The King Country and Ruapehu region is known as a place of outstanding natural beauty, where the majestic mountains and rivers are the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities such as trout fishing, hiking and mountain biking.

At its heart is the town of Taumarunui, with a rich history and strong sense of community. More and more people are discovering the region is a great place to live, and with Tall Poppy’s new King Country & Ruapehu franchise opening, it’s now easier than ever to find a place to call home here.

Business partners and sales consultants Tim Burton and Natalie Willetts lead the King Country & Ruapehu team at Tall Poppy. They love the area, bringing up their blended family there, and love to see others enjoy it too.

“Our region is blessed with the beautiful mountains, timber trails, a vibrant farming sector and a fabulous family friendly vibe that is amazing for the kids to grow up in”, Natalie says.

“Our backyard here is amazing”.

The duo bring more than ten years of combined experience in real estate, with Tim having worked in property management and development before working as a successful salesperson. Natalie worked in administration, which then led to a career path she knew was the right one for her - real estate. Their story as a couple started before that though, meeting twenty years ago while both were managers of a restaurant franchise.

“Not only do we know about running a successful franchise, we know about the strength that can be had by working together, as a successful partnership” Tim says.

“We are thrilled to be launching Tall Poppy’s King Country & Ruapehu franchise and we bring a solid foundation of values based on trust, open communication and integrity to our clients”.

The pair say their service is both unique and personalised.

“We understand the importance of our clients’ needs and tailor our service to suit individual requirements,” Natalie explains. “You can be confident that your most valuable asset will be looked after by the right team”.

And it seems to be working too, with Natalie and Tim’s recognition of the changing landscape of the Ruapehu region’s residential property market prompting over $60 million in sales to date. Regularly being recognized as top performers throughout their careers.

After spending time working at other real estate companies, both Tim and Natalie feel Tall Poppy is not only a breath of fresh air in the industry, it’s progressive, innovative and fairer too.

“Not only are able to provide our clients with excellent service for a fairer flat fee and we can throw in the best marketing available in New Zealand real estate - Tall Poppy’s free marketing package,” Tim says.

“We also have access to Tall Poppy’s own, bespoke, in-house Visual Content Specialists and a full suite of tools necessary in modern and progressive real estate. We can truly make our clients’ properties stand out.”

“The way that the Tall Poppy business model is set up means we have been able to continue delivering,” Natalie says, despite the challenges of opening their franchise at a time when the country has again experienced the effects of COVID-19.

“We have everything in place to carry on working and providing our clients with what they need to be able to buy or sell a property, and have even been able to list properties safely during Level 4.”

The couple say that with thoughts these days turning towards work-life balance, they are seeing more people interested in living somewhere with the great outdoors on their doorstep.

“We have a very diverse property market that ranges from first home buyers to investors, and from lifestyle to urban or rural,” Natalie says.“We also have a lot of holiday accommodation in the region, which hums in the winter - and all year round really -  with people visiting our scenic backyard.

“Whichever way you look at it, the King Country & Ruapehu is just a stunning part of the country, with so much to see, do and enjoy - and we are lucky to be able to live here and share it with others.” 

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