• Led by accomplished agent and principal Mehdi Zerhouni, Raine & Horne Wairarapa will establish offices in Greytown, Masterton, and Martinborough.
• Mr Zerhouni's decision to join Raine & Horne is a testament to the brand's reputation, professionalism, and cutting-edge technology, including the exclusive Artificial Intelligence (AI) marketing platform "Amplify."
• Raine & Horne Wairarapa aims to offer a one-stop shop covering real estate sales, property management, and financial services through the Our Broker brand.

Led by the dynamic and accomplished agent and principal Mr Mehdi Zerhouni, Raine & Horne Wairarapa will establish its offices in Greytown, Masterton, and Martinborough.

Mr Zerhouni, a top-ranking agent and principal, brings with him a wealth of international experience and a passion for the super brand's innovative technology-first approach, including its cutting-edge AI platform “Amplify”.

Mr Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne, expressed his enthusiasm about Mr Zerhouni's decision to join Raine & Horne.

"We are delighted that Mehdi has chosen to hitch his wagon to the Raine & Horne super brand, especially as we celebrate our 140th year of operation in 2023," said Mr Raine.

“These are our first offices to open in the Wellington area, and it sets the scene for opening more offices closer to the heart of the New Zealand capital.”

Mr Zerhouni's journey to Raine & Horne began with his impressive sales achievements in the greater Wellington area. In his debut year of 2013 in real estate, he sold an impressive 123 properties, quickly establishing himself among the top ten agents in his former real estate group.

Apart from a decade in property sales, Mr Zerhouni owned a Property Management specialist company in New Zealand as well as serviced apartment businesses.

With a keen understanding of the local market, Mr Zerhouni's recognised the opportunity to extend his services to the Wairarapa region in 2019, where many of his clients owned property or sought to buy.

Commenting on his decision to join Raine & Horne, Mr Zerhouni said, "Raine & Horne's long-standing reputation, experience, professionalism, and innovative technology, including Amplify, were the driving factors that convinced me to make this move.

“I am also excited to have such a supportive team led by Angus Raine and General Manager Steve Worrad, where decisions can be made on the spot. The support has been amazing, and we haven’t even really started.

“Furthermore, the IT, marketing, and business support and development teams provide access to a wealth of resources and expertise to help me deliver the best possible service to my clients. I’ve never had this level of corporate support before."

Mr Zerhouni continued, “I was also attracted to Raine & Horne because they have been around for 140 years. They have experience that is second to none, great business structures and along with the support processes and the technology it pushed me over the fence to join the super brand.”  

For the past decade, Mr Zerhouni has played a crucial role in backing the local community, and he said the efforts of the Raine & Horne Foundation, the super brand's charitable arm in donating over $AU500,000 to various causes, caught his eye. These causes include combating homelessness, assisting regional communities, and aiding communities affected by the earthquakes in Turkey earlier this year. 

"Throughout the years, we've extended our support to local schools, sporting groups, and charitable initiatives within our community," Mr Zerhouni said. 

"We are excited about the prospects of creating a meaningful impact through our collaboration with the Raine & Horne Foundation."

Leveraging game changing AI technology and offering a one stop shop

Mr Zerhouni is particularly glowing of Amplify that is offered exclusively by Raine & Horne in New Zealand. Amplify is a tangible and hyper-targeted artificial intelligence (AI) marketing platform that attracts more active and passive buyers, sellers and tenants, boosts listing exposure and generates better results for each campaign. In 2022, Raine & Horne generated 5,400 Amplify sales and property management campaigns for its vendors and landlords.

“No other company in New Zealand has a digital marketing platform like this and our competitors can’t compete with the reach whether you’re targeting buyers or tenants.”

Regarding property management, Mr Zerhouni is planning to establish an extensive portfolio of rental properties.

"Our robust sales division, coupled with unwavering operational support, forms the foundation of our business.

“Joining Raine & Horne offers us the exciting prospect of leveraging their industry-leading property management solutions, facilitating the expansion of our rental property portfolio."

Driven by his goal-oriented nature, Mr Zerhouni envisions broadening his business scope beyond real estate sales and property management to encompass financial services as well.

"Our aspirations extend to aiding clients in securing financing for home purchases and investment properties. Consequently, we are charting the course to open an Our Broker branch, where we will offer services such as home loans, insurance, and a range of financial solutions."

Our Broker is Raine & Horne's financial services brand, and provides a range of offerings including property loans, insurance, commercial lending, equipment, and asset finance. It is anticipated that the Wairarapa branch of Our Broker will find its home within the Greytown office premises.

“Having an Our Broker branch as part of the team will enable us to genuinely offer a one stop shop to our customers.”

Strategic launch aligned with market rebound

The launch of Raine & Horne Wairarapa coincides with the current upward trend in the property market within the Wairarapa region.

Mr Zerhouni expressed, "As the demand for housing continues to grow and a rising number of buyers, including downsizers and individuals seeking holiday homes, enter the market, the timing of our expansion holds the potential to provide exceptional value to our clients who are considering buying or selling property in this area.

“The appeal of Wairarapa lies in its proximity to Wellington, the airport, and major city hospitals. Furthermore, the availability of a rail service enables individuals employed in Wellington to conveniently commute to the capital city by train.

"In the short-term, we must navigate the National Election scheduled for October. It's customary for real estate activities to be put on hold during an election period. After that, there is usually an uptick in listings and buyer activity, which will promote a late spring market that extends until the Christmas season."

For all your real estate needs in the Wairarapa region, call Raine & Horne Wairarapa on 06 927 2507.