New head of Canterbury Westland Real Estate Institute branch pledges continuity

Press, 20 May 1987, Page 57

New head of Canterbury Westland Real Estate Institute branch pledges continuity

By

GREG JACKSON

Preserving continuity of service in a time of major change in the economy is high on the priority list of the new President of the Canterbury Westland branch of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. Mr Les Dunbar officially took over as President from Mr Kent Prier on Friday, May 8. Mr Dunbar is keen to stress his perception of the presidential post at local level as being very much that of a consensus leader.' ( . “I just lead our team and sometimes make the final decision on local matters,” Mr Dunbar said. He was bom in Christchurch three days prior to Christmas, 1930. , Education took place at old Christchurch West High School, (now Hagley High School), and his marriage to wife Philippa in 1953. The couple have three adult children. In 1957 Mr Dunbar became a traveller for a company and has remained in sales ever since. His debut into real estate selling was in 1970. ’ At that stage the average price of a property in Christchurch was $9lOO. Shortly after that he observed the first of the 5-6 year cyclic rises in property values when the average price rose to $20,000 in 1973-74. In 1979 Les Dunbar and Gavin Topp set up the business, Dunbar Topp in Merivale. Mr Dunbar is keen to endorse the recent comments of ex-Presi-dent Mr Kent Prier who warned that property prices on established homes will soar if interest rates drop. In fact he already detects a volatile simmering in property prices in the average home bracket.

While it is the top of the line luxury homes that are gaining the headlines Les Dunbar asserts

that there is more movement in the average price slot at present. This is at present a volume movement rather, than a price shift.

“The multi-list average price for a property sold in Christchurch during March this year was $78,757,” he said. “There has not been a great increase in the prices over the last 12 months probably due to the high interest rates.” “But as GST has yet to filter through to the second hand market this is bound to affect prices soon.”

Mr Dunbar had had a smooth journey to the top post in the local branch of the Real Estate Institute since joining the district committee in 1976. “Four years ago I became Vice-President of the local chapter for a two year term and then

served another two years as the senior Vice-President,” Mr Dunbar said. 5 7 ' . By the time he took up the Presidential post at the start of this month he was thoroughly 'grounded in the duties of the post He sets great store on making it clear that the Canterbury Westland branch is only a small part of a thriving national organisation. • Part of his role is in providing a channel of communication from the organisation to the national heads. “We are all in times of change and our national body have recognised this and are responding to the process as it affects the property market, their members;', and the public,” he said. Dealing with the public image of the Canterbury Westland

branch ire other aspects of his employ a full time district secretary, Mr James Whitmarsh to deal with paperwork and the “nuts and bolts” of administering Institute affairs- -g: “After all I still have to run heh sure thaf the prospects of the quality of service provided by Institute members will further improve. "The Institute is pushing for continuing education of real estate persons and one of the ? times,” Mr Dunbar said..7g7 „ \ “As time goes by we wlB have better educated people working in the field than ever before,” be