Geoff was born and raised on a dairy farm in the Waikato, he's also a Lincoln University graduate and a multi-national BMX champion.
Greg Petersen, Director and team lead for the Christchurch office says they are very pleased to have Geoff join the team.
“Geoff brings the rural expertise we need to move the business forward, as well as a great attitude, which meant he instantly became part of the team."
Geoff graduated in 2015 with a BCom degree majoring in Valuation and Property Management and Accounting. He also played rugby for the Lincoln Under 21s team, alongside Jack Powell, a registered valuer based in Blenheim.
After graduation Geoff stayed in Christchurch where his first employment was with JLL focusing on residential and commercial property valuations.
The road to rural valuation
In 2016 Geoff moved back home to the Waikato to continue working on residential and lifestyle valuations but where there were opportunities to move into the rural valuation space.
Over the next couple of years he started valuing more farms, adding dairy, sheep and beef and grazing properties to his portfolio. Following the completion of additional papers at Massey University to back up his fast-accumulating practical knowledge in the field, Geoff achieved registration in early 2019.
Geoff’s efforts and growing experience did not go unnoticed, and he became the lead of the rural team within his Waikato firm.
Fast forward a couple of years and Geoff was ready to make another shift, this time moving back to Christchurch.
Why Christchurch?
While Canterbury and the South Island provided plenty of work opportunities for the types of valuations he wanted to pursue, Geoff and his wife had a very personal reason for the move.
“We are expecting our first child, a little girl, in a couple of months’ time and wanted to be close to my wife’s family. It is a new beginning for us and having her mum’s support close by can make all the difference.
“I want to establish myself as a dairy and pastoral property valuation expert and I wanted to be based in Christchurch, which is just as well, as there is more scale and greater complexity in rural valuations in the South Island.
"Talking to friends and colleagues about the move South, I was told repeatedly that the best team to join for professional growth is the Colliers Rural Valuation team.
“Now that I am part of the team, I can see why. It is exciting to work alongside some very experienced people such as Greg Petersen, Tim Banks and Praveen Menon, to get to know new clients and help the team meet the growing demand for our services in the region.
“Being part of a team that works across all regions and agri industries is also very appealing and provides many opportunities for future development.
“I also have a massive appreciation for unique concept builds with interesting features. This is where my interest in lifestyle valuation comes from as there are some exceptional dwellings often found in the lifestyle market. I am hoping that I can establish myself in lifestyle property valuation, especially now that the wider Colliers rural team is growing its presence in this segment.
"I'm also becoming more involved in valuing intensive farming properties such as piggeries and chicken farms, and getting a taste for specialised assets with some unexpected features.
“The team culture is inviting and everyone is very supportive, and this makes it much easier to dive in right away,” says Geoff.
