PHOTO: Tommys Real Estate – Hutt Valley
Tommy’s Real Estate has appointed Hutt Valley real estate identities Linda and Dave Gaskin to run its Alicetown-based office.
“It’s exciting to be involved with a multi-award-winning brand that oozes enthusiasm, has a great culture and huge success all within the Wellington region,” Linda says.
She has been selling homes in the Hutt Valley for about 20 years while Dave, who has a strong background in sales, joined her about seven years ago.
Bayleys take out two Tommy’s real estate offices
A strategic acquisition of Safari Real Estate Ltd, trading as Tommy’s Hutt Valley, and the country’s largest full-service agency, Bayleys, demonstrates the latter’s ‘Altogether Better’ mantra in motion, executives say.
Safari Real Estate Ltd, trading as Tommy’s Hutt Valley – with branches in Lower and Upper Hutt has entered into a strategic acquisition by national giant Bayleys Real Estate which will see the former virtually double its brand presence in the region.
Safari Real Estate Ltd, who have been operating as Tommy’s Hutt Valley for the past 22 years – with branches in Lower and Upper Hutt – will adopt the Bayleys Real Estate moniker effective from 31st October 2022.
BEFORE AS TOMMY’S LOWER HUTT
AFTER THE NEW BRANDING – NOW BAYLEYS LOWER HUTT
Tommy’s Hutt Valley currently employs 27 sales and administrative staff, who will come across to the Bayleys brand, supporting the agency with expertise in the residential, lifestyle, commercial and industrial, and rural sectors, in addition to a suite of advisory, consultancy and other property-related services.
“We’ve held the Tommy’s Hutt Valley team in high regard over our longstanding professional relationship. The merger is a natural progression given that both businesses have a similar culture and values”, says Bayleys Wellington director Mark Hourigan.
“We look forward to continuing to build on an already established reputation in the region, enhanced by Bayleys’ extensive back-office support systems and marketing reach to ultimately enable us to deliver the best results for our clients.
“The ultimate outcome will be an even greater resource for Hutt Valley’s evolving residential marketplace,” Hourigan says.
Bayleys Wellington forms part of the broader Bayleys Real Estate network with some 96 offices nationwide employing more than 2,000 sales and support staff.
On the other side of the ledger, Safari Real Estate Ltd, who have been operating under the Tommy’s Hutt Valley umbrella represents two offices in Lower and Upper Hutt.
Tommy’s Hutt Valley branch owner Mark Coffey says that Safari Real Estate Ltd, who have been trading as Tommy’s Hutt Valley has become a trusted local brand, and while the acquisition would see an end to its name in the locale, its agency team will continue to deliver unsurpassed real estate services across the region.
Coffey, who is staying on at the new Bayleys branch as its director of residential, says with its national initiatives and a strategic partnership with global property consultancy Knight Frank, the incoming team will add depth to their vendor relationships – ensuring maximum value is achieved for sellers through the sale process.
“Bayleys is well-known for its premium marketing presence across national print, digital and radio marketing promotions, which work in conjunction with a strong community sponsorship program both locally and nationally. This offers broad-based exposure for our client’s assets and will support our team in delivering results.
“The ultimate goal is to set a new benchmark for how homes are marketed and offer informative expertise for buyers and sellers,” Coffey says.
The acquisition will virtually double Bayleys’ brand presence in the region and see it retain the majority of market share in Upper Hutt’s residential sector specifically.
The Upper Hutt region has become a key growth node for wider Wellington, with its residential appeal underpinned by a short supply of affordable housing within the city’s urban boundary.
Bayleys managing director Mike Bayley says that strong regional population growth has fueled residential demand over the last decade, necessitating the development of satellite towns within easy commuting distances of central business districts.
“National growth across the property sector continues to yield new opportunities – which in the case of the Hutt Valley is buoyed by significant projects including the $100 million New Zealand Campus of Sport and Innovation, KiwiRail’s North Island control base, a new film studio, roading and infrastructure projects, and mixed-use precincts at Trentham and across the broader metropolitan area.
“This concentration continues to attract businesses and new residents which support the local economy, making the region a desirable, high-growth location in which Bayleys looks forward to operating with a wider scope, whilst setting a new benchmark for real estate services.”