This series of profiles on local businesses is supported by Land Matters and Pritchard Civil.

Strong connections to the Ōtaki district have brought Jo Stewart back after 16 years of selling commercial and industrial real estate in the Bay of Plenty.

As a member of the Bayleys Capital Commercial Wellington team, Jo’s “patch” is the Kāpiti-Horowhenua area, but she acknowledges a special attraction to Ōtaki.

“Our family owned a property at Waikawa Beach from when I was born, so many weekends and every holiday were spent in the area,” Jo says. “One of our highlights as children was to come to Ōtaki to roam the shops – we would always get lunch at Oz’s hot bread shop.”

Jo’s great-grandparents lived in Ōtaki in their later years during the mid 1900s, and were involved in various community groups. 

But now she’s living in Kāpiti with her family and bringing her expertise and experience to help clients negotiate the world of commercial real estate.

Jo strongly believes Ōtaki is ready to take advantage of a new phase in its growth. 

“While there has been some nervousness from the business community about how the new expressway might affect custom, it is super encouraging to see busy streets and foot traffic increasing,” she says. “Evidence of increasing confidence is the recent sale and leasing of property along the old highway, which includes a new bakery and pizza shop, and the sale of the bookshop building to the bookshop operator.

“A new national retail brand is also arriving soon.”

Jo says Ōtaki is incredibly lucky to have a diverse blend of culture, history and manaakitanga, with great things being done by many good people – from business leaders, developers, community support operators and visionary locals.

“If everyone plays a small part in building this township, then it will absolutely thrive as the jewel on the coast.”

Growth is offering real estate opportunities throughout Ōtaki. In the industrial area along Riverbank Road there are plenty of options for tenants and owner-operators to relocate their businesses, with convenient access to the expressway. 

“We have seen companies securing land in 2022-23 for development and we’re excited for a rebound of this interest in 2024 as the economy starts to settle after a roller-coaster 12 months,” Jo says. “It’s great to see some outstanding examples of quality premises in our industrial area, plus the work at Te Wānanga o Raukawa that showcases true examples of blending modern building technology with rich cultural design.”

She says the many residential developments in the pipeline go hand-in-hand with business growth as Ōtaki becomes a destination for home and business owners looking to migrate from other areas for lifestyle, convenience and value.

“I’m very proud and honoured to be representing this town and being a part of its future growth.”

Jo offers a service to all her clients that “treats people as I would like to be treated myself. Making a personal connection and gaining a true understanding of their needs to get them the right solution, is paramount to my business.”

Jo works out of Bayley’s Raumati office with an enthusiastic and supportive residential team.

• To contact Jo, call 027 641 1680 or email jo.stewart@bayleys.co.nz