After spending three years at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester studying Rural Estate Management, Michael went on to qualify as a Chartered Surveyor in 1989. Initially he specialised in Country House and Farm Sales in Suffolk before moving to London and spending four years in commercial agency and valuations. Michael and his wife Sue returned to Suffolk following their stint in London, to join Nicholas Percival Chartered Surveyors, specialising in commercial agency and valuations. Clients included Guardian Insurance, Royal Mail, Barclays and HSBC banks.

After visiting Hawke’s Bay in July 2003 the decision was made to emigrate the following year. “I have never doubted our decision to move here and we thoroughly enjoy living and working in the Bay - I feel very lucky that we made the decision to settle in New Zealand,” says Michael.

Soon after his arrival, Michael joined Bayleys Real Estate and has since specialised in the sale of houses, sections and lifestyle properties in and around Havelock North. Receiving numerous awards for top sale results during this period, Michael also qualified as an Associate of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (AREINZ) in 2007.

Michael counts himself fortunate to have been involved in some wonderful lifestyle subdivisions including Hill Country Estate, Tauroa Valley and The Poplars. “It has been fascinating watching the developers’ dreams being turned into vibrant communities” he says. He specialises in the sale of premium properties including historic houses such as ‘Raratu’ and large homesteads such as 283 Waimarama Road, both on the banks of the Tuki Tuki River. Michael is pleased to have joined New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, right here in the Bay. “I had never seriously considered leaving Bayleys, but having seen the Sotheby’s International Realty’s marketing material, professional approach and commitment to building a global network of offices, I believed there was no option but to make the change.”

With his own international background, Michael is well qualified in saying that the company’s truly global reach will help establish Sotheby’s International Realty as the real estate company of choice for vendors or purchasers looking to move in, to, or from The Bay.