Southern Homes Thursday, August 25, 2022

2
Real estate profile

Guiding homeowners to their real estate goals

Rakesh Krishnan
The first thing you notice when
you meet David Nightingale is his
boundless energy. He may be the
No. 1 agent, but he’s often the first
to greet and welcome visitors at
Bayleys St Heliers. He walks you
to the neighbourhood cafe where
he’s on a first-name basis with
practically everyone. For someone
who leads a team responsible for
representing buyers and sellers of
distinguished properties in
Auckland’s most liveable
communities, David is the
quintessential guy next door.
But that genial exterior hides
one of the most astute minds in
real estate. With a stellar track
record of delivering exceptional
service for his clients, David is one
the most recognisable and trusted
agents in the Eastern Bays. His
secret is an enduring passion for
real estate and the capacity to put
in long hours to ensure his clients
get the best possible price for
their properties - in any market.
“I consistently work 70 hours -
whatever it takes for my vendors.
I’m a workaholic and thrive on
adrenaline,” he confesses.
His clients aren’t complaining.
During a 24-year career David has
sold well over 700 properties
including record-breaking
transactions such as the 22 acre
Lynfield property he sold for $36
million after an extensive
international marketing campaign.
His phenomenal 93% success rate
has seen him consistently rank
among the top tier of agents
nationwide, and earned him
multiple awards for his marketing
abilities and negotiation skills. Not
bad at all for a former bank
lending manager.
David worked 17 years at the
former National Bank where he
was the commercial lending
manager. The job involved a lot of
David Nightingale.
travelling and during his travels he
met the owner of Harcourts
Orewa who planted the seeds of a
real estate career in his head.
“Eight months later I walked
into his office and joined the
company. It was March 1998 and
the worst market in 11 years. But I
quickly established myself as one
of the leading agents and worked
for this firm for 19 years before
moving on to join Bayleys.
Matter of integrity
David, who traces his ancestry
to Charles Dickens (definitely) and
possibly to Florence Nightingale,
has a business model with a laser-
like focus on ethics.
“When an owner lists their
property with me, my total
dedication is to them in order to
get them the best result possible.
I focus on the campaign and the
market response level, rather than
be distracted by what else is on
the market with other agents, or
take buyers to other properties.
As a homeowner, if you list with
an agent and pay the marketing
costs, you would expect your
agent to sell your home rather
than some other property up their
sleeve.”
Due to such dedication, the
Away from work David is a competitive lawn bowler.
market has responded well to
David. He has moved locations
three times and become No.1 in
the branch each of those times.
State of the market
The market is a bit indifferent
currently but the new mantra in
real estate is patience, says David.
Desirable properties, well
presented properties, and homes
with the x-factor are still selling.
And, of course, the high-value
properties (over $4 million) are
selling very well.
“There are plenty of buyers
around for such homes. The
challenging area is the middle
market ($2 million to $3 million
range) where properties need
upgrades or a redesign to get the
best value. Two years ago the
average New Zealand realtor
could have sold most of the
properties; this year we are having
to work and graft it out. But with
a little patience most homes will
sell.”
Advice for sellers and buyers
Properties sell in all kinds of
conditions, you just have to push a
little harder in a challenging
market.
“The important thing is to be
realistic about the price. The
biggest mistake owners can make
is price the home too high or low.
If you set it too high, the lack of
market response will slowly and
surely make you adjust the price
downwards until it’s in line with
the market. This leaves an audit
trail that everyone can see now. If
you set it too low and you sell
quickly, you will never know if you
could have got more. So it’s all
about picking an experienced
agent who can help you achieve
your goals. And above all, ignore
the negativity the media is
churning out.”
If you are looking to buy, don’t
miss out on a perfectly good home
in a great location just because
you are hoping to find something
better. “Be positive about what
you are going to purchase,
knowing that it is a stepping stone
for a future purchase, or the ideal
family home or location for the
next 10-15 years. And traditionally
property will always increase in
value.”
Plus factors
David combines his own
expertise with the world-class
resources available to him
through the Bayleys network,
which includes representatives
capable of speaking directly to
prospective purchasers in virtually
any language. His wife Victoria - a
licensed real estate agent with
over 20 years’ experience - works
alongside him. Plus his sales
associate Elisabeth (originally
from Singapore) speaks multiple
languages. “She’s been a rock
over the past few years, and is
approachable and friendly.” The
bottom line is when you list with
David you also get the services of
Victoria, Elisabeth and his
personal assistant Michelle.
Life outside real estate
Despite his workaholic schedule,
David always finds time to do the
things he loves including sports,
travel and supporting the
community. “I’ve always been an
active sports person and play
outdoor bowls competitively, and
sponsor four of the clubs locally in
association with Bayleys. Around
Christmas we travel overseas to a
different time zone in order to get
a mental release from working 70
hours a week, every week. Other
than that I’m your friendly
neighbourhood real estate agent
and always out pacing on the
street on my phone, or up for a
cup of coffee in beautiful St
Heliers.”
David is a recognised winner –
both in real estate, and on and off
the bowling green!
David Nightingale,
Bayleys St Heliers.
Phone: 027 227 2949.
Email: david.nightingale@bayleys.
co.nz.

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