Susan Northey and Janet O’Shea have a combined 28 years of experience working in real estate in Tauranga. As business owners for Tall Poppy, they are turning the tide on the sector and reimagining the real estate experience for all – championing fairness and transparency for their clients and their growing team.
Janet launched Tall Poppy Tauranga South agency in 2017, while Susan bought the Tauranga Central agency in 2018. Having worked with other agencies, Janet says she was impressed with Tall Poppy’s genuine commitment to a consumer-driven approach.
“For me, real estate has always been about the connections you build with the people you are working with, from your clients to your fellow team members.
“Being able to nurture a strong team culture within real estate is almost unheard of, but the modern business model offered by Tall Poppy enables us to work alongside each other without the fierce competition seen in many traditional offices,” she says.
Tall Poppy Real Estate was launched in 2012, putting the fairness back into real estate. The brand had been relatively unknown in the area when Janet and Susan first came on board as franchise owners, and they say the growth they have seen in recent years speaks volumes about the business model’s dedication to fairness and customer satisfaction.
Last year, Tall Poppy was awarded Canstar Blue’s Best Rated Real Estate Agents of 2023 – the only independently-reviewed award as voted for by real Kiwi consumers.
“Agencies will often talk about their awards and achievements, but many of these are not based on transparency or the opinions of real consumers – we are proud and grateful to see independent recognition for putting our clients at the forefront,” says Janet.
Susan says it was important for her to work within a dynamic environment that could support real change and progress. Tall Poppy was one of the first agencies to implement a digital-led approach, bucking many of the trends within the sector, things Susan says have seen their sustained growth.
“The great thing is that the model allows us to be dynamic with our business. It means we can make improvements quickly, implementing positive changes for our sellers, buyers, and agents.
“The traditional agencies often can’t and won’t move as quickly, and now definitely have more competition from a bespoke agency like ours.”
Susan says support for the ongoing development of her team has been pivotal.
“I love that we can offer our team members an amazing and evolving induction, quality referrals and ongoing support of their business; we have worked hard to ensure the continued success of our people – something made possible with the wider support of the Tall Poppy team,”
she says.
“For us both, it has always been about the people – our consumers and team alike – and with the values of transparency at Tall Poppy, we have the support to build businesses aligned with this,” says Janet.
