Agents of change target rural Bay real estate

L-R: Shane O'Brien, national director, Colliers; Simon Tremain, principal, Tremain Real Estate; Hadley Brown, rural business director, Colliers; Cam Ward, director, Colliers; Mark Synott, CEO, Collier

Tremain Colliers International is now part of a global rural buying and selling network.

At a special announcement in Napier last Thursday, Colliers International chief executive officer Mark Synott introduced the man who will lead the Bay branch of Colliers Rural and Agribusiness - Hadley Brown.

Mr Brown has specialised in the rural real estate market with Bayleys for six years and has been a regular top achiever in the field.

He will take on the role of the company's rural and agriculture business director for the Bay and Gisborne regions.

Colliers' director in Hawke's Bay, Cam Ward, said the move by the company into the rural sector was a significant one - as it would be the only New Zealand real estate branch with international links.

For Tremains' principal Simon Tremain the move was exciting and taking on the experience of Mr Brown was a huge factor.

"From our perspective it is one of the biggest appointments in our history," he said.
"He has a lot of specialist knowledge and a lot of depth in this field."

The new division of the company sparked into life with the establishment of the Canterbury branch last September, and Hawke's Bay and Gisborne had now been set up.

The long-term plan was to set up eight rural office locations.

Mr Synott said the drive for farm management to maximise potential to remain globally competitive had driven the need for farms to amalgamate for economies of scale and utilisation of new technologies.

That led to further corporatisation of the farming sector in New Zealand which was a trend which led to greater level of detail being required when evaluating a business.

"We recognise the increasingly corporate and global nature of agribusiness and the need to offer clients expert local service backed by our global reach and expertise," Mr Synott said.

It was something of a natural progression in the market, Mr Ward said.

Tremains had successfully engaged the residential sector of real estate, Colliers were merged in with a focus on the commercial and industrial sector and Sotherbys was there for top end real estate.

The rural sector remained, and the new arm had picked that up, with the advantage that it could offer clients a truly international profile.

Mr Brown said he relished the new role and the challenges ahead.

"There are some very good opportunities out there and this will be a way for clients to get a higher, different level of service."

He said the rural real estate sector was in good shape, and that his role would also encompass the overall horticulture and viticulture areas.

"We can give clients international reach."

My Synott said for the company the rural sector was a natural one to grow into.
"We see it as a significant growth opportunity for Colliers New Zealand and that's the guts of it - and Hawke's Bay is going to play a part in that."