Property

Deathtrap call strikes chord

An outspoken real estate agent has been congratulated for criticising an Auckland apartment block he called a deathtrap.

Saturday, August 21st 2004

But a rival agent has hit back, saying her firm is proud to sell the units.

Martin Dunn, head of apartment sales specialist City Sales, said industry feedback had been positive about his criticism of the 209-unit Harvard on Hobson at 147 Hobson St.

He said his firm would continue to refuse to sell tiny units off the plans.

In a hard-hitting address to a Property Council's Fisher & Paykel multi-unit dinner, Dunn criticised narrow walkways and low handrails at the block opened only a month ago and developed by Robert Holden's Conrad Properties.

But Holden said this month that the block was safe, had a full code compliance certificate and was almost full.

Dunn claimed his criticism sparked interest.

"I have been congratulated by a wide range of interested parties for speaking," he said. "We consistently refuse to sell projects like Harvard off the plans - we will not work for Conrad full stop.

Read More - Opens in a new window

Most Read

Unity First Home Buyer special 3.99
ICBC 4.25
SBS FirstHome Combo 4.29
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special 4.35
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 4.45
TSB Special 4.49
ANZ Special 4.49
ASB Bank 4.49
SBS Bank Special 4.49
Unity Special 4.49
Westpac Special 4.49
TSB Special 4.00
SBS Bank Special 4.49
Kainga Ora 4.49
Kiwibank Special 4.49
Nelson Building Society 4.59
ICBC 4.59
Unity Special 4.65
BNZ - Std 4.69
ANZ Special 4.69
Westpac Special 4.75
ASB Bank 4.75
SBS Bank Special 4.99
ICBC 4.99
Kainga Ora 5.15
Westpac Special 5.29
BNZ - Std 5.29
Kiwibank Special 5.39
TSB Special 5.39
ASB Bank 5.45
AIA - Go Home Loans 5.45
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 5.49
SBS Bank 5.59
SBS FirstHome Combo 3.29
AIA - Back My Build 3.34
SBS Construction lending for FHB 3.74
CFML 321 Loans 3.95
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 4.99
Co-operative Bank - Standard 4.99
Heartland Bank - Online 5.30
ICBC 5.39
Kiwibank - Offset 5.65
Kiwibank 5.65
ANZ 5.69

More Stories

Wednesday, January 07th 2026

Queenstown not off the radar for first home buyers

First home buyers are not being deterred by Queenstown’s soaring house prices.

Record levels of first home buyers taking out low deposit loans

Tuesday, December 23rd 2025

Record levels of first home buyers taking out low deposit loans

About half of all first home buyer lending has been done at a less than 20% deposit in recent months.

Buyers sitting on the sidelines in best time to buy in a decade

Thursday, December 04th 2025

Buyers sitting on the sidelines in best time to buy in a decade

Stable house prices, low interest rates and plenty of houses to choose from are still not enticing buyers.

Differing views on 50-year mortgage

Tuesday, December 02nd 2025

Differing views on 50-year mortgage

US president Donald Trump recently raised the idea of 50 year mortgages; but New Zealand advisers say such long loans won’t take off in New Zealand.