30 | Rapid growth for realty firm Craig Lowe: “To my way of thinking you are either growing or you are dying.” Lowe & Co Realty Sue Russell REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT When a realty business features two years in a row in Deloitte’s Fast 50 growth index listing they have to be doing many things right, particularly in this era where property markets are somewhat volatile and many real-estate operators are struggling to adapt. Such is the case with Wellington’s Lowe & Co Realty. Proudly Wellington through and through, the company is led by founder Craig Lowe who gathered together a small core of four of Wellington’s most successful agents to begin business. “We started in 2015. I was a top agent working at another realty company and we sort of hit a glass ceiling. I could see a gap in the market and knew there was a much better way to give clients the best possible outcome,” Craig explains. In the five years to 2021 Lowe & Co Realty experienced growth of 142%. Thinking this wouldn’t be sustainable doesn’t apply to how this business operates, as proven by a 151% increase in 2022. And from the initial group of five, today Lowe & Co Realty numbers over 60 professionals. “Getting the right people on the bus has been critical to our journey and success to date.” Describing the company as a ‘platform business’, with a core purpose to support agents to be their very best selves to help buyers and sellers, Craig says ‘enabling’ agent performance is what Lowe & Co Realty is all about. “Most agents leave a trail of destruction behind them. They tend to be fairly administration light. They are good ‘people’ people and don’t like to do administration tasks. We provide that and take away about 30% of their workload by devolving the admin to seasoned professionals.” By providing this high-support model agents are freed to concentrate on what they know and do best. They’re energised and engaged in creating valuable client engagement that brings results. “Getting the right people on the bus has been critical to our journey and success to date.” Lowe & Co Realty operates over a geography extending from Tawa to Seatoun. Craig says having the right attitude to what constitutes business success is critical. “To my way of thinking, you are either growing or you are dying. You don’t rest on your laurels ever. We tap-dance to work because we love it. We have a big market share in Wellington, and I still have a client base that I work with.” Following years of success selling real-estate Craig says he’s in a position now to help people to become top operators. “You’ve got to have resilience and a bit of hunger in you. Someone who is self-motivated and gets high on the highs but not too low on the lows.” Asked what he sees unfolding in the market in the near future Craig says he doesn’t see a big shift back to the heady growth in value days experienced recently. “It’s no surprise we are now in a down market and I think there will be more of the same in the short term, but that’s also where opportunities reside. “This market is one for honing skills, understanding how people think and learning how to put deals together. Sometimes you have to swim upstream, the important thing is to be a strong swimmer.” ONESTOP IT AISCORP IS YOUR ONE STOP IT PROVIDER We bring you an expert team, top tech providers and total support from start to finish. Phone Us 04 478 0245 We are professional accountants and business advisors with personality and a diverse range of skills that allow us to help you grow your business. Let’s have a conversation Get in Touch +64 4 472 7465 munrobenge@munrobenge.co.nz www.munrobenge.co.nz
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