years of experience and long established reputations combined with a growing band of young, highly talented professional team members who are rapidly establishing themselves and their networks, providing great results for their buyers and sellers. 

Ross Stanway
CEO

Buyer demand has recently reached new positive levels. The volume of sales first quarter of 2015 vs 2014 across the greater Tauranga region grew over 30%.

That’s 256 more sales made in 3 months, indicating that number of additional buyers committed to purchase in the period.

Multi offers and sales made under the hammer at our weekly EVES auctions continues to increase steadily concurrent with this level of demand.

Often some who are considering selling, prolong the decision based on an apparent lack of choice in the market for their next purchase. This can be compensated for in a number of ways such as a slightly longer settlement date negotiated on their own property sale. Alternatively by working with a salesperson who is focussed both on finding the next purchase whilst effectively marketing the current property.

It goes without saying that the more people who sell, more property comes into the market, providing more choice for those looking to buy.

Talk to your EVES salesperson about how they, and the highly effective EVES team can be looking for your next property while they find a buyer for your current one.

EVES, more people selling more property.

Ross Stanway
CEO

Great to see positive media coverage recently on the significant level of commercial property investment and development underway across our region. From Papamoa to Pyes Pa, Bethlehem to the CBD. Major investments in retail, banking, energy supply, education, health and medical facilities are full steam ahead.

Employment provided through the construction phases and in the completed commercial properties is bringing new people to the region and many are choosing to make the region their new home... permanently. This is a signal that now is a very good time to put property on the market for sale to an increasing group of genuine buyers. Those thinking of selling should talk to EVES now regarding our great range of marketing campaigns that will increase connection to these buyers.

This surge of people to our region may put pressure on the rental accommodation market but the upside for investors is that good rental properties are in very short supply and there is a ready tenant demand.

Ross Stanway
CEO