Formidable duo's awards confirm worth

NZ Herald

22-06-2025

This article was prepared by Bayleys Realty Group and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.
Arun Mehan didn't expect to win Bayleys' Bay of Plenty Rookie of the Year award recently – but it didn't surprise his father-in-law. A stalwart of the region's horticultural landscape for 32 years, Snow Williams also claimed a well-deserved award as Individual Country Salesperson of the Year.
Together they are formidable – both in work and in home life. Married to Snow's daughter, conversations about real estate were bound to crop up. With a managerial background in retail and horticulture, sales wasn't in Arun's mind. However, after taking the plunge, he grabbed attention straight away. Selling four properties in a week early on, Arun's personal number of residential sales for 2024/25 is 46. Alongside Snow, lifestyle sales climb higher again.
Mentored by Snow from the outset, Arun sums it up nicely.
'Everything I know, I know from Snow.'
Don't for a minute think he rides on Snow's coat-tails – though they are worth hanging on to. Snow saw something in Arun from the outset – and couldn't be happier to have him as a son-in-law. Sit down with this pair for a while – and their bond is obvious.
After almost a year in real estate, Arun is as familiar around the traps as Snow – heavily involved in the community in and around Bay of Plenty – sponsoring schools in Pongakawa, Paengaroa and Te Puke and helping to raise money whenever he can. Doing up to seven appraisals a week, with a person-to-person approach and door knocking, Arun believes in being totally hands on. Also wanting to give back; Arun donates money to Te Puke Fire Brigade from every sale.
Sales come quickly, thanks to his personal approach and forthright honesty – appraising a property, placing it correctly and being upfront when it comes to presentation, marketing and the best sales process to run with. Thanks to a significant database that Snow has built up over the years, and Arun's own system – connecting people with property underpins what both men achieve.
Arun says money doesn't drive him. It's people. People first, property second. That might sound trite – but Arun's personality and authenticity can't be taken lightly. Snow's the same – which explains his success and place in the community. With a larger-than-life character; his originality and straight talking doesn't go down well with some vendors at times. Within the horticultural sector, his sole focus is to match people with the right orchard, and what will work for them. He knows this region inside out.
Arun thinks the same – willing to walk away from a sale if he knows he won't be able to attain a vendor's expectation. Yet, often he gets more. Both men have irresistible self-belief – refreshingly unpretentious.
The market has changed since post Covid days, when prices were obscene at times. Reality revolves around current statistics, however – and being truthful. Sold signs don't lie. Arun's residential sales are impressive – Te Puke, Pāpāmoa, Pongakawa, Pukehina – even Ōmokoroa; with a property that had no prior success on the market. Snow's record speaks for itself – top country salesman.
Together they run their own show – Arun's PA, Danielle Perry, is also integral to the team – mindful of Bayleys' brand, yet with a spark that sets them apart. Look out for the billboards and back-of-the-bus images soon. The twinkle in their eyes is hard to ignore.