About Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers Real Estate Agents Award
Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers Real Estate Agents Award reveals the real estate brand that delivers the best consumer satisfaction to its customers.
We ask Kiwi property owners and investors to rate their satisfaction with their choice of real estate agent brand by Overall Satisfaction, as well as important criteria such as Communication & Advice, Contract Handling, Financial Paperwork and Overall Satisfaction.
Numbers crunched by Canstar's researchers:
- 681 Customers Surveyed
- 16 Brands Assessed
- 5 Brands Shortlisted
- 1 Award Winner
The best real estate agents in NZ
The brands rated are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
1. Property Brokers
For the second year in a row, Property Brokers is the clear winner of our award for the best real estate agent in New Zealand. Not only is it the sole estate agent to earn a 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction, it replicates that top rating across all of our award categories. In total, Property Brokers earns more 5-Star scores than the other four realtors in our ratings combined.
Property Brokers is a Kiwi-owned family business that was founded in 1986. From just five original staff members, it now has over 85 branches across the country, employing more than 850 people.
Property Brokers has a provincial focus, and prioritises building the kind of strong relationships that are integral to doing business in small-town New Zealand.
2. Ray White
Ray White is a fourth-generation, family owned and led business. Founded in Australia in 1902, it is now an international company, boasting over 930 franchised offices across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Here in NZ it has offices across the country.
3. Bayleys
Bayleys is New Zealand’s largest full-service real estate company. Drawing on 50 years of experience, it offers expert advice across all property sectors, including residential, commercial, rural and property services.
4. Harcourts
You'd be hard pressed to find a team more experienced than Harcourts, who have been selling Kiwi homes since 1888. As New Zealand's largest real estate group, it offers a full suite of real estate services, from helping you to buy and sell, to managing investment properties and more.
5. Barfoot & Thompson
Barfoot & Thompson is New Zealand's largest privately owned real estate agency, and claims a 100-year history in New Zealand. It has more than 95 branches throughout Auckland and Northland, over 1800 sales staff and 17,000 residential rental properties under management.
Other property managers not rated by Canstar
Not all real estate agents in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are more NZ real estate agents to consider.
- Eves
- First National
- LJ Hooker
- Lodge
- Professionals
- RE/MAX
- Tall Poppy
- Tremains
Eves
Eves was founded in the Bay of Plenty in 1969, and now has 14 dedicated offices throughout the north, the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. It remains wholly New Zealand owned and operated.
First National
Established here in 1985, First National has independently owned and operated franchises throughout the country, from Kaitaia in the north to Riverton in the south.
LJ Hooker
LJ Hooker is one of Australia's largest real estate companies. Here in NZ, it has offices nationwide, all staffed by experts in their local markets.
Lodge
Lodge Real Estate has been established in Hamilton for over 50 years, and prides itself on its local knowledge. There are eight Lodge offices based in and around the city.
Professionals
Founded in Australia, the Professionals brand was established in New Zealand over 40 years ago. It now has a network of independently owned real estate businesses across the country, staffed by property experts with local knowledge.
RE/MAX
Short for Real Estate Maximums, RE/MAX is an American international real estate company that was founded in 1973. RE/MAX's franchise system is internationally renowned for its accessibility and trustworthiness.
Tall Poppy
Tall Poppy was founded just over a decade ago, in 2012. Its digital reach and sales and marketing team spans the entire country.
Tremains
Tremains has its roots deep in New Zealand history. The real estate company was founded in Hawke's Bay by former All Black legend Kel Tremain, in 1970. Since then, it has expanded across Taupo, Rotorua, Tauranga and the Wairarapa, and is still a family business.
Choosing the right real estate agent for you
Wherever you live in New Zealand, there's usually never a shortage of real estate agents ready to sell your home … or sell you a home!
But what do most people look for in a realtor? According to Canstar Blue's latest research, local knowledge is key. Of the Kiwis in our survey, 31% say their choice of real estate agent hinges upon the realtor's local expertise.
Whereas just under a quarter (22%) say they look for a real estate agent to have a great reputation, 19% seek a personal recommendation, and just 10% are influenced most by price.
And when it comes to what impresses people the most about their experiences buying and selling property through a realtor, communication is key. Well over a third of respondents (41%) in our survey cite clear Communication & Advice as the biggest driver of their satisfaction, while just under a third say Contract Handling (29%) is key.
Here’s the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their real estate agents:
- Communication & Advice: 41%
- Contract Handling: 29%
- Problem Resolution: 19%
- Financial Paperwork: 12%
What do real estate agents do?
While real estate agents are basically a bridge between potential home buyers and sellers, or landlords and their tenants, there’s plenty that goes on behind the scenes.
In addition to their housing market knowledge, they can also give you specific information on your local area, including demographics, average house prices, public transport options, schools and even local council regulations, which can be useful if you’re moving to a new area. And if you’re not comfortable with negotiating, some real estate agents can play hard ball on your behalf.
Real estate agents can also be classified into specialty fields. These include buyers' agents, if you’re looking to buy a property and need someone to evaluate, negotiate and even attend buying auctions for you. Or a property manager, if you want to become a landlord and need help with screening new tenants and dealing with repairs and inspections.
While most real estate businesses will have a number of agents on hand to help you with whatever property query you have, it doesn’t hurt to look into what type of agent is best suited for your needs, and the assistance they'll be able to provide.
Real estate agents' fees
There can be a lot of costs involved when selling your home. Expenses you will need to consider include:
- Administration fee – expect to pay approximately $500.
- Agent’s commission or fee – Obviously, these vary between agencies, but in broad terms you can expect to pay between 2.95% – 4% on the first $400,000 of your sale price and around 2% on anything over that.
- Marketing costs – these are usually incurred on top of the commission fee and cover the cost of advertising in local property magazines, newspapers and online, as well as any bespoke property literature. Again, there is a huge variance in costs here, as it really does depend on what the vendor wants and how much additional cash they want to spend. Have a clear plan of what you want to spend before you sign any agreements. Also have a clear understanding of how many adverts you can expect, their size and when and where they will be placed.
- Auctioneers costs – you can expect to pay around $500 for the services of a qualified auctioneer, regardless of whether your property sells or not.
Real estate agents' services
No matter which agent you engage, in return for the fees and charges, you should expect:
- Clear advice on what is involved in selling your property, including outlining your legal obligations.
- An outline of current market conditions and recent selling prices of comparable properties in your area.
- To be given copies of the Agency Agreement Guide and the Sale and Purchase Agreement Guide.
- Arranging and managing the advertising of your property.
- To be provided with a pool of potential buyers viewing your property.
- Your agent to act as a contact point for potential buyers and other agents, answering queries and arranging viewings (both scheduled open homes and private appointments).
The most important thing is to do your research before you sign with an agent and, where possible, to negotiate. All agreements should be included in your agency agreement (which both you and the agent sign) but make sure you receive and read a copy of the agency agreement guide before you make any decisions.
Every real estate agent needs to be registered and must adhere to a code of conduct. In addition, their licence needs to be renewed with the Real Estate Agents Authority each year.
