128 | PROPERTY Bayleys Group - Waikato T T Virginia Wright ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ David Cashmore Propertyscouts Manukau Community central to ‘workaholic’ manager T T Kelly Deeks “The accolades are great, but it’s also good knowing I can sleep at night because I know I have done the right thing.” Residential Property Managers Association of New Zealand Property Manager of the Year 2023, Ani Armstrong, owner of Propertyscouts – Supreme Franchise of the Year 2023 Propertyscouts Manukau – is a workaholic who thrives on building effective relationships with her owners, tenants, and the South Auckland community she holds so dear. “I love it,” she says. “The accolades are great, but it’s also good knowing I can sleep at night because I know I have done the right thing.” Ani’s passion, leadership, and team spirit set a high standard in the property management industry. Coming from a military family, Ani inherited a strong work ethic and if she wanted money, she knew she had to work for her success, getting her first job at 12 years of age. Progressing into customer service, Ani loved making people smile, and she soon developed her own personal goal of zero complaints. Ani was a call centre manager when a big life change forced a change of career path. In 2016, she, along with her husband John and mother Dorothy, gave a home for life to her young niece and two nephews who were already with Oranga Tamariki and in order to help them settle, she needed some flexibility in her working day. Already a multi-property investor, Ani knew what she needed from her property manager who often came up short. “John said instead of moaning about it, put your money where your mouth is, and I thought that was a pretty good idea,” she says. “I had all of these different property management franchises to choose from and when I found Propertyscouts, I learned they offered guaranteed rent and no maintenance fee. As a property investor, that’s exactly what I wanted.” Ani got to work on both her new business and her professional development, gaining her New Zealand Certificate in Residential Property Management (Level 4). Ani has lived in Manurewa for more than 30 years and today, takes her kids to the same schools she used to attend. She loves her strong and supportive community and although she’s been asked to manage properties in other parts of Auckland, she will only look after those in South Auckland. “There is a family feel here,” she says. “Once when I got chatting to a tenant, my car was boxed in on the street. I knocked on the door of a beautiful Samoan family with four big strapping boys who picked up my car and moved it a foot away from the kerb. That’s the community feel that I love.” Ani works hard to keep up the community spirit. Her property inspections are accompanied by a packet of biscuits and a genuine thank you for being allowed into the tenant’s home. “It’s a privilege and an opportunity to build the right relationship.” She’ll take time out for a catch up to help her understand her tenants’ perspective and in an emergency, the Propertyscouts Manukau team rallies. When one tenant was broken into late one Christmas Eve, Ani and John went straight around to secure the door. When they noticed the tree and children’s presents had been stolen, they bought replacements. “I can’t save the world, but I can make one family smile.” Ani is dedicated to upholding the rights of both tenants and landlords, and rent and maintenance count just as high as health and safety. So, while she might seem like some lovely auntie dropping by for a cuppa, Ani says “aunties can be tough when they need to be.” Bayleys Waikato Regional Commercial Manager David Cashmore has been in the real estate industry for nearly 20 years. He won New Zealand Rookie of the Year in 2005, the year he started, and has sold over $300 million worth of real estate in the years since, moving from residential to commercial along the way. Having stepped up into his current leadership role in 2019 he still enjoys having his own small commercial portfolio while at the same time managing the 15 commercial real estate teams who operate out of offices spread across Hamilton, Cambridge, Morrinsville, North Waikato (Ngatea), Te Kauwhata Lakes, Raglan and Matamata. The Bayleys family has just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Real Estate Company which opened its first office in 1974 and now spans New Zealand and Fiji. “ Bayleys is New Zealand’s largest full service real estate company which means we sell residential, lifestyle, rural and commercial property, and we have residential and commercial services. Under the commercial banner we cover office, retail, industrial, hospitality, hotels, motels, tourism, development land sales, business sales, leasing, property management, building consultancy, valuations and property reporting, which means you can have a property assessed through our team,” explains David. The Head Office in Hamilton where David works accounts for 10 of the 15 commercial agents through the region, together with a further 25 residential, lifestyle and rural experts. The numbers reflect the fact that Hamilton is New Zealand’s fastest growing city which doesn’t surprise David who believes it’s a region with a lot to offer its residents whether they’re well-established families or businesses, or new, not only to the region but to the country. “We’re in what’s known as the Golden Triangle which spans from Auckland to Hamilton and Tauranga, with some of the highest growth rates in the country,” says David. While headwinds continue to blow in the industry at large, Bayleys’ Year to Date figures are up overall relative to the same timeframe last year. David interprets that as a sign of confidence, but he remains cautious. He sees the “We’re in what’s known as the Golden Triangle which spans from Auckland to Hamilton and Tauranga, with some of the highest growth rates in the country.” Contact Trey 021 884 006 trey@groundupbuilding.co.nz Proudly supporting Propertyscouts Manukau www.propertyscouts.co.nz Your investment - our guaranteed commitment. ROPE ACCESS SERVICES SPECIALISTS IN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS PHONE 0274 571 077 EMAIL brendon@connectaccess.co.nz www.connectaccess.co.nz Based in Hamilton and provide access solutions NZ wide. Building wash and window cleaning services Painting Joint seal replacements Viscotaq applicators Anchor point installation and certi�cation Height safety equipment inspections Maintenance services at height Bird proo�ng Con�ned space entry
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