Proud New Zealander real estate agent Nash Varghese made his trio of RE/MAX agencies official this week, with a celebration in the south.
At 46.41 degrees S, RE/MAX Pride in Invercargill is the most southern real estate office in the RE/MAX world – and is just one of three in owner Nash Varghese’s Pride offices.
Pride Real Estate was an established and successful business when it merged with RE/MAX and launched as RE/MAX Pride in Queenstown on 1 March this year.
“For the past 15 years, the direction and focus of my business had been local, but becoming part of a global network of more than 8000 offices in 110-plus countries and territories around the world brought brand intelligence into play,” Mr Varghese said.
“It has truly paid off and my business is growing rapidly and healthily.”
The RE/MAX Pride team, their clients and other local businesses were joined by official dignitaries to mark the occasion, including Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt and RE/MAX Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Michael Davoren.
“Being international is an outstanding point of difference for RE/MAX offices and agents,” Michael Davoren said.
“I’ve just returned from a convention in India, one of the fastest growing regions of RE/MAX globally, where the multi-national makeup of RE/MAX was very evident.”
Mr Davoren said he intends to expand the Australia–New Zealand network into the Pacific Islands.
Business Growth Manager Cameron Hems said Mr Varghese had been a fantastic addition to RE/MAX New Zealand.
“Nash has an abundance of energy, passion and experience in real estate and we are so excited to watch him, and his team, grow,” Mr Hems said.
“His understanding of technology and his background in business will see RE/MAX Pride become one of Southlands’ leading real estate companies.”
Mr Varghese said Invercargill was a doorway into Queenstown, where he’d had the unique opportunity to understand how the Queenstown market worked through buying an established office there.
“The REINZ reports the median price for Queenstown, in April 2019, was $950k, which was $100k higher than the Auckland Region median, but we’ve rapidly gained a reputation for great service and outcomes; the intelligence of the network backs us and we have some big sales coming up,” he said.
In Queenstown, RE/MAX Pride is recognised for successfully marketing lifestyle properties and listings outside the more usual residential properties – like recent sales of a lodge and a mooring – as well as development sites.
REINZ figures show $305k as the Invercargill median price and $249k for Gore.
“Stock is tight,” Mr Varghese said. “There is a strong business economy In Invercargill, but one outcome of that is that people are staying put and renovating rather than selling.
“The market is slowing down, but we are growing our business in sales and, looking forward, in property management.”
