What started as a meeting between competitors at a central Wellington cafe more than 25 years ago has evolved into one of Wellington’s largest commercial real estate firms.
While Colliers had a presence in Wellington from when it began trading in New Zealand in 1989, 10 years later it supercharged its operations in the capital.
A merger between commercial brokers from Harcourts and Colliers saw the creation of a new, well-resourced office that marks 25 years in business in October.
Richard Findlay, Managing Director of Colliers Wellington, was among those team members from Harcourts who were part of the formation of the Colliers Wellington office and is still there.
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Others, such as Jim Pinson, Steve Maitland, and Phil Humphrey were with Colliers before the merger and are still very much a part of the business today.
Charles Cooper, now the Auckland Managing Director of Colliers, was based in Wellington for Colliers prior to the merger and worked alongside the Harcourts team with joint agencies on a collection of listings.
That collaborative partnership between Colliers and Harcourts laid the groundwork for a more formalised agreement.
“We were looking for exposure to an international brand and partnering with Colliers gave us that exposure and has been a major reason for our success today,” Findlay recalls.
The new Colliers Wellington business that emerged in 1999 has grown steadily and was built on recruiting good team members, many of whom have now been with the company for over 10 years.
“We were fortunate that we had the right people early on in our business who were doing large transactions in Wellington and this further underscored our credibility in the market,” Findlay says.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside many of Wellington’s most successful agents and property owners for the past 25 years.”
Investors have been drawn to Wellington given the strength of tenant covenants provided by Government tenants, who are supported by other professional services firms such as legal and accountancy practices.
These organisations make long-term commitments to their premises, which are generally high-quality buildings.
Findlay believes the success of Colliers Wellington has been achieved due to an ongoing drive to provide the best possible service for their clients.
“We are grateful to have such a loyal client base who continue to work with us on leasing and growing their portfolio. Some of our earliest clients have now become Wellington’s largest landlords and it has been an enjoyable journey to work with them and we will continue to do so.
“It is pleasing to know we have helped play a part in shaping the property landscape of Wellington.”
The team have brokered major leasing transactions for prominent public and private tenants across the city with a notable recent deal being BNZ’s move to 1 Whitmore Street.
They also sold 40 and 44 Bowen Street in central Wellington for approximately $240 million in 2022.
Looking back further, Findlay was appointed by the Wellington City Council to sell 1 acre of redundant land between Willis Street and Victoria Street that was developed into the mixed-use precinct now known as Chews Lane.
The current Colliers Wellington agency business is complemented by a strong Real Estate Management Services and Occupier Services offering, as well as a large Valuation & Advisory Services team.
Findlay also oversees the Palmerston North, Nelson, K?piti Coast, New Plymouth, and Blenheim partner offices.
Mark Synnott, Executive Chairman of Colliers, was the CEO of Colliers New Zealand when the new Wellington office was born and played a key role in its formation.
“Richard and his team have a track record that is second to none and their dedication to the region and being market leaders in Wellington is unmatched,” Synnott says.
“They have been one of our best-performing offices for a number of years and we are incredibly proud of how the Colliers business has developed in Wellington and we look forward to many more years of success.”
- Supplied by Colliers
