Here’s possible niche for some forward thinking property entrepreneur: website that provides businesses with advice on the ins and outs of leasing commercial property online. I’m not sure how you can make it profitable, but it would surely fill gap in the market if the web search I’ve just completed is anything to go by. In the absence of any websites dedicated to the cause, what follows is summary of the best local information available and, I regret to say, it isn’t all that great.
www.colliers.com/Corporate The problem with sites created by real estate agencies is that they are more concerned with encouraging you to purchase their services in helping you manage or lease property than they are in empowering you to do better job of it yourself. Understandable I suppose but consequently there is paucity of really helpful information on their sites. That said, Colliers make better job of it than most. Their global reach and resources help them put together smooth running website with access to some useful basic information. The url listed here takes you to the homepage of the international site and you link to the New Zealand site from there. From the international home page click on “services” and this takes you through to list of various services including “management” and “corporate”. number of sparsely written case studies under each category might be useful if you are struggling with particular property problem and want to know how the agency helped other organisations solve it. Market reports specific to New Zealand are available on the local website. So too is “knowledge centre” which provides useful links, more case studies, publications, and customer tools – including currency converter, an area converter, mortgage calculator and space calculator. One of the local case studies detailed KPMG’s acquisition of 8000m2 of leased space for their accounting and legal divisions.
www.propertynz.co.nz The website for The Property Council of New Zealand. There’s not lot of advice about leasing or managing buildings here but there are some useful links on the site featuring wide range of property related organisations from lawyers to investment companies, insurance companies to retail consulting groups. You’ll find some of these links if you click on “research”, and others appear under “resources” which, in addition to links page includes list of property related software, education opportunities and property news.
www.reinz.org.nz The website of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. This site could prove useful but once again there is little or no property management advice. There is, however, an online magazine which could be worth subscribing to, list of relevant property related acts, and “tips” section. The market facts that are provided are aimed more at buyers than potential lessors.
www.nzherald.co.nz Each week the Commercial Property Group at law firm Simpson Grierson answers questions on property related issues. These articles are archived on the Herald website and can be accessed if you use the search mechanism. I looked under “commercial property”. If you use the advanced search you can search as far back as year ago or to specified date. Other related property articles also came up in the search.
www.propertylook.co.nz I included this site because it claims to be the “largest, most comprehensive commercial property listing portal in the Australian and New Zealand marketplace. It only lists commercial properties and if you are looking to lease some space it might be worthwhile connecting here. The site is well designed, enables you to quickly search across wide range of criteria and geographical locations all, as they say, at the click of mouse.
www.bayleys.co.nz Great design, click on “commercial for lease” and you can view what’s available on the Bayleys’ books, but don’t expect any property management advice or information without consulting one of their team cause it ain’t on the website. Bayleys offers monthly newsletter with news about property from around New Zealand.
And that’s about it really. Neither Barfoot & Thompson www.barfoot.co.nz nor Harcourts www.harcourts.co.nz offer property management advice with their online sales and leasing opportunities.
Damon Birchfield is an Auckland-based freelance writer.
Email: [email protected]
