This story was prepared by Tommy’s Real Estate and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.

Tommy’s Real Estate wins big at REINZ Awards, celebrates 25 years

Tommy’s Real Estate has three reasons to celebrate its 25th anniversary after winning big at the 2024 REINZ Awards. The company took home the Community Service Award (Small), the Sustainability Award, and Individual Residential Salesperson of the Year, which was awarded to Sam Newble.

Ben Castle, Tommy’s CEO, expressed his pride in the wins, particularly the recognition for their community support. “We’ve been finalists for years, and to finally be recognised as winners is a huge achievement. It’s the people of Wellington and Greater Wellington who make us who we are,” he said. Sam’s award was especially meaningful to the team. “Sam works incredibly hard and cares deeply about Tommy’s and Wellington,” Ben added. “This award is well deserved.”

Sam, who nearly missed out on a job at Tommy’s back in 2011, reflected on his journey with gratitude. “I’m proud that we manage to punch above our weight as a local real estate business,” he said. What else has stood him in good stead? “I heard at a conference recently that another agency looks for three things in their new staff: they need to be smart, humble and hungry. “I’d like to think I bring these elements to work. I’d also add a fourth: resilience. There are plenty of days where things don’t go to plan. Being able to work through this has been a useful quality.” Especially when the Wellington market is so uneven, although Sam is cautiously optimistic. “We are seeing fewer investors actively buying but first-home buyers seem to be out in stronger numbers than last year. Numbers through our open homes have been steadily improving. Our sales volume is up on last year and a third of our sales are to unconditional offers, which is promising. With recent changes in the Official Cash Rate we are expecting more optimism in the market. We are also expecting more properties to come to market in the coming months with our office appraisal numbers up on last year.”

Also on the rise: the range, value and awareness of Tommy’s community partnerships. “Since our founding, Tommy’s has always believed that true success is about more than just property transactions,” Head of Marketing, Henry Bong says. Tommy’s has also significantly expanded its community initiatives. Since 2018, the company has been one of the biggest Business Partner of Wellington Free Ambulance, donating over $400,000 to maintain free ambulance services. Their support has funded ambulances that have completed thousands of emergency responses and patient transfers.

Tommy’s team also participates in fundraising events like Onesie Day, where they committed $25,000 in 2021 to fund Wellington Free’s first Onesie Day ambulance. In 2019, Tommy’s pledged $10,000 annually to the Life Education Trust, helping improve the wellbeing of over 5000 tamariki and rangatahi across Wellington. They also raised $40,000 during Mental Health Week to further support the Trust.

In 2022, Tommy’s partnered with Everybody Eats, a charity focused on combating food insecurity. Their hands-on involvement includes volunteering in the kitchen and hosting fundraising dinners, raising over $12,000 to date. Tommy’s commitment to sustainability became a key focus in 2021 when they partnered with Trees That Count, planting over 2300 native trees in the Wellington region to combat climate change. They also worked with Wise Studios to reduce waste from real estate signage by switching to Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) and eco-friendly vinyls, significantly cutting down their environmental footprint.

“Whether it’s through donations, volunteer work, or sustainable practices, Tommy’s is dedicated to making a lasting difference in Wellington,” Henry Bong, Tommy’s Head of Marketing, said. “We’re proud of our industry awards, but the recognition for our community contributions means the most. It reflects our commitment to making Wellington, our home, a better place.”