Dennis M Dunford

Dennis M Dunford

Residential Sales
Remuera Branch
Mobile  0274 914 666
I cannot express enough gratitude to Dennis. From the moment he introduced me to the property, his kindness was evident....
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Dennis M Dunford

Residential Sales
Remuera Branch
Mobile  0274 914 666

About Dennis M Dunford

Experience Counts - 25+ years in the Industry
Professionalism, Integrity & Unrivalled Market Knowledge

Dennis commenced his successful real estate career in 1999. Since then, he has firmly established himself as one of the Eastern Suburbs most successful real estate salespeople. He is consistently ranked amongst Barfoot & Thompson's most highly thought of salespeople since joining the company.

Dennis’ real estate achievements over the past 25 years have included achieving Top Twenty status in Barfoot & Thompson Sales Property Awards on FIVE separate occasions. He has also achieved recognition from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand with a Certificate of Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Real Estate Sales.

Dennis shares the vision and unparalleled levels of service that have become synonymous with Barfoot & Thompson's brand. He thrives on the negotiation process and prides himself on going that extra mile for his clients.

Dennis is a consummate professional with an instinctive understanding of real estate. He is highly regarded and has an impressive proven track record for achieving outstanding results.

Dennis is a person with exceptional interpersonal skills and incredible passion for real estate. He inspires confidence and has earned a reputation for his honesty, integrity and work ethic. This, together with his extensive knowledge of the Eastern Suburbs is reflected in his impressive sales success.

When it comes to selling real estate in a fast, efficient and enthusiastic manner, Dennis Dunford has the market covered. Remember, it takes an experienced salesperson to know how to successfully market a home, realise its true potential and accentuate the positives, ensuring the end result is a sale that you, the vendor, will find financially rewarding in all respects.

Dennis M's properties

For sale (1)
Sold recently (21)
Sold and/or marketed in the last 5 years

What my clients say

I cannot express enough gratitude to Dennis. From the moment he introduced me to the property, his kindness was evident.

As a first-home buyer, Dennis made a special effort to patiently guide me through every step, ensuring I felt confident and informed. His dedication and expertise helped me secure a fantastic property, well below CV. Despite not being the listing salesperson, Dennis invested significant time and energy, coaching me through the home buying process. This showcases his genuine care for his clients and integrity as a salesperson.

I am immensely grateful for Dennis’s support and highly recommend his services to anyone in need of a trustworthy and compassionate real estate salesperson.

Thanks again for everything!

Emma

I had a fantastic experience working with Dennis Dunford on the sale of my property. From the start, Dennis demonstrated a deep understanding of the market and provided valuable insights that helped guide my decisions. His communication was clear and timely, always keeping me informed and answering any questions I had along the way.

Dennis’s professionalism and commitment to achieving the best result really stood out. He worked tirelessly to ensure the sale went smoothly, and in the end, he secured a great sale. I highly recommend Dennis to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, reliable and results-oriented real estate salesperson.

Briar Ferguson

We met Dennis when we were looking to move to a more central location in the city. He took an interest in finding out what our needs were for our next home. He found us the perfect apartment in Remuera, which suited everything on our checklist to downsize. He then marketed our family home with friendly professionalism, humour and a lot of hard work to help us make our dream a reality. We were extremely impressed with his communication throughout the buying and selling process. We sold at auction in three weeks, enabling us to purchase the apartment and move on to our next adventure with ease. His follow-up with every contact during the open homes was impressive. Dennis achieved both the sale and purchase by working tirelessly for us.  

We recommend Dennis if you are considering selling or buying a property.

Phil & Sheryl

Dennis has not just been a sales agent to us, but an exceptional guide who understood our requirements and helped us from the very beginning till the end of the home ownership process. His negotiation skills are exceptional, and it helps both buyer and seller in an unbiased manner.  Very friendly and approachable in nature. We wholeheartedly thank him for all his support.

Abi & Arun

Right from our first meeting, our salesperson Dennis Dunford, was super efficient, professional, experienced, and friendly. His shrewd evaluation of our property, and industriousness with finding buyers, resulted in a fine sale for us. We appreciated his old-school attitude and qualities of courtesy, politeness, and honesty, as well as his ready humour at moments of stress!.

Eve Robinson

Dennis recently marketed and sold my elderly aunt’s property. He was knowledgeable and enthusiastic and gave us confidence right from the start that he was the right one for the job.

Dennis was readily available, kept us informed every step of the way and did everything possible to reduce the stress of the process for us, particularly taking into account the age of my aunt. He was professional, well presented, punctual and very reliable in all that he did. Dennis worked tirelessly throughout the process right up to the auction, including spending time at the property with a potential buyer just one hour before the auction. His support has continued post-auction.

Dennis achieved a successful sale of the property in just 16 days. We couldn’t have wished for more.

Our thanks to Dennis and his great support team. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Dennis to a future vendor. We wish him every success in the future.

Heather - Owner Upland Road, Remuera

Having recently accomplished the very successful sale of our property on Speight Road Kohimarama, we are writing to pay a tribute to Dennis M Dunford of Barfoot & Thompson real estate.

During 15 years at their Mission Bay office, Dennis established a remarkable reputation in the Eastern Suburbs as a hard working man of integrity coupled with very successful outcomes. I am pleased to say we capitalised on these attributes.

Now based at the Remuera office we were fortunate to have Dennis acting on our behalf and wish to endorse every compliment accorded to him. In the weeks leading up to our auction Dennis worked tirelessly (all hours) with little respite; no request was too trivial, and any problem was overcome without complaint. All buyers were treated with the same courtesy and respect regardless of their potential.

To any person(s) contemplating the buying or selling of property we cannot recommend Dennis too highly.

ARD Haddock Q.S.O. & Gail M McGaghey - Speight Road, Kohimarama

Are you thinking of selling your home?

We would like to recommend for your consideration, Dennis Dunford of Barfoot & Thompson Remuera.

Dennis was recommended to us by a family member, and we are so pleased that we took notice and contacted him. Our first meeting the next day showed us a salesperson who has years of experience in real estate selling. He was prepared to listen to our concerns and then in a calming manner took us through a clear, concise plan for selling our property. This achieved our property selling in under three weeks at a price that exceeded our expectations, and at a price that was above what four other salespeople had quoted. He daily kept us up-to-date with progress on different inquiries.

He was a pleasure to deal with and we are sure you would receive the same pleasant, courteous and close attention if you were to list with him.

Frank & Gail Parr - Owners Allenby Road, Panmure

We had recently bought a house through Dennis Dunford. I wanted to provide my feedback about Dennis for our entire process of the purchase. 

I have known Dennis for a while now. On one casual conversation I told him that we are looking to buy a house soon in Auckland and would you help me to select the right location and the perfect house suited to us. Dennis was so excited and he told me to come to him whenever we are ready and he would help us throughout.

The house we finally bought was the perfect house we wanted and Dennis got us all the information we needed to make the right choice. He constantly engaged with the listing salesperson and proactively made sure we were ready if the auction was brought forward. He met me before the auction was brought forward and we discussed about the whole scenario of how to bid and be ready to take the bold decision and win the auction. Dennis had given me immense confidence that we will win the house in the auction. I must say without his support we wouldn't have thought to be bold and take the big jump. 

Dennis was so excited after we won that I could see tears in his eyes as he was so thrilled for us. It made me realise he is not in this profession only for his livelihood but he takes deep interest in knowing his seller as well as the buyers and help them with his vast both personal and professional experience to make the right choice. 

As our settlement was on 25th (last working day before the lockdown) Dennis helped us in all his capacity to make sure that we could move to our new house without any hassles. 

With this email I want to take the opportunity to thank you Dennis for walking us through the entire process of buying a house as you would do it for your own family member. Once the lockdown is over and we are back to normal, we would like to host you at our own home for a dinner. Till then, take care of yourself and be safe. 

Also Carolyn a big thank you to you and your entire team for all your work. You guys do such an amazing job. 

Shreya & Ashvin

Dear Dennis and Carolyn. Please excuse my tardiness in writing to you both. I have no excuse, none whatsoever. It's just been chaotic moving, Christmas, staying in a B & B, then moving in the 400 plus boxes I personally wrapped-up out of our home in Temple St, only now I have to unwrap them. I thought I had packed up in a very logical order, but now that I have come to unpack, I can see that I could do with more practise!

Anyhow, wow, what a job you did for us Dennis! You made the process stress-free and we so enjoyed getting to know you. I have prepared here a testimonial, which I hope you will be proud enough of to add to your impressive collection.

Dennis, you worked for us, the seller. For that we truly wish to thank you so very much. Your attention to detail was appreciated. Without your dogged determination I am sure we would not have got the extra dollars, which has gone a long way to help our family business.

We have begun to settle in Cambridge and I hope that you will put us on the ' I must visit those people soon' list.

With kind regards and blessings. (Our cross has a new home��)

Allyson Gofton - Food Writer, Author

I bought my 'needs-TLC' Californian bungalow in Meadowbank on a half site in the late 80's, and in the ensuing 30 years married, bought and upgraded to a second home in the same street where we raised our family. For as long as I lived in Temple St, Dennis Dunford quietly kept in touch through his regular note-pad drop into my letter boxes, freely assessing our home for sale from time to time when we toyed with the idea of moving and by being involved in our local community. Dennis' s knowledge of Meadowbank and the wider area is considerable, and his kind and gentle manner, which hides a gutsy determination to work for the seller and not the buyer, guaranteed Dennis was appointed to sell our home.

Our sale was urgent, and with a busy business to manage, we struggled for time to assist Dennis. We handed all requirements to promote, market and ultimately sell our home to him. What we thought would be a daunting task, became as stress-free - as much as selling a long-standing family home can be. Dennis advised us well and attended to all the details.

Our family home received a pre-auction offer within three days of being introduced to the market. The auction was then brought forward and in the four days remaining before the auction, Dennis did not sit back, rather he continued to work tirelessly with cheerful determination to make the most of the two open days available to him to seek further interest. Thus, on auction day we had an additional four interested parties, all bidding at the auction. This resulted in an amazing auction, called by the auctioneer with 45 bids being made for our family home. Our treasured home sold for $181,000 above the pre-auction offer first received. The result was a great sale, and all within a week of going to market; we were simply wrapped. We can highly recommend Dennis to you, who has our sincere thanks for achieving such an amazing result for our family.

Allyson Gofton - Food Editor, Cookbook Author and Media Presenter - November 2018

31st July 2018
Dennis Dunford: A Real Estate Salesman Recommended to You
My experience of progressing through the process of getting my property to market was relatively seamless, the listing, the drone photographs, the advertising material and placements were all completed with due punctuality and consummate professionalism by Dennis. He conducted a series of open homes then private viewings followed, with attention focused as to who was entering the property and with what purpose, and this detail was provided in follow-up reports.

Taking the house to auction did not achieve the outcome anticipated, not entirely a disappointment and probably expected by me. It would be fair to add that I didn't need to sell at any time of the process and
I had determined a threshold price that I wanted which fell in the upper end of the appraisal range.

At the salient time, the country was in the throes of determining who to elect and who should govern later in the year and all had the over-arching concern of what might happen in the economy. It would also be fair to say that the housing market was in a cooling phase at that time although mortgage funds were available, the interest costs were relatively stable and at low rates.

Post the auction date Dennis continued to work the listing and had it in mind for the "right buyer". His perseverance and tenacity eventually produced a strong offer for the property within probably 5
of the expected price and it possibly would have been accepted if it had materialised at the auction. What had changed in the intervening period was my mindset. Having travelled overseas for some months I felt reassured that I owned a property that was safely left empty for a time, a lock-up and leave-it proposition. This factor was the prime causation of my change of mind and as to why I turned down the offer.

This story is really about the good work Dennis Dunford undertook on behalf of this vendor. I had absolute faith in his advice and the process that was embarked upon. I have nothing but respect for his professionalism and work ethic. I feel that I let him down in many respects when I rejected the offer, but I had had a change of heart and that will always be a part of all vendor and agent relationships.

Finally, I can only say that I apprehend that Dennis is a man who has touched many lives, and who is one of the good guys. Ever thoughtful and considerate, a gentleman to deal with.

Sincerely

David Bower, FNZIV, FPINZ, MRICS, D.U.V., AREINZ, Registered Valuer, REA 2008 Licensee

We have been very well served by your company.
Two years ago our neighbours sold their house and returned to their home country. They told us how thrilled they were with their sale outcome and spoke very highly of the service they had received from Barfoot and Thompson and particularly mentioned their agent, Dennis Dunford.
We were familiar with the names having received a regular supply of note pads from Dennis over the years. His immediate response to our initial phone call and subsequent discussion to determine strategy for the sale, was very impressive. Over the following days Dennis kept us well informed on each step as the sale plan rapidly progressed. His knowledge and determination to achieve the best possible result was very evident and greatly increased our confidence for a successful result.
All promotional material was prepared, presented and displayed with utmost integrity. The professional photographer produced some wonderful images of the property which included some drone camera shots.
The first 'Open Home' weekend was held three weeks after our first contact with Dennis. In confirmation that it was a successful promotion, pre-auction offers were received and the planned auction date was brought forward where after some spirited bidding our house passed to new owners.
This outcome in twenty three days was in our view simply outstanding. Dennis had successfully planned and promoted a sale which exceed our expectations on price and with our required settlement date.
Thank you Dennis. Thank Nadine and all others at Barfoot and Thompson for your wonderful support.

Mac & Gwen Campbell

In early August we decided to put our house on the market and having received the handy little note pads from Dennis in our mailbox over the years, we thought it would be a good idea to contact him to see if he would be interested in marketing our property.

Dennis responded immediately to our call and arranged to meet us over the weekend to discuss the way forward. Upon meeting Dennis it immediately became apparent that this seasoned professional was the right person for the job. His enthusiasm shines through in everything he says and does and his estimation of the value of our property aligned perfectly with our expectations. Our house is very unique, but Dennis seemed undaunted by the challenge that lay ahead. A quick handshake sealed the partnership and Dennis immediately sprang into action.

Over the next few weeks Dennis worked tirelessly to ensure that the marketing material was flawless and that the open homes went off without a hitch. After every viewing Dennis took the time to keep us fully updated on how things were progressing. His energy and enthusiasm seemed endless.

Our home sold in a little over 3 weeks for bang on what we were hoping to achieve.

We cannot thank Dennis enough for the fantastic outcome.

Warm regards,

G & J Hall, Kohimarama

10 Out of 10!
A very traumatic experience was made easy by Dennis Dunford. He is an absolute star and professional.
Being overseas was not an issue as Dennis kept me informed every step of the way. My house sold in 2 weeks!
Dennis is an absolute legend!

Pamela Pillay

Dennis was amazing and went well beyond any expectations. He worked with my lawyer to resolve some difficulties and was willing to help such as checking the alarm etc after the Movers had left. I would have struggled without Dennis's knowledge and support. I would use him again if I was still in Auckland, but certainly recommend him to others. Dennis is knowledgeable and very personable with superb integrity and incredibly helpful.

L Bryant

We have just sold our old house at a price better than the new CV that was announced last November and sooner than I expected. The new CV was raised so high that I was not certain if it reflected the actual market. And, I was not so clear about in-and-out of the pre-auction offer system. Despite all these misgivings on my and my wife's parts, Dennis was patient and spent so much time with us to explain things and guide us to this successful end. He was more like a long time friend than a prevalent real estate agent around us who I am certain are more eager to make business for themselves than bring things to his clients' satisfaction. Even after the closure of the sale, he has not changed his attitude at all. He remains a friend to us. I worked for one of the leading Japanese trading firms for 40 years and handled products that fluctuate according to various factors of the markets and speculations. Therefore, I understood the way he explained the market or his efforts to guide us on what we would obtain for our house, not too excessive, optimistic nor too downbeat. I and my wife are soon leaving this country we have lived and loved a quarter of a century for good. The sale of the house was naturally the biggest concern for us and we are certain we have been very fortunate that we had the assistance of Dennis. At the same time, we think Barfoot and Thompson is the best real estate company in New Zealand as shown by the fact that Dennis Dunford seems to be so proud of being a part of it.

Monty and Emi Tamamura

As you are aware my mother's property at in Remuera was sold by auction in August. It was a stunning success! My three younger brothers and I cannot speak highly enough on how Dennis Dunford ensured we received the best possible result.

Years ago he had called in on Mum and continued to keep in touch. He was my first choice. There were two executors in the Will and even though we had the authority to proceed with the sale, in fairness and to avoid any grief we allowed the other brothers to obtain alternative presentations which brought Dennis's negotiation skills to the fore.

He had historical local knowledge combined with current local knowledge which in my opinion was a real plus.

At one occasion he was at our home in Dairy Flat to keep us up to date with the marketing and responses and to propose bringing the auction forward with a pre-auction bid. The other executor had been unable to attend and was tied up with meetings the following day.

Dennis returned to Auckland to another clients meeting. We contacted him with a time 4.30 pm and he undertook a return journey in the peak traffic and arrived on time.

That was a great sign of determination and dedication. We were in good hands!
There were a host of other examples of his work for us.

The eventual buyer was an acquaintance of Dennis's from 24 years ago and he ensured he attended the auction. I think that speaks for itself.

We were also impressed with the back up Dennis received from the other branch agents and the Auctioneer.

Rex Neary

Response from Wendy Alexander, CEO, Barfoot & Thompson

What wonderful feedback. I am a real fan of Dennis - just a consistent and sound operator and I would recommend him to anyone. I will see that he gets acknowledged on your behalf in the company's next in-house publication, Bulletin.

Thank you so much for making contact - it is greatly appreciated

Wendy

"Dear Andy,

Thank you for your card thanking me for signing up my house with Dennis Dunford from your branch.

Dennis has been the best possible agent since his response to the first text some 4 weeks ago. He replied within seconds on a Saturday evening and was with me and my family the following day looking at my property and giving us the best possible advice.

My son and daughter-in-law had worked with Dennis on three separate house sales and encouraged me to seek his help. That was the best decision I made. From the first meeting it was all go - my house was surrounded with scaffolding at the time as I was having maintenance done, wanting my house to be in the best condition. Dennis was not deterred but encouraged and praised me every step of the way.

Four weeks later the house was on the market and sold within a week. The auction was the stomach churning moment but was handled with the calm, the professionalism and the integrity that one associates with Dennis.

I am very happy with the outcome, thrilled with the new owner of my lovely home that I am leaving to be closer to my family as I begin to think about retirement, and very grateful that I had Dennis Dunford working so hard for me."

Janet Von Randow

Re: Recent reference for Dennis Dunford of Barfoot & Thompson

Choosing the right Salesperson was our major concern

"We needn't have worried, from the moment we met Dennis we knew he would look after our interests. After over 46 years in the family home we had finally made the decision to move. We felt we already knew Dennis from his regular flyers and free notepads. Dennis told us that he would work for us and he was true to his word. He showed us a very successful promotional programme he had used for vendors just like us in a neighbouring street and it sounded absolutely perfect. Dennis has an outstanding reputation for creating a lot of buyer activity in his marketing promotions and this one was certainly very special. Over 70+ buyers inspected the home within the first week culminating in a multi offer and six cash unconditional offers were presented, one as far as Papatoetoe confirming the power of the Barfoot & Thompson network. Dennis produced the top offer himself: $130,000 above the C.V. which exceeded our expectations and which we were absolutely thrilled with".

Graeme & Elizabeth

Re: Letter of Reference for Dennis Dunford of Barfoot & Thompson

14 Paerimu Street, Orakei

We recently purchased 14 Paerimu St, Orakei through Barfoot & Thompson. The agent was Dennis Dunford and we just wanted to tell you about the fantastic service that we received, as the purchasers, from Dennis!

Dennis was very pleasant to deal with and was always available when we asked to view the property. He was also always available post-sale to take us through for pre-settlement inspections. Dennis always promptly and politely replied to any email we sent, both prior to, and after the sale. To us, this showed a high level of integrity and care of all parties. Other salespeople may feel that after the sale their work is done so it was very pleasant for us indeed that Dennis continued in the same professional manner after the sale.

However, Dennis's customer service came into its own during the week of completion. The vendors reneged on their duty to hand over the home in the same condition as we had purchased it in. It was a minor problem but a significant one. The back door was so stiff to close that Dennis had to kick it closed from the outside while I locked it inside. He then relayed to the vendors that this door had deteriorated markedly since the open home. They refused to take responsibility, so Dennis, acknowledging that the door had definitely deteriorated and that the vendors' attitude was wholly unacceptable, arranged for a Barfoot & Thompson joiner to fix the door.

We view this as above and beyond Dennis' responsibilities and absolutely wonderful service. It was not a huge or expensive job but the fact that Dennis took control and fixed it for us, who are not his direct clients, was really amazing.

We will most definitely recommend Dennis as a salesperson and would use him in the future.

Kind regards,

Dr Katie Wilson and Mr Steve EvansApril 2013

Re: Letter of Reference for Dennis Dunford of Barfoot & Thompson

30 Harapaki Road, Meadowbank

We went to Dennis Dunford of Barfoots because he had put flyers in the letterbox many times over the years. He knew just what to do to sell our family home of 58 years. He looked at the property, liked it, checked with Auckland City Council and confirmed that it was zoned 6a Residential for possible multiple housing, and knew just what do to.

Dennis said it would take 3 weeks to sell, and would probably get above CV. We were somewhat apprehensive about the 3 weeks, but he knew what he was talking about. He waited until the best time to start the process, then put a good display in the Property Press and on their website, showed the Barfoot agents through, and went through the steps he knew worked up to Auction day.

On Auction day we couldn't believe what happened. He and his colleagues had lined up 7 people interested in bidding. Enough that we could even stand down the 2 who wanted longer settlements. The bidding was amazing. Dennis was on he phone to Australia bidding for a client, and the bids came thick and fast. The property sold for $111,000 over CV, which in this climate we considered a very good result.

We found Dennis great to deal with. Always courteous and friendly, never negative.
So many agents start off by trying to beat you down before you have even started to think about a price, telling you all the things wrong with the property. This is very depressing to deal with. Dennis was always positive. He was confident it would sell in the 3 week process, and we felt we could leave it to him. He arranged good photos, checked with us about the script and layout, and we felt totally confident in his ability and desire to get a good outcome for us, the vendors.

We would certainly go to Dennis again. And we now have confidence in
Barfoot & Thompson's auction system. It worked for us.

Kind regards,

June & Colin WebbFebruary 2012

The Manager
Barfoot & Thompson

Re: Letter of Reference for Dennis Dunford of Barfoot & Thompson

131E Selwyn Avenue Mission Bay

1) Dennis's professionalism and enthusiasm are outstanding

2) He knows his market and he knows the buying process.

3) He was able to deliver a great sales experience for us.

4) We have never known an agent who can close a sale as well as Dennis.

5) We would HIGHLY recommend him to any seller and we will use him again!

Steven & Shirley-Anne Evans

"Recently my wife and I had the pleasure of dealing with Dennis Dunford whilst purchasing our first home. Dennis was brilliant. He respected our circumstances and was open and honest throughout the whole process. He was always happy to accommodate us and more than willing to put an answer to our stupid questions - of which there were many. I shouldn't think we'll need a new house anytime soon but if we do, we'll give Dennis a call for sure."

Yours sincerely

Simon Vicars

"My wife and I recently sold a property in Remuera with the help of Dennis Dunford of the Mission Bay branch.

We had an excellent experience and would highly recommend Dennis.

Because we were in the procees of making a conditional offer on another property we wanted an accurate appraisal of what our property was worth
and how long the sale process would take.

Dennis turned out to be spot on with his appraisal on both counts. During the sale process we felt confident that Dennis was accurately and honestly representing our property to prospective purchasers.

Yours sincerely

Rob Mitchell

Re: 7 Mahoe Ave, Remuera (Dennis Dunford, Mission Bay, Barfoot & Thompson)

We write with reference to our recent house sale and thought that it would be interesting for you to get some feedback from a customer view point of the realty market and comparison between two companies and two agents during our listing.
We decided to sell our house after many years of renovating with special care and paid attention to detail to ensure a high grade finish at our house 7 Mahoe Ave , Remuera.
We assumed (first lesson) that the realty companies would know their business, the market, the buyers opinions, the pluses and the negatives of our property. We invited three companies to discuss the possibility of the listing; these were Unlimited Potential, Barfoot and Thompson, and Bayleys. During this review process we were hounded by a certain double act from UP, they were very persistent and very confident of their ability to sell our house and get the best possible price, they moved and communicated at a fast pace and in the end back tracked on comments they made (second lesson). In reflection our fist meeting with Dennis Dunford one of your company's team members was a completely different experience, his listening skills to us as the client, his attention to detail and his track record pedigree should have been enough for us to sign the listing there and then with him. We unfortunately did not at that time back in August, and instead ran with the double act at UP. We handed over marketing costs, auctioneer costs, photographer costs, board costs etc and entrusted the sale to UP.
Well after the first weekend of viewing the feedback from UP was that the market would pay only 1.1M for our house, this was 400K short of their pitch to get the listing, obviously we were somewhat at odds from what they were saying now, and to what they said to get the listing "expect $1.4M to $1.6M" lesson three. As the three weekends for open home came and went with around 90 people through our house, we constantly got the communication from the UP double act of the negatives of our house being the frontage garage, the steps up to the property, the bedrooms downstairs, and the lack of out door flow. These were all there when the estate agents viewed to get the listing and it seems to us that the estate agents compete and say just about anything to get a listing (lesson four). All the positives of the property were being lost in the communication, and what we have seen in the market, our quality and attention to detail in the fittings throughout the house was clearly in our benefit and being overlooked by the UP representatives.

We went to auction on the 22nd September and got one bid of $1,175,000 after being told that there were four buyers going to bid on the property, this never materialized and we found out later that some of the buyers were not even ready from a financial point to make an offer, we would have thought our UP agent would have clarified this much sooner and should have advised to cancel the auction (lesson five).
The sale did not go through and our communication and relationship with UP was strained. We waited until the listing time limit expired and did not hesitate in contacting our original choice of agent, Barfoot & Thompson; Dennis Dunford.
Dennis handled the situation perfectly, he listened to our needs, he advised true market values, he provided a clear plan of action, and his professional manner and behaviour was if I say typical Remuera. Always get some one who knows the life style in the area to sell your property (lesson six).
Dennis persuaded us to invest again in a marketing campaign, but he would refund any money not used. This was a welcome change and his style was endearing.
Our property sold at $1,232,500 after one weekend of viewing, Dennis was diligent and caring in the process and during the negotiations we felt he acted for us the vendor. We would highly recommend him to any future vendors. It goes without saying that he has restored some credibility to the realty market through our eyes, following our previous experiences with other agencies.
Final lesson, when he need to buy or sell a house use the best and Barfoot & Thompson are the benchmark for others to reach. You can be proud of your employee Dennis Dunford; he represents your company extremely well.
We take this opportunity to thank Dennis and Barfoot & Thompson for their speedy result and wish Dennis continued success for the future.

Yours sincerely

Alistair DickieGeneral ManagerHilti (New Zealand) Ltd

To: The Manager
Re: Dennis Dunford

Over the years we have sold several residential properties, but until now I have never felt compelled to write a testimonial.
Dennis provided a level of skill coupled with excellent service that moved us to express our appreciation. Dennis, from the first phone call, was prompt in actioning any requests we made of him.
He most importantly never failed to communicate as soon as possible with us the result of any request or follow-up that arose. This gave us great confidence and a true sense that he was working to the best of his ability for us.
We particularly found his approach to selling through focusing on a small selection of properties at any one time through the open home programme to mean that he was committing the time necessary to attract buyers to our property.
When it came to the time to negotiated with the prospective buyers, he impressed us with his dedication and skill, which ensured we achieved a great result. The home sold in two days, when all the media indications were that the market had slowed.
We didn't feel at all stressed through the process, a true reflection of Dennis' skill and can honestly recommend him as the best and most professional salesperson we have ever had work for us.

Yours sincerely

Maryann & Ross Thompson

We have only known Dennis Dunford for a short period of time, but what a lasting impression he has left with us. To be honest we had heard, or at least seen his name through the many letter box drops he has done in our area promoting the properties he was marketing.
We contacted Dennis for a marketing appraisal on our home as we had purchased elsewhere and wanted this property sold. We had seen Dennis market some very nice properties with big price tags and thought he might no be that excited about our mid $300k home But he was! He arrived promptly one Tuesday evening and spoke to us like we were good friends. He was very professional and answered all our questions without hesitation and with excellent responses. We thought this was too good to be true so we shopped around and asked another real estate agent to present a proposal to us. Dennis left them in the dust. Within eight days we were on the market; on the well presented Barfoot & Thompson website and with a large colour sign standing proud at the front of our property, in a half page spot in the Property Press and with a 6,000 flyer mail drop throughout the area featuring our property. Needless to say 12 days later we received an offer. Perhaps this is when Dennis' work commitment to us increased even further, because throughout the course of the four day conditional period he was in contact with us every step of the way and I'm sure the new owner would say the same.
We would recommend Dennis to anyone who would want a person you could call your friend, yet a person who will act with an exceptional level of service and commitment and just be so straight up. Dennis we look forward to working with you again.

Yours sincerely

Kay Smith & Steve Victor

Dennis Dunford has done it again.
We first meet Dennis in 2006, after receiving regular flyers in the mail and he sold our house within two weeks with two offers to choose from.
This month with a softening of the market looming, we again chose Dennis to be our salesperson and sell our recently renovated home. In spite of the soft market, Dennis again had two offers within two weeks and with his superior sales skills managed to successfully present a purchase price close to a recent valuation.
We find Dennis to be a true professional and would recommend him to work very hard for the vendor.
Thank you Dennis for our second success.

Yours sincerely

M & M W

Right from our first meeting we were impressed with your professional approach to clients and felt we had established an immediate rapport which instilled in us a strong feeling of trust and confidence in your ability to sell our property in Liley Place. Although we had already booked a cruise holiday and were thinking of delaying putting our house on the market, you convinced us that the time was appropriate for selling and that we should go ahead with an open house in our absence, knowing the property would be in your very good hands.
You advice proved to be correct, as on our return you had three cash buyers lined up, and all this took place within the first week the house was advertised in the Property Press. Your guidance as to how the property should be promoted and the suggestions that a professional photographer be used for improved visual presentation all helped towards and quick and very satisfactory sale and we couldn't be more pleased with the result.
"D" may be for Dennis and for Dunford, but it also stands for dedication, diligence and dependability, all of which apply to your good self. We wish you all the best for the future in your real estate role and may we once again say a big "Thank You."

Yours sincerely

Helen & Harry Hall

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for assisting us in the sale of our house.
Our decision to sell our property through you was based on our impression of you at our first meeting. We were looking for someone who would be working for us, not the buyers and who had an open and honest approach to selling. You fitted the bill exactly, even having similar ideas to us in terms of the way we wished to market our property.
From the start we felt confident we had made the right choice and that we could trust your extensive local knowledge and expertise. The property was well marketed, showing its true potential and the first week of the open home was testament to this - with more than 28 interested parties coming through.
What amazed us even more was that five days after the house had gone on the market, we had two offers on the table! You had promised us that you track record for getting these homes sold was quicker than the market average, but this was amazing! As a result of the two conditional offers, we ended up with an unconditional offer only a week later and the satisfaction of seeing a sold sticker up on the board outside. The total process from the house going on the market to it being sold was 13 days.
Thanks to you and your team at Barfoot & Thompson for all the hard work and dedication that went into achieving the desired outcome - it is much appreciated and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anyone we knew who was planning on selling their home.

Yours sincerely

Nicole & Luke Searle

In recent weeks, Dennis acted for us, and successfully sold our house. We carefully evaluated competing proposals from a number of agents before selecting Dennis, who gave us confidence that he would sell our house quickly, and at the best price. He was the only real estate agent who did not propose selling by auction, telling us instead that he would get as good a price much more quickly than if we went to auction. I should add that other agents made special offers of fee reductions and the like, but Dennis again stood out by refusing to lower his stated fees, giving us an early impression of his top notch negotiating skills!

Our confidence was not misplaced. By the end of the first weekend we had three offers, two of which were at the top of our price expectations. We accepted one of the offers and the sale went unconditional within a week of our property going on the market.

It should be noted that we sold at the peak of a vendors' market, in which demand for quality homes outstripped supply. Nevertheless, we still consider Dennis's performance to be outstanding. It was clear that the prospective buyers put in their best offers from the outset, and what had been a somewhat daunting task in the end became very easy for us. Thanks largely to Dennis's energy, enthusiasm and professionalism. Further evidence of this is that the sale price set a new record for our street.

I have no hesitation in recommending Dennis Dunford to anyone wanting to sell his or her house. I am also happy to supply a verbal reference and can be contacted on 027 483-1010.

Yours sincerely

Phil Ogilvie
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