APM General Manager, Celia Burbery, was one of the first guests on the Property Academy Podcast. You can hear her talking about what property managers really do by listening above.

#3 – Propertyscouts | NZ-wide

Propertyscouts is a growing franchise network with 16 offices around the country.

Since each office is independently run, the quality can vary, but we can vouch for the Auckland Metro and Tauranga/Western Bay of Plenty offices.

Auckland Metro is managed by Ryan Weir, a property investor who bought his first rental at 19.

In Tauranga, Sheree Merrick brings 13 years experience and a background in human development and social policy. This gives her a unique edge when working with tenants.

Like apm, Propertyscouts offers a rental guarantee (but not a tenant-finding guarantee). This means they will cover up to 4 weeks of rent in the case of tenant payment issues. Their fees vary by location, so check with your local office for specifics.

#4 – Comprendé | Wellington

Comprendé started as a property management firm. It has since expanded into Airbnb management and real estate sales. If your rental isn’t working out, they can help you sell it or pivot to a short-term rental strategy.

CEO Grant Foggo says this flexibility allows them to give investors more options:

“If a property isn’t suited for Airbnb, we suggest a fixed-term contract. If that’s still not ideal, we help sell it.”

Comprendé covers the greater Wellington area to Upper Hutt. They offer a mix of apartments, townhouses, and stand-alone homes.

They have won multiple awards, including:

• Agency of the Year in 2023
• Growth Award in 2024 at the Property Management Conference.

Opes Partners Managing Director, Andrew Nicol, says:

“These guys went above and beyond. The team there is pretty sharp with inner-city apartment letting. So, if you’ve got an apartment in Wellington, Comprendé are the guys to use.”

Fees: Their base management fee is 8% + GST. Additional charges for inspections and smoke detector checks.

#5 – Housemart | Queenstown 

Housemart is the only Queenstown-based property management firm on this list.

Hayley Stevenson owns and operates the company. She has been in property management since she was 18.

Hayley says the company focuses solely on long-term property management. So, no property sales and no short-term holiday home letting.

The team has taken out nearly every property management award there is.

Housemart won:

• the REINZ Property Management Company of the Year award every year between 2012 and 2016.
• Property Manager of the Year and Customer Service Excellence awards multiple times.

This makes Housemart one of the country’s most awarded property management firms.

She has a team of 10 solely dedicated to the Queenstown area.

The company also has a 90-day money-back guarantee.

Cost: Housemart’s fees are at the premium end of the market. Their base fee is 10% + GST, with inspections costing $50 + GST and a flat letting fee of $550 + GST.

#6 – Glasshouse property management | Hamilton 

If you're based in Hamilton or the wider Waikato, then you might like to consider Glasshouse.

The company has roughly 1,000 properties under management, serviced by a team of 12.

They have offices in Hamilton and Cambridge but also service the wider Waikato area.

Glasshouse is owned by Jeremy Baker. He entered property management when his grandmother’s rentals were not being looked after. He stepped in to help her, improved the properties’ condition, found respectful tenants and increased the rent to market rates.

This improved the cashflow of the portfolio while reducing vacancy and tenant turnover.

#7 – Quinovic | NZ-wide

Founded in 1988, Quinovic is one of the longest-standing Kiwi property management companies. It has 35 offices nationwide.

They have a firm foothold in the North Island, with 13 offices in Auckland and 8 in Wellington.

It's important to note that, like Property Scouts, Quinovic is a franchised business. That means each office operates as a separate business.

This can be a double-edged sword.

While franchises provide consistent brand and systems, there is a downside. A diligent owner may run one office, but that doesn’t mean every office maintains the same quality.

Having said that, most of the property management firms on this list are city or region-specific.

If you own rental properties in an area not serviced by a region-specific firm, Quinovic is definitely worth considering.

#8 – Iron Bridge | Nationwide

Iron Bridge Property Group is a family-owned property management company. They have operated in the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch areas since 2003.

Property managers at Iron Bridge work as a team with smaller portfolios. This allows for more attention to be paid to the properties in their care.

One of the benefits with this company is the number of services included in its management fee.

Quarterly inspection fees (with written reports) are included. Arrangement and supervision of repairs are also included in their fee.

Cost: Fees start at 8.5% + GST. As mentioned above, all inspections and organising repairs and maintenance are included.

#9 – Edinburgh Realty | Dunedin

Edinburgh Realty was started in 1995 by three local property consultants: Peter Wilson, Mike Elford and Jim Columb. All three are still involved in the company today.

Edinburgh Realty’s focus is in Otago. This means it runs the business based on local knowledge, including market conditions.

This includes residential homes, units, apartments, student flats and studio rooms.

A team of 14 heads up the Dunedin office, led by John Hornbrook – group manager since 2016.

The company has great Google reviews and has a 1.3k following on its Facebook page.

Cost: Edinburgh Realty charges 9% + GST on all rent collected, and $50 for each inspection (first and final inspections are free). There is an annual property fee of $225, and charge 10% on top of all maintenance costs.

#10 – Xclusive Property Management | Christchurch

Finally, we have Xclusive Property Management, owned by Carol Champ.

The small team of four oversees 600 investment properties throughout:

• Christchurch City
• Selwyn, and
• Waimakariri districts.

They specialise in New Builds and newly-renovated properties.

Xclusive’s stock is mostly standalone family homes, although townhouses account for about 20-30% of its portfolio.

All Xclusive property managers have their Property Management Certification. They are also individually accredited with the Real Estate Industry of NZ (REINZ).

They have undergone an audit with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.

Carol says these formal accreditations make her company stand out. They also reassure investors their investments are in good hands.

Which property manager should I use?

Choosing a property manager isn’t just about fees.

It’s about finding someone who understands your investment goals as well as the experience to help you achieve them.

For instance, if you need a specialist in New Builds, Opes Property Management or Xclusive might work for you.

But if you have a premium property based in Queenstown-Lakes, Housemart may be a perfect fit.

Or, if you have an apartment in Wellington, Comprendé will be your best option.

Write your questions or thoughts in the comments section below.