One Year of LOCAL – And We're Just Getting Started

Well… somehow it's been a whole year since I launched LOCAL by Jen Bhati.

And apparently it's also been far too long since I wrote a blog. So, year two goal: more of these!

When I launched LOCAL, I knew what I wanted it to stand for. I wanted to build a real estate business that felt like me. Local, independent, community-focused and built around people rather than transactions.

Twelve months in, I can safely say it has become all of that — and probably a bit more than I imagined.

It's the people that have made the year

Obviously, there have been houses.

There have been appraisals, listings, open homes, negotiations, contracts, sold signs, buyer viewings, phone calls, emails and an impressive number of kilometres around the Wairarapa.

But when I think about the first year of LOCAL, it's actually the people I think about.

Every vendor who has trusted me with their home, their investment, an estate, a change in circumstances or their next move.

Every buyer who has let me be part of the hunt — whether we found the one, missed out on a few along the way, or are still looking.

Every person who has invited me into their home for an appraisal. Whether you listed with me, decided to wait, or simply wanted to know what your options were, I genuinely appreciate that you trusted me enough to have that conversation.

And then there's everyone else who has supported LOCAL in all the little ways that aren't actually little at all.

You've shared my posts, liked them, commented on them, tagged your mates, recommended me, answered my polls, entered my competitions and sent people my way.

And there have been so many bloody good chats.

At the supermarket. In cafés. In shops. At the pub. On the street. At the library. At open homes. Standing beside cars. Walking past each other in town.

Sometimes about houses.

Sometimes about the market.

And quite often about absolutely nothing to do with real estate.

That's LOCAL.

And that part of the business means a huge amount to me.

The LOCAL Community Hero Award is back 💚

One of the things I really wanted to bring back for our first anniversary was the LOCAL Community Hero Award.

Because our communities are full of people quietly doing bloody good things.

They're coaching teams, checking on neighbours, fundraising, volunteering, organising, helping families, supporting clubs and groups, giving up their weekends and generally making life a bit better for the people around them.

Often without recognition, and usually without expecting any.

The Community Hero Award is my little way of putting some attention on those people.

It isn't about having the biggest profile or doing something enormous. It's about recognising the people who consistently show up for others and make our communities better because they're in them.

That matters to me.

LOCAL was never supposed to just be a logo slapped on a real estate sign. I wanted it to be part of the community it operates in.

So bringing the award back for year two feels pretty bloody good.

And then there's the market…

How would I describe the property market over the past year?

Weird.

That's my technical analysis.

There has been very little rhyme or reason to it.

One property can attract multiple buyers while another perfectly good home sits quietly. We can have a busy weekend followed by tumbleweeds. Buyers disappear, reappear, change direction and then suddenly someone who has been watching from the sidelines for months decides they're ready to go.

I could give you a big prediction about what the market will do over the next six months.

But I won't.

Because I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone six months from now.

And neither does anyone else.

What I can tell you is that people are still buying homes. People are still selling homes. People are moving towns, upsizing, downsizing, investing, separating, combining households, starting families, retiring and making changes for a hundred different reasons.

Life doesn't stop because we're waiting for the perfect market.

So my advice is pretty simple.

If you're ready to sell — crack on.

If you're pre-approved, ready to buy and you've found the right property — crack on.

Make your decision based on what is right for you, your finances, your family and whatever comes next.

Not a headline.

Not somebody's six-month prediction.

And definitely not because someone at a barbecue told you what house prices are apparently going to do.

Hello, year two

A year ago, LOCAL was brand new.

Now there are sold stickers, stories, clients who have become friends, buyers settling into new homes, new listings coming, plenty happening behind the scenes and another year already underway.

And I'm loving it.

To everyone who has trusted me, supported me, recommended me, worked with me or simply stopped for one of those bloody good chats — thank you.

BL (Before LOCAL) was great!

Year one was pretty damn cool.

And year two has barely started.

Let's crack on. 💚