Don’t use Opes if …

Some property investors love working with a property investment company like Opes Partners.

For some others, it’s not going to be the right fit. That’s true for most companies.

And for us here at Opes Partners, we realise we will not be the right fit for every property owner and investor in New Zealand.

That’s not because we’re snooty or don’t want you as a customer. It’s just that we’ve always got your best interests at heart … and sometimes your best interest is NOT to invest with us.

Because we like to be honest and upfront, in this article you’ll learn why Opes Partners might not be the right fit for some people and why.

To be really clear – in this article we’re specifically talking about our New-Build property coaching service.

Even if you aren’t the right fit for this core service, we may still be able to help you. You might like to work with our mortgage advisers, property managers and renovations coaching service.

Don’t use Opes if … #1 – you are really looking for a real estate agent

Real Estate agents will happily hand you a sheet of all the properties they currently have available and say: You pick.

That’s not how we work at Opes Partners.

For instance, at the time of writing, there are 103 properties on our stock list. But you’ll probably only be shown 3-5 when working with a financial adviser.

Why? When you work with Opes you’ll collaborate with a Property Partner to create a financial plan based on your current situation.

Then, your Property Partner will handpick around 3 properties based on these criteria.

If none of those properties is suitable, the adviser may look at others to show you. But, we don’t send investors the list of every property we currently have available.

We’ve formulated this process because it allows investors to focus on a few options that are the right fit … rather than getting distracted by many options that aren’t the right fit.

This way, you aren’t wasting your time looking at properties that aren’t the right fit for you, although we also recognise this approach doesn’t work for everyone.

Don’t use Opes if … #2 – you want to invest in existing properties

Our primary service almost exclusively deals with New Build properties. This is best suited to a passive, hands-off investment strategy.

Because New Builds are new, you don’t need to renovate, get your hands dirty, or be on the other end of a paintbrush every second weekend.

If you spend time renovating a New Build you are likely to over-capitalise – which means spending money but not getting a return.

If you are a super keen, renovations-focused investor, our core service will not be the right fit for you.

Don’t use Opes if … #3 – you want to sell your properties quickly

As a property investment company, we are here to give you financial advice.

This advice is based on a long-term passive buy-and-hold strategy. This is what we have found to work for most investors.

As part of this strategy, our standard investment philosophy is:

• Buy good quality properties

• Hold on to them for the long term (7+ years)

• Use professionals like mortgage advisers and property managers so you don’t make mistakes

We’re big fans of sharing this philosophy and even wrote a book: Wealth Plan, and share this on our daily podcast: The Property Academy Podcast.

Of course, you don’t have to take our advice.

But if you want to sell properties quickly or entirely disagree with our philosophy, we won’t be the right fit for you. And that’s absolutely OK.

Don’t use Opes if … #4 – you don’t have the money to invest (just yet)

Many Kiwis want to get ahead financially and think investing in property is the way to do it for them. But they can’t get a loan to invest. (At least, not yet).

If this is you – we still want to help you. But, our core service where you buy an investment property will not be the right fit for you … just yet.

That’s because you’re not ready to buy your next investment property.

If you don’t have the money to invest yet, our core service wont be the best fit for you.

Instead, you’ll want to use our Investment Ready service. This is where you work with a mortgage adviser to get into the position to invest.

Again, it’s not that we don’t want you as a customer or that we don’t want to help you. We do. The question is, “What’s the best way for us to help you right now?”

Don’t use Opes if … #5 – you like to hunt for properties yourself

If you want to work directly with developers, then Opes Partners won’t be the right fit for you.

This is because we handle the property-finding and negotiation with developers on your behalf.

Some investors will see this as a negative because they think:

• “I can get a better deal if I negotiate directly with the developer,” or

• “I can get a better property if I look for it myself.”

Here at Opes, we have working relationships with 97 developers. We follow a strict vetting process for each one to ensure the company is reputable.

Many of these relationships are exclusive, meaning we have deals you can’t find on Trade Me … and negotiate hard on investors’ behalf.

Having said that, some investors just prefer to work directly. This is totally understandable, but naturally, if that’s you, our core service won’t be the right fit for you.

Don’t use Opes if … #6 – you are too scared to take the plunge

The key to investing is to actually buy property.

This sounds obvious, but some investors over-think or get overly anxious about making an investment decision.

Just to be clear, getting nervous is normal and OK. But letting those feeling paralyse you is not a good idea.

Here at Opes Partners, we don’t charge you anything for our service. Instead, we get paid by the developer when we find you the right investment property.

So, if we’re working with an investor who, after months and months, can’t make a decision, we might say, “Hey, it doesn’t feel like it’s the right time for you to invest at the moment. Why don’t you come back to us when you’re ready?”

This gives our financial advisers the time to work with Kiwis who are ready to build a property portfolio.

Should I invest with Opes partners?

This article isn’t to scare you away from investing or shame you for some of your choices.

We understand that our investment strategy won’t suit every single investor in the country – and that’s OK.

This article aims to outline some of the most common reasons the relationship between Opes and some investors doesn’t work out.

This way, you can make an informed decision about whether working with Opes Partners is the right fit for you.