Agent tries the hard sell on Orakei residents

By BERNARD ORSMAN

A real estate agent is urging Orakei residents to sell their homes before they lose value and get taken for the eastern highway.

Harcourts' Orakei branch sales manager, Ross Hawkins, has been delivering flyers saying it was "highly likely" the council would choose a route that sits in the path of properties in the area.

He was referring to a route along Kohimarama and Kepa Rds - one of several options being investigated at the Auckland City end.

"Now would be a good time to take advantage of this situation [because] if the Government is to purchase your property for roading they will pay you a valuation of their own and you will not end up achieving a premium price," Mr Hawkins said in his flyer.

Orakei resident Richard Kerr said he found it appalling that a real estate agent could prey on people's fears to drum up business.

But Mr Hawkins said he saw nothing wrong with the marketing tactic, saying it was simply educating people that their homes were in the path of one of the routes and if they were thinking of selling now might be a good time.

Mr Hawkins said it was "probably a bit too strong" to say the Kepa Rd route was highly likely but there was going to be a road one way or another alongside or below Kepa Rd, through St Kentigern School and Shore Rd or across Hobson Bay.

"Whatever route goes in, those houses are going to either see it or hear it, or it is going to go through their houses," Mr Hawkins said.

Harcourts New Zealand chief executive Bryan Thomson said Mr Hawkins was a "genuine fellow" who had tried to provide people with useful information to generate business but his use of words was regrettable.

Mr Thomson said the flyer should never have gone out and he was worried it had upset a member of the public.

Mr Hawkins had been spoken to and the flyer with a Herald article attached would be taken out of circulation.

Eastern corridor communications manager Darrell Carlin said Mr Hawkins was misleading people with the flyer.

All the options were on the table until a preferred option was chosen and it was wrong to suggest compensation would not match a private sale.

"The Public Works Act provides that an owner can obtain their own independent valuation advice, and that council will pay for this. It could also be that no agent fees are paid and there is a saving to an owner when compared against a market sale," Mr Carlin said.

Meanwhile, the councils have said no more details will be made available on the 11 possible routes for the eastern highway before a new round of consultation starting next week.

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Eastern Highway consultation days

Thursday, October 2, 1pm-8pm: St Columba Church, 480 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany Downs.

Saturday, October 4, 9am-4pm: Pakuranga Community and Cultural Centre, 13 Reeves Rd, Pakuranga.

Wednesday, October 8, 1pm-8pm: Auckland University Rugby Club, Merton Rd, St Johns.

Saturday, October 11, 9am-4pm: Parnell District School Hall, Gladstone Rd, Parnell.