Bayleys is preparing to launch a brand new flagship office in Browns Bay. The new Bayleys East Coast Bays ‘Super Office’ will open in December this year with a large footprint on the ground floor of new Victor building near the corner of Bute and Clyde Roads in the heart of Browns Bay. This will be a fresh new Bayleys offering, combining the expertise of nearly 30 agents in one place. Channel Mag’s Aidan Bennett caught up with Bayleys North Shore General Manager Jonathan de Jong in September to discuss the new initiative.

Channel Mag: Jonathan, this new initiative is clearly a case of Bayleys having the confidence to invest in Browns Bay and the Bays as a very important market.
JDJ: It's a big flag in the ground for Bayleys. The new East Coast Bays office is a huge investment in the future of the Bays. We’re saying we really love this area and we want people to be transacting with us up here. There's a huge amount of growth in these neighbourhoods and we very much want to be in the centre of it all. The idea is to create a more dynamic, high-quality service for both vendors and buyers. We look forward to serving both the local community and the wider East Coast Bays area with a larger group of experienced real estate agents helping add value to our customers.

This looks to be a big space. How many of the Bayleys team will work out of this new Bayleys East Coast Bays 'super office'?
We will look to have up to 30 sales agents operating from this new larger office, supported by our in-house administration team. We are hiring for this office and welcome sales agents who want to grow their careers with Bayleys.

Tell us about the design of the new office. We have read that the overall design and installation of new technology look set to take the customer experience to new levels.
Bayleys design and fit-out teams will construct the office over the next few months with large windows, modern accents, lots of light and high-tech fixtures – making it the real estate destination to visit on the upper North Shore. It's going to be very bright and welcoming to the public, filled with beautiful plants and great decor. The implementation of new technology will take customer experience to new heights. It's going to be a great place to come and meet your local real estate agent because there will be meeting rooms designed specifically for that. We're going to have more teams, more administration assistance and just greater availability for our clients.

It looks like Bayleys' timing of this new office is pretty spot on, with positive signs in the market as we come into spring and summer.
Yes, with market confidence coming to life, supported by lower interest rates and seasonal demand, we think it’s a pretty good time to open the new office. We are already starting to see people becoming more serious about real estate again because banks are obviously starting to move the right way with their interest rates. I believe that momentum is going to grow over the next six to 12 months. Then you've got this whole area that’s really grown and it's beautiful. There are bays and beaches everywhere; it’s a really cool place to live.

You have a background selling high-end properties in Sydney. How does the Bays compare to the Sydney market?
The East Coast bays of Auckland’s North Shore have many areas like Sydney, surrounded by waterfront and a huge variety of property styles and prices available, including waterfront properties, existing residential, villas, apartments and land for new builds; even lifestyle homes and sections are all available. The Bays has it all!

When you returned to New Zealand you had real success selling Long Bay property with Bayleys. Long Bay remains popular. What other developments on the Shore excite you at the moment?
Everything is expanding on the Shore, and we are excited to be a part of the expansion. Just north of Long Bay, we have a development in Okura with 27 lifestyle luxury sections. Half have already sold, but we still have plenty available for the discerning buyer! Lots are between $2-$6 million (lifestyle sections, some with riparian rights) and this area will command prices with finished homes between $6-$20 million. Mike Hotchin from the Bayleys team is the one to be contacted for these properties.

What do you love about living and working on the North Shore?
The variety the Shore offers, from lifestyle to waterfront and everything in between! Beautiful beaches, relaxed living; the options are endless and the people who live here are so great to work, live and socialise with. I absolutely love the North Shore and I'm proud to call it home.

For further information contact Jonathan de Jong, email: jonathan.dejong@bayleys.co.nz or phone 020 414 48777.
Visit: bayleys.co.nz