Busiest winter yet for real estate family

Busiest winter yet for real estate family

The Edwards family of East Auckland has over 60 years collective experience in local real estate but this winter was without doubt their busiest ever.

Century 21 Edwards Realty has been based in Botany Downs for nearly 20 years with principals Annette and Colin’s daughter Vicki Southgate joining the business in 2003 to focus on the marketing of the office and running the property management division with her father.

Since 1997 the Edwards have focused on the Botany, Flatbush, Dannemora, Howick and Pakuranga areas, building up a team of 10 sales agents and a team of four in property management and administration.

“In all the years of doing business in and around East Auckland we’ve never had a winter like this year. Not only have we seen prices well up, but the volume of inquiries both nationally and internationally was incredibly strong right through winter,” says Annette Edwards.

“We’re getting huge crowds through some of our open homes and the number of days it takes to sell a property has also substantially reduced. We certainly did not see the traditional slowing down of the market this winter and so summer looks exciting indeed.”

Ms Edwards’ comments follow and reflect recent REINZ statistics which showed sales volumes during the winter across the Auckland region up considerably. At the same time the average number of days to sell across Auckland shortened. While in the same 12-month period the median price in the Auckland region increased by 26%.

Annette Edwards says the total number of sales completed by Century 21 Edwards Realty was up approximately 50% for the first six months of this year compared to the same time last year.

The Edwards family say the thing that has changed most in real estate in the last two decades is the marketing of properties and the ability for people now to find anything quickly and at their fingertips.

“Gone are the days of driving buyers around or posting them flyers of potential interest. Thanks to the internet, buyers are instantly informed and are more savvy now, with a lot of clients following our office on social media. What’s more the Century 21 global website has increased the exposure of our local listings to an international audience,” says Ms Edwards.

Vicki Southgate says East Auckland continues to be an attractive area for families, although one of the areas greatest challenges will be to accommodate the tens of thousands of people forecast to move into the area over the coming decades.

“Flatbush is an exciting development which will be home to at least 40,000 people by 2025 and is busy taking shape on 1,700 hectares. We are and will continue to do a lot of business around Flatbush which is a brilliantly planned development with people, places and the environment at the forefront. The 94-hectare Barry Curtis Park within the suburb is also a real attraction for those wanting to move in. So Flatbush will address much of housing shortfall, as well as keep local real estate businesses like ours busy in the coming years,” says Ms Southgate.

But selling local houses is not the Edwards family only priority. Last year during Pink October Edwards Realty was the inaugural winner of the Pink Trophy – awarded for raising the most money of any Century 21 office in New Zealand for the Breast Cancer Foundation.

“We were really pleased that we could donate to such a great cause and hope to achieve more this year. Plans in the Botany Downs office are already underway to celebrate Pink October in an even bigger and better way, but unfortunately we can’t give our secrets away. We’re very keen to again be the country’s top Century 21 office for this coming Pink October so watch this space,” says Ms Southgate.

The three say that the Edwards family-owned and operated local business on 345 Chapel Road continues to succeed helped by the fact that each of the three family members has quite a different role inside the business.

“People often ask how we manage working together but we love it. It works well because we each have very separate roles but can still back each other up and support each other when it’s required.

“Having different roles means we’re not getting in each other’s way and can each focus on our strengths. We deliver what we’d like to think is a very strong office with different but complementary perspectives and personalities within it. So far that approach has worked well and so here’s to many more years working together as a family,” says Vicki Southgate.

www.century21global.com

ENDS

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