Best International Real Estate Agency at International Property Awards
103 Years. Still Family-Owned
In March 1923, Val Barfoot walked into a small Newmarket shop and bought a land agency for £75. His brother Kelland joined in 1924, and Val’s wife Christine Barfoot became the first woman to pass the REINZ qualification exam in 1926. When Maurice Thompson joined in 1934, the partnership that would reshape Auckland real estate was set — renamed Barfoot & Thompson in 1940. Over 100 years later, the company is still 50/50 family-owned by descendants of both founding families. Third and fourth generations are now active in the business, with no outside shareholders, no private equity, and no franchise model. In March 2023, they celebrated their centennial with 3,800 people at Ellerslie Racecourse.
Why Barfoot & Thompson Leads the Market
88 company-owned branches. 1,800+ salespeople. Four in every 10 Auckland homes sold. Barfoot & Thompson isn’t a franchise, every branch is owned by the same family company, which means every listing is available to every agent across the entire network. No territorial restrictions, no office turf wars. An agent in Albany can introduce a buyer to a property in Helensville. That open model, combined with $0 admin fees, dedicated auction rooms, and the lowest full-service commission rates in Auckland, is why they’ve held REINZ Large Agency of the Year every single year since the award was created 13 consecutive wins and counting.
