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The network is celebrating further additions to its showing across the ditch.
Raine & Horne has welcomed a number of offices in the Bay of Plenty and Hauraki region, continuing the brand’s growth momentum in its 140th year, and following on from its entrance into the New Zealand market earlier this year.
Principals Neville Ruske and Paul Billinghurst have joined the group, aligning their North Island offices across Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Katikati, Waihi, and Waihi Beach with the Raine & Horne name.
It follows the alignment of a number of big hitters in recent months: Gerard Ponsonby’s trio of offices in Northland, Ross Harvey’s Taupo team, and the alignment of Keith Niederer as head of operations.
The latest alignment of Mr Ruske and Mr Billinghurst comes at a time of “increased buyer activity in the Bay of Plenty real estate market”, Raine & Horne reported, drawing on data from CoreLogic.
It’s an opportunity that Raine & Horne wants to be taking advantage of, with executive chairman Angus Raine stating that “digital marketing is redefining how properties are promoted and sold in New Zealand”.
“With our ecosystem of technology-first, headed by the cutting-edge social media marketing platform, Amplify, Raine & Horne proudly stands as a formidable leader in this rapidly evolving space,” he continued.
“Neville and Paul are excellent operators who are sure to embrace our ecosystem of digital marketing firsts.”
The network has touted Mr Ruske’s 35 years of real estate experience across residential, commercial, industrial, lifestyle and property management, while Mr Billinghurst transitioned into real estate in 2014 following on from his time spent in engineering, IT and management.
Mr Ruske founded NRG Realty back in 2011 with his wife Gill Ruske, which has expanded to from its Tauranga roots to include the offices across Mount Maunganui/Papamoa, Katikati, Waihi and Waihi Beach.
Mr Billinghurst then became a co-owner of NRG Realty Ltd alongside his wife Bronwen in 2021.
Now, under the Raine & Horne banner, both operators believe their business will be bolstered thanks to their ability to tap technology and the brand’s unique value proposition and support structures.
According to Mr Billinghurst: “Our five offices have been established in the marketplace for many years. We want to take them all to the next level and rapidly grow our regional market share.”
“Raine & Horne offers us something different from other brands in that it adds value to our vendors, team and business,” he outlined.
“This is not only from its leading-edge technology, such as Amplify, but also in the support they give us. It means our current and future salespeople have a real point of difference to offer potential vendors, and we can add even more value to our team as a company.”
Mr Ruske said the agency is “on a growth projection within the Bay of Plenty and Hauraki region”, which he stated aligns well with Raine & Horne’s overall New Zealand growth goals.
“There are many brand alternatives for business owners to choose from, but we believe that with Raine & Horne’s history coupled with their forward-thinking, dynamic approach to real estate, they will shortly be a driving force in New Zealand real estate.”
Their latest brand alliance also comes back to their family-first approach, Mr Ruske flagged.
“NRG Realty is an acronym of Neville, Ruske and Gill, and Gill has been an integral force since we began the business, contributing to management decisions and overseeing finances since day one,” Mr Ruske said.
“Her expertise in residential developments adds a significant dimension to the business.
“As Paul and Bronwen became part of the team, this legacy of family involvement persisted, with Bronwen focusing on our company marketing.
“Still having the same company owners but now operating under the Raine & Horne brand is great for both organisations,” he concluded.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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