Property Brokers Whanganui's Team Ritesh takes on new staff

Team Ritesh's new line-up is (from left) Bruce McGhie, Carmel Harris, Ritesh Verma, Tonya Hibberd and Kayana Tahana-Hopkins. Photo / Supplied

Team Ritesh is aiming to improve its customer service with two new members joining the established real estate trio of Ritesh Verma, Bruce McGhie and Tonya Hibberd.

In about 2017 real estate agents Verma and McGhie, plus personal assistant (PA) Hibberd, joined forces as a team at Property Brokers in Whanganui.

"The market was extremely busy then," Verma said.

"We have done reasonably well but we saw a gap in how we could improve our service. It was a team of three; now it's a team of five. It's new, not just for Whanganui but for Property Brokers."

Kayana Tahana-Hopkins and Carmel Harris have joined Team Ritesh, with the aim of providing an improved service for customers.

"We were getting 140-150 phone calls a day between the three of us," Verma said.

"There was a lot of pressure and we were spreading ourselves too thin so we had to change.

"We've employed Kayana and her main role is to look after the buyers. That's exciting for us having someone young with fresh ideas.

"Carmel takes care of customer service, marketing, social media and our brand.

"Tonya is PA to us all. She's the brains trust behind it and makes sure we're all moving in the same direction. Bruce and I are predominantly listing properties.

"We want to add value. People pay a fee. It's a big decision picking a real estate salesperson - in this case they're picking five people for the cost of one plus there's the rest of the Property Brokers team.

"The vendors are getting top service and top negotiators and we're looking after the buyers and making sure they achieve their dreams as well. For a lot of people, they may only do this a couple of times in their lifetime. We do it day in, day out, and a lot of it is about education for our clients."

Team Ritesh is a keen supporter of community groups and events, sponsoring Marist A1 netball team, Whanganui Women's Football, United Cricket Club and bowls. They also support charity auctions and last year organised a fundraising golf tournament for Women's Refuge Whanganui.