Queenstown premium real estate agency New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty (NZSIR) has launched a new office in Melbourne after being shoulder tapped for the role due to its standout success in New Zealand.

NZSIR, founded by long-term Queenstown residents Mark Harris and Julian Brown, is recognised as a high achiever in the global brand’s Asia-Pacific territory and Mark says it is an honour to extend their expertise to Australia.

“The Sotheby’s International Realty leadership team in New York were keen to see the brand expand in Victoria and contacted us regarding the opportunity. Having seen us expand our business across New Zealand for the past 20 years they trusted that we were the right operators.”

The brand has had an excellent reception since opening in Toorak last December with agents Max Ruttner and Antoinette Nido completing over $120 million in sales to date, its success mimicking that of the Queenstown office, recently announced as the top-performing NZSIR office in New Zealand.

NZSIR has dominated the luxury real estate market in Queenstown for 20 years and the Southern Lakes continues to be a pivotal focus for the brand. 

“There were ten sales over $10 million in the Southern Lakes last year and we completed six of them,” says Mark. “This year we have achieved some significant sales already in our region including a $30 million plus sale in central Queenstown and a record-breaking sale over $6 million in Arrowtown. There are certainly signs that the local market is heating up due to changes in Government policy and strong international interest.”

With Melbourne now also on the NZSIR radar Mark says the synergies between the two locations have a complementary effect.

“There are similarities in that both Melbourne and Queenstown have genuine and growing interest from overseas buyers in particular the USA, UK and Asia. We also deal directly with Melbourne clients looking to buy property in the Southern Lakes and throughout New Zealand. In some ways the Southern Lakes is becoming a lifestyle destination not dissimilar to areas of Australia like Noosa or Byron Bay. Queenstown and Wanaka also enter the discussion with Melbourne families looking for a second home so the markets are well connected and we recently concluded a $9 million sale to a Melbourne client purchasing in Queenstown.”

 NZSIR’s Australasian expansion is now in full force with further office openings planned for Southland and the Bay of Plenty as well as two more in Hawthorn and Brighton in Melbourne.

“NZSIR continues to perform very well due to our team of high-calibre agents who are at the very top of their game,” says Mark. “They are very experienced in understanding what it takes to get the best possible price for a property.”