Kelly Exelby

Tauranga Sales Specialist

Kelly joined EVES after an 18-year career in journalism that included a decade as sports editor of the Bay of Plenty Times.

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Testimonials

Here's what some recent clients had to say about Kelly Exelby's real estate service. For Tauranga property, Choose Kelly Exelby. Choose EVES.

 

We have known Kelly since his days as a sports journalist/editor where he was very generous in his use of adjectives to describe Grants playing skills during his professional rugby career with Bay of Plenty and the Chiefs. So when it came time to move on from our family home in Bethlehem to search for a larger one to meet our growing needs we had no hesitation in contacting Kelly.
Kellys honesty, integrity and level of communication meant we were delighted to engage (rugby pun) him as our sales agent and also to help us find our perfect property.
In the search for our new home Kelly was patient, attentive, communicative and informative. As a result we have an awesome new home thats just right for us, found by Kelly. The auction of our family home in Bethlehem was smooth and at all times Kelly kept us up to date and was constantly working on our behalf, achieving an excellent result. Thanks Kelly.

Grant and Cherie McQuoid

 

After deciding to sell my home in Greerton and looking into which agents I could get to do the job, Kelly Exelby from Eves was one of three agents I invited around to look at my home and provide an appraisal after a recommendation from a family member.
I decided to go to auction with Kelly and Eves. Right from the start he was very informative and helpful. Following each open home or individual viewing with Kelly or other Eves agents I was informed by phone call and in writing of peoples reaction to the property and whether they were interested or not.
Kellys weekly reports also gave me an indication of the internet activity, phone calls and email enquiry regarding my property. Kelly was available at all times to give help and advice and looked
after me superbly on auction day. I was staggered to achieve a cash unconditional sale on auction day at a level that far exceeded my expectations. I have no reservation in using Kelly again or recommending him to anyone wanting a stress-free journey to a successful sale of their home.

Eileen Tortoiseshell

 

Recently we were looking to downsize our property and were fortunate to enlist the services of Kelly Exelby.
Kelly was so 'on the ball', not only in terms of knowing the market in Tauranga but in his efficiency. From the initial appraisal and consultation through listing and in securing a great sale price prior to the auction of our property even taking place, Kelly was professional and worked tirelessly for the desired result.
Having sold with such stress-free ease, we enlisted Kelly as we ourselves became purchasers. Again the speed and efficiency of Kelly's results were outstanding. This time Kelly was able to offer candid advice and seamlessly walked us through the auction process and ensured we were able to attain our goal of purchasing, despite being on the phone from our home base overseas. Thanks Kelly for making what could have been an arduous process so easy.

The Bowyer family (Beijing, China)

 

We first met Kelly when we approached him regarding a section in Pillans Point we wanted to purchase. We found Kelly to be very respectful, approachable and professional. Due to such a positive experience, we also decided to sell our family home on Milton Rd through Kelly. He definitely worked tirelessly for us throughout the sale process, such as providing us with invaluable input on marketing our property, keeping us up to date with feedback from open homes and communicating and negotiating with potential buyers. We definitely would recommend Kelly to anyone looking at taking the stress out of selling or buying their next home.

Tim and Anita O’Riordan

 

From the moment we met Kelly we knew he was going to sell us our first home! As first time buyers and new to town Kelly took us under his wing, listened to our needs and wants and very quickly and diligently got stuck in to finding us a home. On our second outing with Kelly (but hours online looking from both sides) we found the perfect home. Kelly expertly navigated us around the protocols of making an offer with great advice on where to pitch and within hours had our offer accepted.
During the due diligence stage we had quite a few issues with our Kiwi Saver and mortgage approval but Kelly was always with us every step of the way to give good advice or help in any way he could. Now in our new beautiful home, reflecting on the past several weeks, we know that because of Kelly and his true professional approach, hard work and sheer excellence at doing his job that he quite obviously enjoys we bought where we wanted, what we wanted and at a price we wanted! We have no hesitation in recommending Kelly, and certainly look forward to dealing with him many times over.

Ben Tuck and Kylie Green

 

Our very recent purchase of our new home through Eves Realty was smooth sailing. Our agent Kelly Exelby came recommended through a relative of ours. We phoned him to make an appointment to see a property we had our eye on, Kelly arranged for us to view it the next afternoon, we put in an offer on the home that afternoon and within 48 hours we had it under contract. Kelly made the entire process stress free. We highly recomend Kelly because he is personable and highly professional. The whole process went without a hitch thanks Kelly.

Marcus and Jocelyn Tweddell.

 

'Our selling experience with Eves was a positive one. Kelly proved to be entirely professional, and throughout the process we felt we were in capable hands. We received realistic and practical advice without any pressure, and our opinion and needs were met at all times without debate.
Additionally Kelly was always pleasant to work with and an energetic and enthusiastic advocate of the home we were selling. One of the best real estate experiences we have had.

Dennis and Lynne Mischewski

 

We recently contacted Kelly about a house he had listed. As out of town buyers we were a bit disconnected from the Tauranga market, but immediately Kelly asked our requirements and sent us information on new listings that suited us with extra information he had after viewing the property. When we planned a visit to Tauranga, Kelly lined up viewings all for one afternoon - no time wasted - a seamless experience. In the end we were able to view and purchase a property over the space of two days! We are over the moon with the house we have purchased and Kelly's help made it quick and easy, and we were confident that we had seen everything that suited us.

Craig and Fiona Lavin

 

We had been searching for a property for around a year after moving to Tauranga from Hamilton. We had missed out on a few properties that went to auction and were beginning to feel disheartened, and with the rush of the housing market currently we knew we needed to act a little more quickly if we wanted to get our ideal home.
As soon as we saw Waterside Drive advertised we contacted Kelly, he was more than helpful showing us through the house before the open home, even being so kind as to entertain our very busy 21-month-old while we looked around, giving us plenty of time to be nosey. This was greatly appreciated!
Because it was an auction property Kelly kept us informed about potential interest from other parties and up until we made an offer he kept us in the loop as we didn't want to lose out again! Kelly was more than accommodating, providing us with as much information on the property as possible -- nothing was too much trouble.
We have had many contacts and dealings with other agents but can honestly say Kelly was the best, most reliable, up front and courteous person/agent we have dealt with. We would highly recommend him, he got us into our ideal home without any fuss or hassle. Thanks Kelly!

Lauren and David Shaw.

 

Delwyn and I would like to thank you for the great job you did in selling our section.
We appreciated the proactive communication, bringing solid offers and your honest approach throughout your involvement.
We would recommend your services to our friends and colleagues

Terry and Delwyn Koumakis

 

We decided at the beginning of this year that we wanted to move from Auckland to Tauranga. We asked some friends for their opinions and suggestions. One friend referred us to Kelly, saying that he had been a huge help when it came to buying their new house. I met with Kelly when I was down on business and found him very helpful from the get go, giving us a good overview of what was on offer in Tauranga. My wife and I decided we would come to Tauranga as a family and look at as many houses as we could over two days. Kelly took a whole day out to show us around 12 houses, even arranging private viewings with other estate agents where the listing was not with Eves. After seeing so many in one day we had a fair idea of what was on offer and, more importantly, we found a house that we really liked; the one we subsequently bought. Not only did Kelly guide us through the search but also through the process of buying our house, going above and beyond in taking the time to talk things through with us. Being the biggest financial decision we have made to date, it was always reassuring to know that Kelly had our best interests in mind and was rational in pointing out all the important factors we needed to consider. Kelly gained our trust very quickly with his friendly and professional approach. We could not recommend him more highly for his competence and professionalism in the way he went about his work, getting the best outcome for us.

Doug and Beth Maarschalk.

 

After making the decision to sell our family home of 20 years in Tauriko we opted initially to go down the track of listing privately early this year using the Trade Me property website.
After minimal interest we knew we had to change our strategy and decided to approach Kelly Exelby someone we had known for a long time.
Kelly recommended that he get through and appraise our home, comparing it to recent sales in our vicinity, as well as other similar lifestyle properties on the market to see whether the price we had on it privately stacked up.
After doing the appraisal Kelly met with us to suggest we adjust our asking price to achieve market value and upgrade our photographs, hiring a professional in order to enhance marketing and our internet presence.
We listed with Eves, with Kelly as our agent, and he also suggested he host all the Eves and Bayleys agent through the property and run regular Sunday open homes. We certainly had an instant response after accepting all of his suggestions. Throughout the process, from listing to achieving a sale, Kelly maintained a professional approach. He was well organised, communicated with us regularly, and was sensitive yet honest in providing advice.
Incredibly, within six weeks of listing we achieved our goal thanks Kelly! We have certainly benefited from working alongside you and your team at Eves and Bayleys.

Owen and Pip Kendall

 

Id like to thank Kelly Exelby at Eves Willow Street for the advice, support and care during a trying time. I was referred to Kelly by a friend who said he was an honest bloke. I found him to be a great communicator and generous with his time and efforts. Selling mums estate was a lot of work in the preparation and lead up to auction but Kelly was always there with suggestions and a kind gesture. I would like to recommend Kelly as someone you can trust to work for you.

Sally Whyte

 

Coming back to live in New Zealand after living on the Gold Coast was a big decision, and needing to find a home quickly made it fairly stressful. However having Kelly as our agent certainly made our house-hunting experience easy, relaxed and enjoyable . . . well for us, maybe, but not quite so for Kelly as we had no real plan and were unsure of where we wanted to be.
We first met Kelly at a listing of his in the Avenues and his style of no pressure, allowing us to meander at our own pace yet be informative and friendly, appealed to us right off the bat. Being available and fitting around our schedule was also fantastic and getting us into properties from Papamoa to Matua and the Avenues to the Mount was never a problem.
We finally found the right house for us in the right location with the right FEEL!!! Guiding us through the negotiation process through to purchasing, Kelly certainly made our experience easy, fun and of course exciting!

Dallas Scheres

 

After calling Kelly, Trevor and I were delighted with his approach and genuine interest in selling our property.
Every step to selling was positive, calm and stressless and we felt like we were his first priority. We were not disappointed with his commitment in selling our house five short weeks later. We were kept in touch with progress regularly and Kellys insight into buyers requirements made the whole process relaxed.
We were warmed by his friendly manner towards us and felt his focus was on achieving an amicable contractual closure. If you have been disappointed in the past with trying to sell your property then wed recommend trying Kelly he genuinely has your selling requirements as first priority.

Trevor and Margaret Duffy

 

Once I was clear on my specific requirements for a property, Kelly arranged for me to see the one that met all my requirements. Always helpful and obliging, Kelly has been great doing business with.

Derek Harris

 

Having been in New Zealand for less than six months this was our first house purchase. As it turned out it was Kellys first sale as well but you wouldnt have known it. The service we got from him was first-class and we couldnt have asked for better from someone with a decade or more in the industry.
He was efficient, without pressuring, friendly and positive. Nothing was ever a drama and nothing was ever problem; even though Im sure as novices to the process we mightve dragged our heels at times understanding everything we were doing and getting ourselves into.
We had been looking for a few months but had found nothing in our price bracket which really grabbed us. Kelly asked us for a list of our wants/must haves to get a gauge of what we were looking for and what was important to us in a property.
Kellys approach made it simple and his attitude took the stress out of what is a traditionally stressful transaction. He doesnt mess you about or give you a lot of flannel, again something we had experienced with a previous agent. Kellys an honest guy who you can trust and we would recommend him to anyone.
My wife and I have now been in our new house for just over a week and are loving setting up home in New Zealand. Its absolutely perfect for what we wanted, we couldnt be happier and a lot of that is down to Kelly.

James Fuller and Farah Gopaul

 

Putting your house on the market can be a scary decision, but Kelly made it feel very safe, stressfree and easy. I was impressed with the way he went all out to market my property through all aspects of the selling process and I was well informed every step of the way. HIs advice was helpful, pricing realistic and communication skills with both me and the general public outstanding. At Auction the team worked professionally and I was thrilled with the end result. I would recommend Kelly to any prospective seller as a reliable agent prepared to go the extra mile to make it happen for you.

Sharon Hough

 

We had been searching the Tauranga property market unsuccessfully for many months looking for a suitable property for our own use, when we met up with Kelly during an open home.
Kelly was keen to help us find the right property and he spent quite some time with us getting to know the points of difference we were looking for in a property so that he could hopefully identify something that would appeal to us.
Over the course of the next few months Kelly contacted us regularly to show us various properties; often as soon as they were listed. He showed us many that were interesting and this search culminated in his finding a property that we ultimately purchased at auction.
Only time will tell if we have made the right purchase but Kelly was there with us all the way including being at the auction. Anyone using Kelly to find a suitable property or simply seeking advice from him about the local market will be in good hands.

Chris and Liz Rapson

 

Jesse and I just wanted to say thank you so much for being so amazing to us during this process of buying our first house in New Zealand! Being from the US the process is done a bit different there so it seemed a bit daunting. Then we started going to open homes and met heaps of agents, but felt most of them could care less about what was best for our family -- they just simply wanted to sell the house and make the money. From the get- go we never felt pushed, and yet you went completely out of your way several times just for us (things you would do for a friend, not a stranger!). You showed such genuine integrity the whole process and were so helpful, even though we had so many questions and lacked so much knowledge in this area. We could not be happier with the process, the house, or you the agent and will absolutely be sending anyone wanting to buy or sell a house your way! Thank you again, for making this process a fun and pleasant one.

Jesse and Grace Schmidt

 

My wife and family are extremely happy having purchased a house in Cherrywood by negotiation which settled in January. Kelly did an amazing job and we highly recommend him to all!
After a few months of doing the Sunday open home routine we were referred to Kelly by friends who both had recently bought houses with Kelly's help. One of the favourite things that Kelly would do was to email through listings before they popped up on line or in the paper. Therefore, it felt like we got a sneak peek at the new listings before they hit the press. One house that Kelly showed us early did take our fancy and ticked all of the boxes and within 10 minutes of seeing through it we knew it was the one.
From here on in, Kelly was excellent at keeping us up to date with potential interest and relevant information as we waited for the auction to approach. On auction day, Kelly kept us calm and relaxed (as wed never been to an auction before) which made the whole process pretty stress-free. At the auction, our bid did not meet the vendor's expectation, but Kelly helped us negotiate with the vendor until we were both happy with the deal.
During the settlement period, Kelly was great at communicating with us and also with the vendor, and made it possible for us and our children to have a few visits to our new house prior to settlement.
Looking back, the only thing we should have done differently was to contact Kelly much earlier. From our first coffee meeting to the very last Kelly was always professional and personable and our greatest supporter and advocate. We actually miss our daily updates and emails and phone calls from him now. Our advice to others would be: contact Kelly right at the start of the journey to find the perfect home for you and your family.

Matt and Rudi Johnson

 

We recently became the proud owners of our first home. We found the process of house buying a little stressful but with the guidance from Kelly and the good people at Eves we soon achieved our goal. Our journey included going to auction, which was not an experience we enjoyed, but the team at Eves helped to make it as easy as possible and provided great support and information. The next part of our house buying venture involved a multi-offer purchase situation where yet again the assistance from Kelly and Eves was invaluable, and finally "we knocked the bastard off". We would like to take this opportunity to thank Eves and especially Kelly in helping us to become first-time home owners.

Tori Morrison and Hope Kerr-Bell

 

With a growing family, 2013 saw us sell a property and also purchase a larger more suitable family home. In both scenarios Kelly Exelby has been our real estate agent and provided outstanding service and support. When selling, Kelly actively pursued potential buyers and negotiated our sale professionally and precisely. When purchasing, Kelly listened carefully to our specific requirements and quickly sought out properties that matched our criteria. We wasted no time looking at properties outside of our parameters and soon found a home that suited us.
As coincidence would have it, we were out of town, during the negotiations on the sale of our house and also a few months later as we negotiated the purchase of a new property. In both instances Kelly worked closely with our lawyer and kept the process smooth and stress free. I would encourage anyone looking for reliable assistance, clear and concise communication and results, to engage Kelly as their agent whether seeking to sell a house or buy a home.

Joseph and Lisa McAuley