Layland & Co

  •   5   (320 reviews)

Our sales performance at a glance

See how Layland & Co has performed in the last 12 months on RateMyAgent*

80
Reviews
39
Properties for sale
67
Sold properties
$468k
Average sale price
$31.4m
Total sales value

*Includes all properties sold (last 12 months) where the agent was a part of the transaction and published on ratemyagent.co.nz. It may not be complete and can exclude off-market, private sales and undisclosed pricing and sold dates. Contact agent for full sales history.

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    Recognised for going above & beyond for their clients.

Our customer service awards

See what RateMyAgent awards Layland & Co has won

  • National Top 20New Zealand
  • 2x National Top 20New Zealand - 2026, 2025

Meet the team

Get to know the 3 agents at Layland & Co.

Liam Layland
Liam Layland

Licensed Real Estate Agent

  5   (221 reviews)
About Liam
By Liam's own admission, he's always had an eye for homes. Turns out, caring about the details, both in property and in people, is why homeowners keep passing his name on as the agent of choice. As a former police officer, Liam brings the kind of grit and integrity you can't fake. His communication skills were honed on the frontline. He tells it like it is, even when it’s not easy, because it’s honesty that gets people further. And the client-appreciation and results show it. In a town like Whakatane, reputation moves quickly, and Liam's built his on doing right by people. It's a simple thing, but it works. He's picked up a string of national and local awards along the way. While those are public proof of what his clients already know, they're not what drives him. What does? It's the internal anchors: valuing connection, being meticulous about the work, and living up to the honest name behind a business founded almost entirely on repeat and referral. Liam's on the water when he's not with clients or family. He moves between open homes and open water like it's second nature. Whakatane's legendary game fishing grounds is a backyard he loves and knows well.
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Sharnika Dowthwaite
Sharnika Dowthwaite

Licensed Real Estate Agent

  5   (61 reviews)
About Sharnika
I’m Sharnika Dowthwaite, a Whakatane-based licensed Agent known for delivering premium outcomes with a calm, confident, people-first approach across Ohope, Whakatāne and our wider coastal community. Trusted by clients and respected by industry peers, I’m committed to raising the standard of what real estate service can be. Working collaboratively with Layland & Co, my clients benefit from a modern, streamlined real estate experience backed by deep local knowledge. Collaboration isn’t just something I value - it’s one of my biggest advantages. Holding New Zealand’s highest qualification - both Branch Manager (Level 5) and Agent (Level 6) - I bring advanced expertise and strategic precision to every listing. Whether it’s a multi-million-dollar coastal home, a smart investment, or an important first step onto the property ladder, I approach every campaign with clarity, structure, and care. Because I’ve navigated the buying, selling, renovating and investing process myself, I bring practical understanding and a clear, steady approach to every client experience. Outside of real estate, I serve as Presiding Member (Chair) of the Ōhope Beach School Board of Trustees - a role that keeps me connected to the community where my four sons are growing up. Local. Award-Winning. Trusted.
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Mel Hayes
Mel Hayes

Licensed Real Estate Agent

  5   (21 reviews)
About Mel
Mel Hayes is a dedicated real estate professional proudly serving the wider Whakatāne and Eastern Bay region. Known for delivering exceptional service and consistently going above and beyond, Mel is committed to achieving outstanding results while ensuring her clients feel informed, supported, and confident at every stage of the journey. With strong negotiation skills, clear communication, and a highly personalised approach, she creates a seamless and stress-free experience from start to finish. Now proudly part of Arizto, Mel combines premium service with a smarter commission structure — offering exceptional representation while ensuring her clients receive outstanding value. This approach aligns perfectly with her belief that great service shouldn’t come with unnecessary cost. She is also proud to be joining fellow Layland & Co team members in this move, continuing to work within a trusted and collaborative network. Working independently while backed by innovative systems and experienced team support, Mel offers the best of both worlds, dedicated one-on-one service, strengthened by the power of a respected brand and proven processes. If you’re looking for an agent who is honest, personable, and genuinely invested in achieving the best possible outcome, Mel Hayes is ready to help.
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About us

Layland & Co is a real estate team. They have 320 verified reviews with an average rating of 5 stars. They currently have 39 active property listings and 67 sold property listings over the past 12 months worth $31,384,500.

Our reviews

  5  
326 reviewsacross 27 different locations, showing 6.
Our qualities as told by our client reviews: dedicated, easy to work with, supportive, honest, responsive, local expert, clear communication.
Was this helpful?
Buyer review
Sharnika made purchasing easy with her caring, optimistic and creative personality
3 days ago
Sharnika made purchasing easy with her caring, optimistic and creative personality

Sharnika was always available to help and get questions answered quickly. Her real estate and local knowledge was excellent which made the process easy. Sharnika was committed to us finding the right place for the right people and seamlessly working for both vendor and purchaser. We would recommend Sharnika to anyone - you would be lucky to have her in your corner.

Sharnika Dowthwaite
Seller review
Super lovely, professional, easy and organized.
5 days ago
Super lovely, professional, easy and organized.

I was first struck by how absolutely lovely Sharnika is. She was so warm and approachable, asking all the right questions, and very clear on the process. Every step of the way we were well informed. Sharnika had open homes lined up from week one with a clear plan. Stoked with the marketing, pictures were great and we got the result. We had a sale very quickly. Highly recommend Sharnika. She is the bomb!

Sharnika Dowthwaite
Seller review
A quick, professional and stress free experience
12 days ago
A quick, professional and stress free experience

Sharnika Dowthwaite from Arizto was wonderful to work with. She is great to communicate with, always professional, knowledgeable and supportive. The marketing and media were great and we loved the transparency and digital approach Arizto uses which made everything so much quicker and easier. Our expectations were exceeded.

Sharnika Dowthwaite
Seller review
Reliable person with excellent communication skills
25 days ago
Reliable person with excellent communication skills

Sharnika was always there on our journey selling the property and we could communicate with her anytime which was very convenient although she had other open homes going on esp. in the weekends. I'd recommend her to anyone as her negotiating skills got us a fairly good price. šŸ‘šŸ»

Sharnika Dowthwaite
Seller review
An Awesome Agent, Clear Communication and Excellent Professionalism
29 days ago
An Awesome Agent, Clear Communication and Excellent Professionalism

Right from the start, Liam was so easy to deal with, communicate with and was always 100% supportive of our needs. In no time at all he had an offer on our property and we were very grateful. Liam always put his best foot forward and ensuref that we followed through with all that we needed to do on our part of the process. I highly recommend Liam for any real estate business, knowing he will always do his best by you. Thank you so very much Liam, we are very grateful to have had you on our side. All the very best always in all your future endeavors.

Liam Layland
Show all 326 reviews
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Our properties

Layland & Co has 40 properties for sale and sold 67 properties in the last 12 months, showing 4, sorted by most recent activity

For Sale
Enquiries over $535,000
209A King Street
Whakatane Bay of Plenty
2
1
Other
For Sale
Enquiries over $1,050,000
18 Ocean View Road
Coastlands Bay of Plenty
3
3
2
Other
For Sale
Deadline sale by 25 Nov
70 Appenzell Drive
Whakatane Bay of Plenty
4
2
2
Other
For Sale
Deadline sale by 19 Nov
32E Bunyan Road
Coastlands Bay of Plenty
Other
Show all 107 properties
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