Television
14/08/2011 Campbell Live – Tom Bayliss , Salesperson Mike Pero Real Estate talks about Kaiapoi Property Sales (story starts at 12:06)
Murphy Shows Some of What's to Come
February 2012
Click here to read article
Murphy Takes Historic First Win in SuperTourer Series
February 2012
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motorsport/news/article.cfm?c_id=66&objectid=10786486
Greg Murphy Tests out New V8 SuperTourer at Hampton Downs
January 2012
Click here to read article.
Mike Pero Sponsors CASPER to Promote Suicide Prevention
December 2011
Click here to read the article published in the Fundraising New Zealand magazine
Pero to Sponsor Greg Murphy in New V8 SuperTourer as Part of Suicide Awareness Campaign
8 December 2011
Mike Pero Real Estate and Mike Pero Mortgages will be Greg Murphy’s new principle sponsor in the recently announced V8 SuperTourer category. As part of this new sponsorship partnership, Pero and his business owners in both mortgages and real estate will work with Murphy and the racing team to promote CASPER, a suicide awareness campaign.
Murphy has a string of successes both here in New Zealand and across the Tasman, where he has consistently placed at the front of the V8 Supercar field. Murphy has won the famous Bathurst endurance race four times and is continuously regarded as the ‘peoples’ choice’ by his Kiwi fans.
New Zealand has the highest rate of suicide in the OECD countries, with youth aged 15 to 25 years being one of the most suicide prone demographics. “In order to help CASPER promote awareness, we have come up with an innovative way to bring attention to the problem and effectively deliver prevention and awareness messages to the target market. These young lads relate to cars and speed, so if we can gain their attention through this sponsorship then it might just work,” explains Pero.
CASPER is an acronym for Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education & Research and was co-founded in 2010 by Maria Bradshaw, who lost her son, Toran, to suicide. The registered charity provides youth suicide prevention education in schools and through community workshops, supporting community and opinion leaders and policy makers with research to support evidence based suicide prevention.
“CASPER espouses a social model of suicide prevention focused on strengthening community cohesion and addressing the social drivers of suicide. We can provide information and support to the 65,000 New Zealanders bereaved by suicide in the last 25 years and the 11 new families who each week experience the suicide death of a loved one. We are thrilled to have Greg and the Mike Pero team on board to support and help deliver our messages to the nation,” says Bradshaw.
Pero says through working with Bradshaw and her team he has come to understand the problem and he believes in the solution being promoted by CASPER. “I believe, like many Kiwis and healthcare professionals, that these deaths are very preventable. My concern is there are 11 people each week who are dying unnecessarily. These people often had relationship issues, financial problems or a lack of belonging. It’s a long-term solution for a short-term problem. Maria and CASPER co-founder Deb Williams, along with many others who are actively involved with the charity, can speak from experience, having both lost their teenagers to suicide.”
For further information contact:
Jane Broughton, Media & Public Relations Manager (Mike Pero)
021 248 8887
jane1.broughton@gmail.com
For photo opportunities and to arrange an interview with:
Mike Pero Phone: 027 645 3737 or email: mike.pero@mikepero.com
Greg Murphy Phone DSEG: +61 3 9645 6911
Maria Bradshaw, CASPER
Phone: 021 066 1872 or email: maria@casper.org.nz
FACT SHEET
The Car
http://www.v8supertourers.co.nz/
1200 kg approx.
550hp Chevrolet Corvette 7.0L
6 speed gearbox
Space frame design
300kph top speed approx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GregMurphy
CASPER – Suicide Statistics www.casper.org.nz
New Zealand has the highest rate of youth suicide in the OECD, twice the rate of the US and Australia and fives times the rate of the UK.
Males are three times more likely to die by suicide than females.
The rate of female suicide is increasing at a much higher rate than male suicide.
A quarter of all suicide victims are children and youth.
More New Zealand children die of suicide than of all medical causes combined.
10% of the deaths of New Zealand 10-14 year olds are suicides.
Suicides of 10-14 year olds increased by 60% between 2007 and 2010.
In 2010/11, 558 New Zealanders died from suicide.
Every week, 11 New Zealanders take their own lives.
New Zealand’s suicide toll is 50% higher than the national road toll.
Mike Pero Mortgages
Mike Pero Mortgages was founded in 1990, growing from a one-man band to a highly respected brand within the financial real estate sector.
The company’s prompted brand awareness continually rates above 95% with New Zealanders.
In 2005, Pero sold the business for $15 million to fellow Christchurch businessman George Gould.
In 2006, the company listed on the NZX at a value of $25 million, with two companies, NZF of New Zealand and Liberty Financial Pty of Australia bidding for the shares.
The two companies ended up as joint owners of the then de-listed company.
Mike Pero remains a director of Mike Pero Mortgages.
In its first 20 years to 2010, Mike Pero Mortgages has been involved in more than 80,000 home loan transactions, totaling more than $8 billion.
Mike Pero Real Estate
Mike Pero Real Estate was launched in 2011, in partnership with Mike Pero Mortgages.
The company presently has franchises in Auckland and Canterbury, and is growing nationally.
Mike Pero Real Estate undercuts its national competitors by 1%, with a selling commission rate of 2.95% (plus GST).
The business model allows Mike Pero Real Estate salespeople to own their own franchised business under the Mike Pero brand.
Without the burden of middle management and high overheads, the Mike Pero Real Estate model can pay its agents a greater share of the selling commission.
NZ V8 SUPERTOURER CALENDAR 2012
ROUND 1 - February 17/18/19 Hampton Downs Motorsport Park North Waikato
ROUND 2 - April 7/8 (Easter) Powerbuilt Tools Raceway Christchurch
ROUND 3 - April 27/28/29 Manfeild Autocourse Feilding
ROUND 4 - June 1/2/3 (Queens Birthday Weekend) Hampton Downs Motorsport Park North Waikato
ROUND 5 - August 10/11/12 Taupo Motorsport Park
ROUND 6 - September 21/22/23 Hampton Downs Motorsport Park North Waikato
ROUND 7 (FINAL) - October 26/27/28 Powerbuilt Tools Raceway Christchurch
Mike Pero Real Estate Gains Real Momentum
21 September 2011
Mike Pero Real Estate is proving popular with New Zealanders, reaffirming a Colmar Brunton survey conducted earlier this year that found 91 per cent of Kiwis would put a real estate company offering a commission rate of 2.95% on their shopping list.
Kiwi entrepreneur Mike Pero announced the launch of his next generation real estate company in February of this year, and in May the first agents came on board in Auckland and Canterbury, offering the promised commission rate of only 2.95% (plus gst). The national average for real estate commissions amongst the major industry players is closer to 4% (plus gst).
Yesterday, the company advised it has established seventeen franchise owners and a total sales force of 23 between Auckland and Christchurch in its first quarter of trading, with a further 12 likely before the end of the year. The Mike Pero business model provides a lower commission structure for it’s customers by a reduction in middle management, new marketing technology, and less bricks and mortar. Pero says, “We look at the traditional industry procedures and styles and question their effectiveness – we embrace online technology, innovative marketing and forward thinking – these are our points of difference that allow us to offer a better proposition to the vendor.”
“We did our market research before we launched and found that New Zealanders wanted lower commission rates, without compromising on service. Our next generation culture and philosophies have hit a note with New Zealanders, and we’re growing ahead of our expectations,” says Pero. On average, the lower commission rate of 2.95% saves home sellers between $3,000 and $8,000 depending on sale prices and other office commission rates. “At a time when every cent counts that’s a huge saving - for many people that could be a couple of months salary,” says Pero.
Mike Pero Real Estate agents generally own their franchises, which has been the key factor for some of the top agents in the industry. “The model most other real estate companies operate under means when a salesperson leaves a real estate office, they generally leave with nothing more than their brief case. Our model gives them the opportunity to build a business, not just a job, and acquire equity that could one day provide for their retirement, or at least a lump sum of cash.”
"We have higher performance expectations of our sales team – we aim to recruit from the top 20 per cent of industry agents, who generally have five years or more sales experience. Where the industry average might be one sale every second month, we have expectations of three to four sales a month. We don’t provide office space, because we expect our business owners to be out and about and not loitering around the water cooler. There is no room for complacency – it ends up adding to the operational costs, which typically gets added on to the customers’ fees.”
Tom Bayliss and Nancy Holmes joined Mike Pero in April, as franchise owners in the North Canterbury region. A top achiever in his field, Bayliss believes the Pero business model is the way forward for the real estate industry. “What we’re offering is a win/win situation for all involved. The seller gets a lower fee, with great marketing and a high quality of service. As an agent, having ownership of a tangible business model is a huge advantage. The quality of support and the marketing backup has been more than I had expected. The Mike Pero brand has been trusted in the industry and is well respected - it paves the way for us, as franchise owners. I’ve never been busier than I am now and it’s great to be able to deliver a better deal to the market,” says Bayliss.
Agent or home seller enquiries are welcome on 0800 000 525 or visit www.mikepero.com
Consumer Magazine Article
2 August 2011
Real Estate Agent Fees - Read Article » (requires a consumer.org.nz membership)
Metropol Article
17 February 2011
Kiwi entrepreneur Mike Pero has announced the launch of Mike Pero Real Estate Limited, offering a reduced commission rate of 2.95% to sell clients’ homes. Mr Pero says it is time New Zealanders moved towards a commission rate that reflects the challenging economic times that we are in today.
Mike Pero Real Estate is a partnership between Mike Pero and Mike Pero Mortgages Ltd, which was founded by Mike in 1991 and made him a household name across New Zealand.
The new company is certain to prove popular with New Zealanders; according to recent Colmar Brunton survey, 91 per cent say that a real estate company offering a commission rate of 2.95% would be enough to put them on their shopping list. Pero also stated that the willingness of Kiwis in the survey to trust the Pero brand with selling of their home was overwhelming. “It seems that our culture and philosophies from the finance sector have already gained us number three spot in the eyes of the New Zealand public in a business that has yet to start trading. We are honestly humbled by the response to our brand”.
“For a long time, I have felt that the 3.95% rate charged by most real estate companies is too much. It’s one of the most talked about topics and what people grumble about most, when selling their homes,” says Mr Pero.
On average, the lower commission rate of 2.95% will save home sellers between $3,000 and $6,000. “At a time when every cent counts that’s a huge saving that for many people will be a couple of months salary”, says Mr Pero.
The lower commission rate will not, however, mean compromising on high quality service.
“Times have changed and, like many businesses, real estate has been revolutionised by technology.
It’s now less about bricks and mortar and more about clicks and mortar. Marketing and communication through the Internet and mobile phone technologies is massive in the industry – you don’t need to have huge overhead costs that are then passed on to customers through high commission rates. Our agents will work with state of the art technologies, including the latest iPads, with intensive online marketing and modern operating techniques and systems. Our new generation real estate company will make smarter use of agents’ time, meaning that they will individually earn more while they deliver a lower fee to their clients, even at the same number of sales. Realistically with a better proposition for the home seller the agents sales will increase, we believe, more than twofold. Effectively, we have taken a large part of the administration and management overheads out and shared those savings between the customer and the agent”, explains Mr Pero.
Since Mike Pero Mortgages was launched, the brand has gone from strength to strength, with more than 80,000 satisfied customers. “A real estate company is a natural progression; it sits well with the Mike Pero Mortgages and Insurance brands and will offer the same levels of trustworthiness, value and consistency across the country,” he says.
Mr Pero has sold all of his shares in the New Zealand Real Estate Trust, which he launched last year, and a new director has been appointed.
When asked if now is the right time to be embarking on a new business venture, particularly in the real estate market, Mr Pero says it is the perfect time to launch the Mike Pero Real Estate brand.
And it seems as though I’m not alone in my thinking! According to the Colmar Brunton survey earlier this month, nine out of ten Kiwis believe now is the right time to enter the market, with a company that has new values, lower fees and more transparency. The property market has hit its low and we’re now climbing back out of it. It’s all good, “says Mr Pero.
With Mike Pero Real Estate due to actively launch to the public in March, April of this year, Mr Pero expects real estate agents and salespeople across the country to be excited about the prospect of working under a next generation model.
Plans for the company include bringing franchise opportunities down to a salesperson level, which can include exclusive territory ownership.
“To date the industry has been unable to provide long term incentives and ownership opportunities for high performing salespeople. Our model has been proven in the home loan industry, where our people own their businesses. We really believe in the owner/operator business. After several years of hard work, why walk away from it all under the traditional real estate system? At Mike Pero Real Estate, we can offer our people ‘real’ ownership. We want our salespeople to be ambitious and tenacious and will provide them with the tools and brand quality to succeed,” he concludes.
Agents and salespeople wishing to explore this opportunity further are encouraged to call 0800 000 525 (in confidence).