Aggressive Growth Strategy Reinforced

Aggressive Growth Strategy Reinforced at Harcourts Conference

17 February 2007

A continued focus on expanding the largest real estate group in New Zealand and the fastest growing in Australia is key to future success, according to Harcourts International Ltd Managing Director, Mike Green.

Opening Harcourts’ annual three day Business Development Workshop (BDW) for its Business Owners and Managers on the Gold Coast earlier this week, Mr Green noted aggressive international growth as a strategic focus had been very successful throughout 2006 and would continue in 2007. He also announced:

- By the end of 2006, Harcourts International Ltd had 431 offices across Australasia, Indonesia and Fiji, compared with 372 at the end of 2005.
- Harcourts offices managed a new annual record of $17.5 billion in property sales compared with $15.5 billion in 2005-06.
- With the announcement last week of a joint venture with the MPRE group of 24 offices in Victoria to create MPRE Harcourts, the group now had offices in every single state in Australia.

- In December, Harcourts’ websites had 993,999 unique visitors with harcourts.co.nz still the top real estate group site in New Zealand, and harcourts.com.au in the top five Australian real estate group websites.
- A record number of delegates saw 411 attending BDW this year compared to 257 in 2006, reinforcing the value Harcourts Business Owners and Managers were placing in professional upskilling opportunities.

Looking at the expansion plan, Mr Green said announcements would shortly be made regarding partners in Singapore, Malaysia and Korea, as well as a memorandum of understanding signed with a real estate group of 120 offices in China. Referring to the year ahead, Mr Green concluded, “While indications are that this year is going to be very strong with low interest rates, low unemployment and public confidence high, we must succeed in any market by being the very best and the most professional at what we do.”

Conference keynote speakers included Peter Sheahan (best selling author of ‘Generation Y: Thriving (and Surviving) with Generation Y at Work'), Steve Games (built 100 offices with 5,000 Sales Associates in Southern California which is ranked in the Top 5 US real estate companies), and former Australian Rugby Union Representative and Olympic and World Champion Swim Coach, Laurie Laurence.

ENDS

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