So, please visit my blog now at http://blogs.harcourts.co.nz/bryanthomson/

I would welcome you to comment on my posts, to share them via social media and also to set up an RSS feed to ensure you are alerted to the new content I add.

Franchise Development Manager

Based in Auckland, this is an exciting role that reports directly to the CEO and GM of Harcourts New Zealand. While real estate experience is an advantage, it’s not essential, as we understand the unique skills required in this position can stem from a range of backgrounds. Your key focus and accountability will be the recruitment of experienced real estate performers and existing offices to our network within the Auckland marketplace. You’ll be rewarded with an attractive salary and incentive package.

Business Development Manager

The position is based in Auckland and will cover the northern and central North Island. It’s an exciting opportunity to deliver vital support through our network in these locations, with a suitably generous financial package offered. You will be working alongside our franchise owners and managers to drive performance within your area of responsibility. Real estate experience at management or business ownership level is preferred.

All queries treated in the strictest of confidence.

Please contact Bryan Thomson, CEO Harcourts New Zealand for further information  on b.thomson@harcourts.co.nz

* ACNielsen March 2009

Harcourts’ August figures show spring came early to much of the New Zealand real estate market, especially in our Northern region which includes the country’s largest city, Auckland.

According to our final, audited figures for August 2009 Harcourts’ sales consultants completed a national average of approximately 47% more written sales last month than in  August 2008, with a total of 2030 written sales making it the second highest amount since November 2007.

The largest increase occurred in Harcourts’ Northern region where the volume of written sales last month was a significant 78% ahead of August 2008.  In addition the average sale price was 11% ahead of the same month last year.

In three of Harcourts’ other regions there was also an increase in written sales last month when compared with August 2008, with our South Island Provincial region being the only exception.

Meanwhile, more properties came onto the market last month than in August 2008 but the total volume of property on hand remains limited and in some regions the slow rural market is continuing to impact on average sale prices.

While confidence in the market appears to have returned we have to be mindful of the fact that the numbers we are seeing this year are being compared to the historically low numbers of 2008.  If you look further back in time our national sales numbers remain 25% below the peak of August 2005.

So, while the market is more positive and active and the lower number of listings we have seen over winter has created competition and helped to stabilise prices in many locations it’s too soon to be talking about another “housing market boom”.

Notwithstanding that, serious buyers are taking action now while asking prices and mortgage interest rates are more attractive and smart sellers are seizing the opportunity to list their property before more stock comes onto the market and balances out the current situation.

A full breakdown of regional statistics for our group is available on the Harcourts Newsroom.

Our offices completed 38% more written transactions during August 2009 than August 2008 with the highlights being the Northern Region of the North Island, (Pukekohe north) being up 69% and the Central North Island up 56%.

Christchurch also featured with a strong 48% growth while the Lower North Island was more subdued at 17% ahead.

The South Island provincial areas continue to be, in general, left out of the increase in volume with their numbers at similar levels to 2008.

These variations between regions often reflect a number of influencing factors including how dramatically impacted each area was during the downturn and also local economic factors, such as the rural economy and tourism as two obvious examples.

When we judge August 09 against July 09 see all markets relatively stable in regard to activity apart from the Northern region where sales numbers are ahead by 12%. This is a combination of both a more active market here in our largest city and, we believe, strong market share growth for our team in Auckland.

As per usual there are plenty of opinions available as to what will happen in the future in regard to price levels and number of sales, the reality is most of these predictions come from individuals with agendas, hidden or otherwise. We prefer to report facts as to what is actually happening right now so if you are a buyer, seller or commentator we hope these early statistics are useful to you.

A full audited report will be available through this blog and also on the Harcourts newsroom on approximately September 14th

In addition Alistair Helm from www.realestate.co.nz has a comprehensive full market report available on his blog, Unconditional, well worth a read!

According to the latest statistics from Nielsen Online Market Intelligence our www.harcourts.co.nz website received 175,453 unique visitors in July.

This was a record for us and also once again confirms our site as the most visited real estate company website in the country – an impressive 44% ahead of our nearest rival.

The latest website statistics are a good “lead indicator”, given online searching is now said to be the first point of entry into the market for most property buyers.

For the past few months we have been reporting a good volume of sales when compared with last year and these latest website statistics suggest that those volumes may lift further in spring.

These statistics also back up the anecdotal feedback from Harcourts business owners and sales consultants around the country who are reporting that confidence in the real estate market appears to have returned and that this is seeing more buyer enquiry and sales.

According to the latest statistics released by Nielsen Online, Harcourts is the most visited real estate brand website in the country and ranks third overall behind the two major real estate portals which include www.realestate.co.nz where Harcourts listing are also featured.

 In addition, according to a nationwide survey of homeowners by The Nielsen Company, Harcourts has the highest awareness and is the most preferred real estate brand in the country.

Last month in Harcourts’ five regions there was an average of 35.2% more written sales than in July 2008, ranging from a 68% lift in our Central region to an 8% increase in our South Island Provincial Region. The latest national average is consistent with what Harcourts has been reporting since March.

The new listing statistics though are quite different from what we have seen recently, with more sellers looking to take advantage of the current strong buyer demand rather than waiting for spring when history suggests they are likely to face more competition.

Last month saw a pleasing increase in the amount of exclusive Harcourts listings when compared with the previous month and with July 2008 too, but perhaps the most graphic display of sellers’ reaction to the current market is the significant lift in auction and tender campaigns secured in July 2009 compared to July 2008 and the solid growth in these listings on last month too.

This clearly shows that more sellers are looking to maximise their price through competition while avoiding driving buyers away through an over-optimistic fixed priced strategy. With such a high volume of properties being auctioned it means buyers need to make sure they understand the process and are in a position to bid and buy otherwise they risk missing out on some stunning property.

While hindsight is the only 100% accurate judge we believe that with our relatively stable marketplace, interest rates remaining attractive and a limited amount of housing stock for sale today’s solid real estate market should continue into Spring.

As always quality property in more sought after locations will continue to generate the most competition, while both sellers and buyers who have overly optimistic price expectations will remain frustrated.

What raised this thought in my mind is the way I book my flights. Be it right or wrong I avoid, if I can, flying on any aircraft other than a Boeing. Given the high profile tragedy recently in France involving an Airbus and my dislike of flying I choose to fly Boeing if at all possible.

Now I know Airbus are a great company and their planes are as highly tested as any but the simple fact is  that that brand has been involved in a number of incidents over recent times that have made me less confident in their product so I try to avoid using them.

I think a lot of this is however based on the simple fact that there have been no answers provided as to what actually happened and what the company is doing to assure the public that they manufacture a product that is as safe as any designed and produced.

This reinforces to me that in managing our brand perception it is as much about how we react to problems and tough issues as it is about avoiding them occurring in the first place.

I think the other massive issue is who brands chose to be associated with.

Right now I am sitting on an Airbus A320, not by choice but by necessity. Why would I do this given what I have written above? It’s pretty simple really. I trust Air New Zealand totally and seeing the Koru on the tail of the plane and the uniforms of the crew gives me great confidence, that’s what I call great brand perception and I hope that’s the way our clients view us.

Within Harcourts New Zealand there was an average of 30.8% more written sales made in June 2009 than in the same month last year, continuing the trend we have been reporting for some months.

The largest increases were in Harcourts’ Central region, where we recorded a 58% increase in written sales, followed by Harcourts Northern region (51% up), Harcourts’ Christchurch region (34% up) and Harcourts Wellington region (29% up).

The increase in sales coupled with lower than expected numbers of new listings is seeing buyers experiencing considerable competition when looking to secure a new property and in an effort to capitalise on this increasing numbers of sellers are choosing auction campaigns, which according to feedback from Harcourts offices around the country is proving to be the most successful method of sale.

In terms of residential property prices, the competition evident over recent months has seen price levels stabilise and has resulted in some of the more pessimistic commentators publicly revising their predictions about house price movement over the months ahead.

Interestingly, demand for residential sections appears to be reigniting in many locations.  Many Harcourts offices are reporting a considerable increase in enquiry in these types of property, with some experiencing a lift in section sales already and others expecting this to occur in the near future.

This trend is to be expected given the lack of houses for sale and the fact that the availability of tradespeople has improved and they are typically more negotiable on price too.

Meanwhile,  it’s not as rosy in the rural property market where there has been a significant drop in the volume of sales and a drop in prices too.

The comparative increase in buyer demand and activity is particularly noticeable in those areas hardest hit by the slowdown we experienced last year, with an average increase in the volume of written sales in May 2009 of nearly 40% when compared to May 2008, including 43% lifts in Harcourts’ Northern and Christchurch regions and a 76% increase in Harcourts’ Central region.

The marked improvement in the volume of written sales in May when compared with the same month the previous year follows the trend reported in March 2009 (30.4% increase on March 2008) and April 2009 (44% increase on April 2008).

In terms of listings, the figures we report show that across the country there were fewer new listings last month than in May 2009 and that the average written sale price in all but one region (Northern) was down on May 2008.

In our view attractive lending rates, positive immigration statistics and some positive rumblings internationally have all contributed to the increased activity from buyers.  Of equal stimulus to the domestic property market is that most sellers are now fully conversant with the realities of the current market and are entering negotiations with realistic expectations.

Predicting what may or may not occur over coming months in the New Zealand real estate market is a favourite national pastime, and always attracts a lot of comment when views are publicised.

As far as Harcourts is concerned, given the fundamentals that are in play and driving our market right now, we see no reason for today’s solid real estate market not to continue.

As long as sellers understand the market conditions and have realistic expectations they can expect to achieve good results.  Equally, buyers who do their homework and enter negotiations positively and with realistic expectations too can also look forward to securing their next property at today’s attractive levels.

Full Regional breakdowns can be viewed in the Harcourts  newsroom.

These results are both a reflection of the sound market we are seeing currently and also the abysmal market that was in play during May 2008 in many locations.

As already reported by Alistair Helm on Unconditional blog new listing numbers remain low putting pressure on buyers to source their new property.

My advice for both sellers and buyers remains as it has always been, if selling, buyers are available, so market well and have realistic price expectations and you will succeed. Buyers, you need to make sure you are in a position to make decisions both rapidly and intelligently otherwise you will miss the best opportunities.

Harcourts Group will, as we always do, publish our full audited Marketwatch for May 2010 in approximately two weeks. If you would like to be added to this distribution list please email toni.skiffington@harcourts.co.nz