Nick O’Styke, one of Bayleys’ most consistent top performers, has taken out the national top commercial and industrial sales’ agent accolade for FY24-25, showing the value of exceptional client relationships, and demonstrating the strength of the Canterbury market.

Christchurch-based industrial sales’ agent and leasing specialist O’Styke, topped Bayleys’ commercial and industrial league table for the last financial year at a time when the market around the country was in flux.

Some of the standout transactions he concluded in FY24-25 were for high-profile industrial properties in Hornby, Wigram, Rolleston, Hillsborough and Burnside, including 10 Sir William Pickering Drive, 25 John Morten Place, 29 Mania Road, 32 and 40 Hammersmith Drive, 51 Halwyn Drive, 6 Dalziel Place, and 54 Waterloo Road. These transactions had a combined sales’ value of $46,650,000.

Multi award-winning O’Styke started his career with Bayleys in 2011 and has been among its top performing sales and leasing agents since, completing well in excess of $500 million in sales.

Having worked across several different market cycles, O’Styke has found his niche in the industrial sector which he calls the “quiet achiever” asset class.

“Industrial property isn’t seen as glamorous, yet it has ticked along steadily in the background, rising up through the investment ranks off the back of e-commerce, manufacturing and logistics/distribution demand.

“It’s been a slow burn, but industrial has emerged as a reliable performer on returns and capital growth. There’s always a use for warehousing, whether that’s on the investment, owner-occupier or leasing side of the coin, with property in that $1 million-$5 million bracket attracting really strong interest.”

O’Styke says entering the Canterbury real estate industry immediately post-earthquakes was a pivotal, and sobering, introduction to commercial and industrial property and cemented the importance of building client trust.

“I have continued to work with many of those clients over the years and I’m lucky that my clients become my friends,” says O’Styke.

“There are layers upon layers of trust built up over time, and a personalised approach is always there, centred around developing a solid relationship and being privileged with significant insight into a client’s individual circumstances and financial or business goals.

“My business partner Anna Morawiec has been a big part of my success and is an invaluable part of the team. She oversees all the things that make for a successful campaign, keeps strong lines of communication with clients at every stage of the process, and is meticulous with detail.”

Christchurch has advantages over other parts of the country in terms of industrial property fundamentals says O’Styke, citing good levels of modern investment stock, adequate supply of favourably-zoned industrial development land, and flat terrain for expansion.

“Some other regions have a constrained supply of well-located land for growth full stop, or a shortage of suitably-zoned land which puts pressure on existing investment stock. I think Canterbury is an industrial sector sweet spot.”

Bayleys’ general manager commercial for the South Island, William Wallace says O’Styke and Morawiec are the epitome of a team that sets the bar exceptionally high.

“Nick works a deal from every angle in his own inimitable way and the level of respect and trust he has built with his clients is really impressive.

“Along with the huge volume of transactions that he consistently concludes, regardless of what the wider market is doing, Nick is a great mentor and shares his knowledge across the team. He doesn’t work to get awards, but they are the side effect of a job done repeatedly well.”