Earlier this month, Ray White Rotorua agents were involved in the Home Show, held at the new Rotorua Event Centre. Exhibitors included building companies, carpeting wholesalers, stockists of household appliance products, garden centres, interior designers and furniture companies.
There was good attendance at the show with around 8,500 visitors; however Tim O’Sullivan who co-owns Ray White Rotorua with his business partner Anita Martelli has noted that the autumn show attracted towards 14,000, so as to extend their information more broadly they plan to be present at that show next year also.
The Ray White Rotorua branch had originally booked two stands at the show, and then due to a late cancellation secured another at the last minute. Ideally these would have been side by side but with the second stand being only four units away it was found that this gave the team a second chance to catch public attention. The first stand was set up to predominantly promote sales with a huge emphasis on SOLD properties in the area, sparking public interest as to the prices achieved and encouraging them to think about potential results should they decide to put their own property on the market. The second stand complemented with a property management focus, showcasing the complete range of services that Ray White has the ability to provide to investors through their systems.
Those who attended the Home Show were initially attracted to the Ray White stands by the prominent ‘Know How’ signage and Ray White Flags with a Christmas Hamper as a further draw card. Visitors could fill out their details to go into the draw to win the hamper, and then ended up chatting generally about the market. Tim commented “At a guess the draw produced about 400 names and numbers which we are still following up with. We’ve got 6 very good leads for listings.”
The majority of the Rotorua offices current listings were on display. Recent sales were also promoted with a wall dedicated to a SOLD display only. The whole idea had been to give people the opportunity to compare their own homes to recent sales. This also attracted people looking to acquire property to the stand. Through connecting with the Ray White team, interested buyers were able to get a good idea of house prices in Rotorua. Tim explained that “As a direct outcome of the show we had good interest from a couple of buyers in a small sub-division we are marketing at the moment. We wanted to place strong emphasis on “SOLD”. This worked really well and drew people in giving us the opportunity to engage with the public.”
All the agents involved found the show to be an excellent PR exercise. They received many positive comments about the stand and the growing presence of Ray White in the market place in Rotorua. Tim and Anita have utilised very large prominent signage throughout the Rotorua area. Tim observed that “One of the interesting things that came out of the show, speaking with a lot of different people over a short space of time, is that the marketing strategies applied by Ray White Rotorua have created a definite perceived market share, with many people commenting on the Ray White presence in the market place.” Tim and Anita have worked together for 9 years. An opportunity to purchase a boutique company arose in 2011. It was decided that rebranding to Ray White would give the business better brand recognition. Tim commented that “From a client perspective it is easier to sell when part of a bigger brand.”
Towns such as Rotorua are becoming more attractive to Auckland buyers as prices rise in Auckland – particularly for those who already own their own home or have investments in Auckland, but would like to diversify by investing in out of town property. A more favourable Return on Investment compared with Auckland makes Rotorua real estate appealing. This provides further opportunity for Ray White Rotorua to promote their property management services also.
Centrally located within the North Island, Rotorua is a fantastic place to be when you have visitors from around the country or overseas as there are an abundance of local activities on offer, ranging from cultural attractions and exhilarating outdoor activities. In their later years many people from Hawkes Bay have adult children who have moved on to Auckland. Rotorua is only 2.5 hours’ drive from Auckland, offering easier accessibility for catching up with the family. Tim himself ended up in Rotorua by impulsively purchasing a modest investment property when travelling with his Swiss wife 20 years ago. A year later they decided to relocate from Switzerland to the beautiful lakes district.
Agents at the Rotorua office are looking forward to participating in the up and coming home and garden show and are considering having a stand at the Auckland Home Show next year. While working to get listings towards that time, they can advise vendors that their properties will be marketed at the shows.
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