1. real estate

standing up
Franchise Opportunity: Real Estate
STANDING
OUT
Irene van Dyk is the face
of Tall Poppy, a low cost,
high achieving model for
real estate sales – and you
don’t need to be an agent
Irene van Dyk was a game-changer
as a Silver Fern – now the Tall
Poppy franchise aims to do the
same in real estate
⇒
achievers that both fits the bill and makes us
stand out – and Irene van Dyk exemplifies all
those qualities, of course.
David Graves says that traditional real
estate agencies in New Zealand have it
all wrong, putting the agency first, the buyers
second and the vendors last – and after 20
very successful years in the industry,
he should know.
Lower Fees, Better Results
Now David is putting the industry to rights
with Tall Poppy, the country’s first “vendorcentric” real estate franchise. The country’s
best-known Tall Poppy, ex-Silver Fern Irene
van Dyk, is the face of the brand and even
more interestingly, you can invest in a Tall Poppy
franchise with no real estate qualifications or
experience. Sounds unlikely? Read on…
Real Estate Marketing
For The Digital Age
‘Property marketing has changed dramatically over
the last 10 years, but the model that traditional real
estate agencies use hasn’t,’ explains David. ‘Most real
estate buyers these days look online, and even the print
adverts direct people to websites for more information.
Buyers do their research online, see maps, pictures and
floor plans online, and shop around to a far greater
extent than they used to. Very few buyers ever visit a
real estate office, so agents are leasing premises and
employing staff just to have a window display that noone sees. That’s a very expensive form of promotion,
and the vendors are the ones who pay for it.
‘Tall Poppy is real estate marketing for the digital age.
We’ve packaged administration, list management and
all the other services and functions of an agency into
our specialist listing management software. It’s totally
web-based so our franchisees can use a laptop or
tablet to manage their business and communicate with
salespeople from their home, their car, their bach or
wherever. This has enabled us to create a high-earning,
vendor-focused business model – and it works. Tall
Poppy has been tried and tested in Wellington for
the past two-and-a-half years, where ten franchise
territories are already up and running.’
One of those franchises is operated by 28-year-old
Sam McIntyre, a former banker who saw the potential
of Tall Poppy and bought the Kapiti territory 18
months ago. Today he has a remarkable 15 sales
people and his business has already secured a
very significant (and growing) market share. The
latest franchisee is another ex-banker, a former
senior business analyst, who was so impressed by the business model that
he promptly handed in his notice and joined Tall Poppy. ‘Quite simply, the
franchise works – and now we’re ready to bring it to property markets in
Auckland, Christchurch and other parts of New Zealand,’ David says.
Why the name? ‘Memorable, isn’t it?’ David says. ‘With women the prime
influencers in property sale and purchase, we wanted a name that didn’t
sound like a lawyer or accountant. Tall Poppy is a known phrase for high
Tall Poppy’s success is built on a ‘will not be
beaten’ approach to fees. ‘In general terms, our
clients save about half the usual fee that traditional
agencies charge,’ David explains. ‘But it’s not just
about money. We’re very focused on high-quality real
estate and on simply being the best in the business.
We are very proud of our service standards and will
let nothing stand in the way of a high-quality
experience for our clients.’
Tall Poppy has even developed its own method of selling,
Bid-to-Buy, that is designed to remove a lot of the traditional
stress from the auction process for both vendors and buyers.
This is typical of the company’s innovative thinking and
epitomises its determination to being a market leader with
fresh ideas and attitudes.
‘We want franchisees who can contribute to this approach
and use their people and business skills to recruit real estate
salespeople wisely,’ says David. ‘Building a team of top
professionals is a vital part of the role – these are the people
who will provide you with a top income.’
Business Acumen Required
Tall Poppy is now looking for people with business acumen
(not just ex-bankers!), people skills and recruiting ability
to take the brand throughout the country. The investment
is from $100,000 and includes full training, systems and a
full marketing launch package.
Auckland has 20 franchise territories available, while there
are 4 in Waikato, 3 in Tauranga/Bay of Plenty, 3 in Nelson/
Marlborough, 7 in Christchurch and 2 in Dunedin. Single
franchises are also available in provincial cities like New
Plymouth or areas such as Lakes District/Central Otago.
Tall Poppy is a Member of the Real Estate Institute of New
Zealand (David is an Associate) and licensed under the
Real Estate Agents Authority, but franchisees do not need
to have special qualifications in real estate or business –
all that is provided by the administrative umbrella of the
franchisor. However, each individual salesperson must
have a governmentissued licence.
Advertiser Info
‘Tall Poppy offers
the potential to build a
business that rewards franchisees who
can build and create effective teams
while providing a truly attractive low-cost,
low-stress option for vendors,’ David says.
‘So if you’re ready to stand out with an
outstanding service, ring me today and
find out more.’
Tall Poppy
1/318 Tinakori Road,
Thorndon, Wellington 6011
www.tallpoppy.co.nz
Contact
David Graves
P 0-4-972 7951
M 027 443 2897
[email protected]
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