Positive Real Estate vs Opes Partners – What’s the difference?

As a financial adviser, people often ask me: "Opes vs Positive Real Estate - What's the actual difference?"

It's a good question because, on the surface, we seem similar. Why? Both companies help property investors buy New Builds. And both companies educate investors about property.

But, there are 5 differences you should know before you decide which company to work with.

Now remember, you are reading this on the Opes Partners website. And I'm about to talk about a competitor. So I've got an incentive to say: "Don't use Positive Real Estate. Use us instead!"

I'm not going to do that. 

Because here at Opes, we believe in being upfront and honest. And here's the truth: Some investors are better off using Positive Real Estate rather than us. It depends on what service you're after. 

My approach is simple: I'll explain the differences as clearly and as unbiased as possible. Then, I'll take a step back so you can decide which company is the right fit for you.

And if you think “Andrew, you’re being too biased!” Then call me out in the comments section. That way, you can keep me honest.

Who is Positive Real Estate?

Positive Real Estate has operated in Australia for 22 years. They’ve been over here in New Zealand for 15 years.

The company started in Australia. And they’ve built a strong presence there.

Sue Mathieson (nee Irons) leads the New Zealand team of 15 staff. They have offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Positive Real Estate runs a coaching model. You pay to join their ​​‘Lifetime Mentoring’ program. Then they show you properties you might like to buy.

At the time of writing, they work with external financial advisers to give you a financial plan. And their real estate division finds new build townhouses, apartments, and houses for clients to buy.

That might sound a little bit like what we do here at Opes Partners. But there are some key differences. 

What's the actual difference between Opes Partners and Positive Real Estate?

Here are the main 5 differences between the two companies.

#1 – The price you pay

You have to pay a fee to become a Positive Real Estate client. That’s to join their ‘Lifetime Mentoring’ programme. 

This costs between $5 - $10k. (Ok, it’s $4,995 to $9,995. But, we can round up).

This fee covers the ongoing delivery of mentoring services over several years. It is a stand-alone offering and not tied to any property purchase.

On the other hand, you don’t pay to get coaching or financial advice from Opes Partners. It’s free. 

That’s because if you buy a New Build through Opes, we get paid by the developer. 

I don’t believe in ‘double-dipping’. So, rather than charging you a fee to find a property (while also charging the developer), Opes gives you that service for free. 

Like Opes, Positive Real Estate also receives a commission for real estate sales.

But to be clear, this is entirely separate from the Lifetime Mentoring Program (LTMP).

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#2 – How you get the education

If you join Positive Real Estate’s coaching programme, you’ll get lots of education. You’ll join seminars and webinars to learn about property. 

They have free webinars, too. But, you get most of the education once you pay the fee. 

Opes doesn’t have that structured programme. We just give away free information through our website, the Property Academy Podcast, our webinars and our online tools. 

All of this is free. So we still have a big focus on education. We just don’t charge for it. 

But that does mean that Positive Real Estate’s education is more structured than if you work with Opes. 

We don’t have a sit-down course for you to go through. We just put a ton of content out there, and you can fill your boots. 

That does mean that if you want a more structured programme, Positive Real Estate could be the right fit for you. 

If you prefer free education and a more pick-and-choose approach, then Opes Partners could be a better fit. 

#3 – Experience as financial advisers 

The next big difference is in the experience as financial advisers. 

Previously, when you worked with Positive Real Estate, you worked with a property coach. You’d get a statement of financial advice. But, this came from a financial adviser who worked for a different company. And you wouldn’t meet with that adviser. 

Up until recently, Positive Real Estate’s coaches weren't financial advisers. 

Though, when I spoke to Sue from Positive Real Estate for this article, she told me they are changing.

Two of their coaches are now financial advisers. 

Though, at the time of writing Positive Real Estate does not have a Financial Advice Provider License. They have been de-registered for the last few years.

That means that giving personalised financial advice is not a service they’ve recently offered.

With Opes, we’ve been a registered Financial Advice Provider since January 2021. So we’ve been giving financial advice more recently than Positive has. 

That does mean that we’ve had longer to develop our systems and processes. 

#4 – The service you get

Positive Real Estate has a property management company. If you buy a property through them, it’s easy to use their property managers. 

Though they don’t have mortgage advisers working with them. Instead, they work closely with Vantage NZ.

At Opes, we provide more wrap-around services. So we have:

• Opes Mortgages – to sort the mortgage with the bank
• Opes Property Management – to find tenants and look after your property
• Opes Accounting – to look after your taxes
• Opes Property – to help you buy the property 

Opes is a good fit for people who want to work with one company to sort out their investment portfolio.

But, some investors don't like that. They prefer to work with many different companies. That gives them a sense of independence between their professionals. If this is you, maybe Positive Real Estate is a better fit. 

Though, just keep in mind that if you work with Opes, you don’t have to use all our services. You can still use your own mortgage broker, property manager and accountant if you want.

#5 – Size

If you include the Australian division, Positive Real Estate is bigger than Opes. 

They have around 150 staff in Australia and 10-15 people in New Zealand. 

By contrast, Opes Partners only focuses on New Zealand. So we are a bit smaller. We have a team of 80 based all in New Zealand. 

Our primary offices are in Auckland and Christchurch. But we do have staff working in Wellington, Taranaki and Thames-Coromandel. 

Some investors do pay attention to the size of a company. So, if you pay more attention to the total size of a company, Positive Real Estate is larger. 

If you care more about the size of the company based in New Zealand – then Opes Partners is larger.

Who should I use: Opes Partners vs Positive Real Estate?

The right choice depends on what service you want. And what you are willing to pay.

If you want a structured education program with coaching, then Positive may be a good fit for you.

If you want your mortgages, property management, and accounting in one place. Opes Partners may be the better choice.

Now that you know the key differences, it's up to you to decide. 

Which company is the right fit for you?