In the growing and successful Arizto team of the Manawatu-Whanganui region, the standout performer for the past three years has been Whanganui's Rochelle Burton.
Burton has two decades of experience in the real estate industry, having worked extensively in administrative, advertising, and marketing roles as well as a sales consultant.
Having worked with prominent real estate agents in Auckland, Tauranga, and Whanganui, she now calls upon this wealth of expertise to serve her clients with dedication and skill.
In early 2021, she was part of the original group of four salespeople in Whanganui to join Arizto and establish the brand as a viable alternative in the area.
She has been one of the highest performing agents for Arizto ever since, consistently ranking in the Top 10 of all salespeople nationally, having made key contributions to the growth of the brand locally so that it is now responsible for around one out of every four residential sales by local agents.
Burton is rapidly approaching 100 successful sales in her time with Arizto, and is a two-time consecutive winner of the Most Sales for the Manawatu-Whanganui region at the company's annual Christmas Awards.
Key to this is her tireless work behind the scenes to ensure the real estate process is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible for her homeowners.
Renowned for her professionalism, diligence and negotiation skills, Burton prides herself on being the quintessential advocate for her clients during those crucial bargaining moments.
Choosing to remain as an individual agent in charge of running her own business, Burton can personally provide a high level of dedication, attention and commitment to her homeowners.
She prides herself on delivering high quality marketing campaigns for each of her listings with exceptional service and results
She explains the journey and her process here:
Q: What attracted you to Arizto?
I felt like I needed a change. Their real estate model I found very intriguing and refreshing. The streamlined model simplifies commissions and offers a lot of freedom to operate as an individual.
Q: Can you explain that model and why it is different?
The digital platform and user-friendly technology allows you to complete real estate processes with ease. What an agent would have to normally complete manually is already set up in the Arizto system, so you just have to select the right option for each sale. It's also simplified for owners and buyers – saves them time and paper, and is less stressful. For those confident with a computer, it's fantastic and easy. But for those who are not confident, we can just revert back to traditional paperwork.
Q: Because it's digital and there's less paperwork, does that mean the agreements are not as binding as on paper?
Absolutely not! Arizto processes and documents are up to the full standard of the New Zealand REA (Real Estate Authority) and have been thoroughly vetted by lawyers and real estate experts. Electronic signing is fully binding the same as signing a paper document – it's just faster!
Q: So how does all that benefit house owners?
Everyone would agree less paperwork is less stressful. Because of the company's clever use of technology, we can operate our business in a more streamlined way with less overheads, which means we can charge a fairer commission. Or as already mentioned, we can revert to pen and paper if preferred by the homeowner.
Q: But don't ‘traditional' companies find more buyers for the homes they sell?
No agency has more buyers, no matter what they tell you. Agents nationwide have access to the same pool of buyers as their peers with the largest buyer database, nationwide, being the internet. Approximately 95% of buyers will look online to find the properties they like and don't wait to be contacted by an agent. Arizto's online presence is cutting edge and we advertise on all real estate portals, the same as all other agencies.
We also manage our own portfolio of properties, so we can specialise in providing the correct information on each of our listings for buyers, which is crucial. This is especially appropriate as the homeowner chose to appoint their agent specifically to manage the sale for them! Working direct with all interested buyers means we can achieve the best result the market can provide, because you can trust the buyer is receiving the correct and detailed property information from the listing agent in charge of managing the sale for the owner.
Q: As one of the original Arizto Whanganui team members, how have you found the response from homeowners to the brand and what it offers?
In a smaller town, there will be resistance to something new, however over time we've proven that we're here to stay, that we operate professionally, and offer homeowners a truly valuable alternative to the ‘traditional' real estate companies.
Q: So what is Arizto like to work for as a brand?
It's liberating, professional and they're always coming up with new and improved ways of doing things for the betterment of our working lives. The rewards for hard working agents are beyond comparison.
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