BEING THE BEST

Becoming Pukeko Rental Managers’ Palmerston North franchise owners was one of the best decisions Paul and Kaylene McKenzie have ever made. “Pukeko offers the perfect balance of independence, proven systems and genuine support,” says Kaylene. “We have built an excellent business and, for anyone with motivation and determination, the Pukeko model is an amazing opportunity to build a business you can truly be proud of.”

Pukeko Rental Managers was established in 2010 by David Pearse, who had been closely involved with real estate management for many years. “I became frustrated by traditional office-based, multi-tier management with increasing levels of overheads resulting in each manager down the chain looking after ever more properties,” David says. “The end result was often the most inexperienced staff looking after property owners’ valuable investments. Effectively, this made good property management nearly impossible.

“I founded Pukeko Rental Managers as a business model that would serve future franchisees by combining intelligent and well-supported systems with mobile owner-operators. This means smaller portfolios for each rental manager, and the ability to offer the highest quality property management service whilst still being competitively priced.

“My aim,” David continues, “was always to be the best rather than the biggest.”

Giving the best service

Pukeko Rental Managers look after the properties of owners who either don’t have the time or are too distant to service their investments properly.

“We are entrusted with valuable investments on behalf of property owners, and because we specialise, we are very focused on giving the best service,” says Paul. “We have gained a well-earned reputation from both tenants and owners for efficiency and innovation – if something can be done smarter, we’ll innovate and do it! We treat every property as if it were our own home, and we offer a friendly personalised experience for all parties. We’ve also built a trusted network of tradies and suppliers who we can call on to do whatever is required to the highest standards.”

Making a plan to join a winning franchise

Paul and Kaylene had a head start on their franchise career with Pukeko because Kaylene had previously worked for six years alongside the company. “I owned a marketing company,” she explains, “and I saw Pukeko Rental Managers grow from just four franchises to where it is today. I was there when Pukeko Rental Managers was awarded the 2019 Supreme Franchise System of the Year at the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards, and I was hugely proud to be associated with the winning franchise. With such credentials, so early in the life of the company, Paul and I decided we had to be part of the success.

“We made a plan, moved out of Hawke’s Bay and bought the Palmerston North business, and we’ve not looked back. We were made to feel very welcome by all the other franchisees, with whom we regularly share advice and encouragement. We have a terrific collaborative spirit that strengthens our brand and helps everyone achieve more together.” 

Pukeko Rental Managers’ franchises are available from around $18,500 + GST and there are several areas in the country currently available. “There are very low overheads as you only need a home office and a car,” says Kaylene. “The excellent systems make it very easy to keep track of the entire portfolio, and there is a full training programme in sales and operational processes that is backed up with regular refreshers.”

“Not one of our 29 Pukeko Rental Managers portfolios has got too big to handle,” David states, “as all franchisees are limited to 100 properties. Every new franchisee strengthens our brand, and as Paul and Kaylene so eloquently put it: ‘when one of us succeeds, we all succeed!’ Call me now to find out more about existing and greenfield opportunities.”

See this advertorial on page 38 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 34 Issue 04

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