Experienced hand boosts Harcourts | Manawatu-Wanganui Business | Business News for Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand

Licensed real estate agent Dale Vanderhoof has relinquished the Wanganui franchise of ReMax Results and taken on the job of managing the city's Harcourts office.

Mr Vanderhoof is the owner of DGV Realty Ltd and was working under the banner of ReMax - one of the world's biggest real estate franchises - until January 31.

He decided to give up the Remax franchise because the market and recruiting were so difficult, due to the recession and new real estate regulations.

Since 2007, there have usually been fewer than 40 house sales a month in Wanganui - compared with a good figure of 60 to 80 sales.

Around the time Mr Vanderhoof let ReMax go, Shona Howe left Harcourts. He was then offered the manager job at its Wanganui office in St Hill St.

He takes with him two sales consultants and two property managers.

He's had lots of experience in real estate and management, having had the Ray White United franchise in Wellington's Hutt Valley, trained real estate agents and set up new offices in Wairarapa and been the branch manager at Elders in Masterton for three years.

His history and background in real estate - and his involvement with marketing, education and mentoring - would be helpful for Wanganui's Harcourts team, John Christiansen said.

Mr Christiansen is the owner of Taranaki Property Specialists and has the Harcourts franchise for New Plymouth and Wanganui.