COMMERCIAL PROPERTY with Bayleys North Shore Commercial
At the Top Introducing Caleb Belling
Commercial Real Estate is a business that is very much tied in with the greater economies and business growth of a region.
On the North Shore, growth and expansion since the mid-90s led to a boom in development and a huge upsurge in properties available, notably in business parks off Constellation and Upper Harbour Drives, Smales Farm, Albany and most recently, Apollo Drive and the area between Constellation and Rosedale Road.
As with most industries, once a global recession took hold, there was a noticeable slowdown in development, and commercial real estate sales and leases were a part of that fallout.
However, the North Shore has defied global trends to some degree and while times have certainly been tough, there have still been cases of growth and expansion. Agencies such as Bayleys North Shore Commercial sustained the demand to find economical, practical solutions to business location and property requirements.
Leading the charge is the likes of Caleb Belling, Bayleys North Shore Commercial’s number one ranked real estate agent, responsible for in excess of two dozen leases or sales this financial year.
With only three years in the industry, Caleb has quickly made a name for himself and established himself as a realtor against stereotype, earning a good reputation for honesty and results.
“Real estate isn’t one of those things where you can just jump in and be the best straight away” he says. “It’s generally a slope that you’ve got to work your way up, gaining experience, getting exposure, building up listings and making those good contacts for repeat business.”
Commercial real estate is different, in that a lot of the buyers are investors or growing businesses looking for new property and premises every couple of years, as opposed to residential buyers and sellers who might only go on the market once every decade.
“You’ve got to service your clients a lot more and keep active, so that if it does come up that they’re looking for something new, they (a) come to you and (b) you’re prepared, know exactly what they need and can show it to them.”
Caleb specialises in commercial office space and selling investments, which encompasses office, retail or even residential.
“That’s why building good relationships is really important. Sometimes you’re dealing with investors for months or even years and they won’t buy anything, and then they’ll buy one or two buildings really quickly.”
These strong relationships are a key factor in helping Caleb reach the number one sales in his office of 22 agents.
On average, he has seen a year-on-year sales increase of 20-30 percent since he entered the industry.
“Hopefully that will continue to grow,” he says.
“This is one of those jobs where, if you work hard, you’ll continue to grow and get new business.
“That’s looking after the clients, building relationships, communicating – people want to know you care about them. Calling every now and then to let them know what’s happening, but people like to know you’re still there keeping an eye out for them, still working for them.”
The philosophy for Caleb is about understanding a client’s needs – that’s most important – and finding an acceptable solution to them; one that is acceptable to all parties – buyers and sellers – involved.
“Understand the needs of both clients and put them together, like a puzzle, and you’ll often find solutions to two sets of problems.”
Again, this is where the relationships and communication helps. Most businesses are only flexible to an extent and need premises they can work with to adapt to their needs – tailored solutions. Caleb’s answer to this common dilemma boils down to knowledge, contacts and relationships – off-market properties.
“There is a lot of off-market stuff, you’ve just got to be aware of it and you’ve often got to think outside the box to find that solution for the client.”
“Hard work, keeping your ear to the ground, looking for openings, it all pays off in the end, when you get someone into a new property.”
Caleb’s wife Giovanna actually works alongside him at Bayleys and they often work as a team, pooling their collective resources, knowledge and experience together, to find the right match for their clients.
“It works really well – we’re both our own separate agents, but as a team we work really well together and have been able to secure some really good deals.”
The real advantage Caleb and his wife have is that, while they’re fairly new to the industry, they’ve never known anything other than a market in recession. In this market, Caleb’s been able to rise to the top realtor in his group through sheer hard work and determination, attributes which are sure to be doubly rewarding as the market starts to pick up and bounce back.
Dedicated dentists
