Waikato home builder, Urban Homes, has announced its first franchise, to be located in Whitianga and servicing the Thames Coromandel region. This major announcement comes on the heels of the company’s 20th anniversary milestone being marked this month.
Franchising as a key business strategy was first proposed by Urban Homes’ founder Daniel Klinkenberg in 2020. The natural next regions for franchisees are Auckland and Bay of Plenty, and the Registered Master Builders company will next turn its attention to these areas.
“Back in September 2021, I spoke to my team about my personal vision for Urban Homes and what the future looked like,” Klinkenberg says. “Back then, I talked to them for the first time about franchising the business. My desire is to see Urban Homes as a nationwide company, one with a reputation for excellence and known for influencing the industry in a positive way.
“In the future, I want to see our business being prominent in every region throughout New Zealand, led by dedicated franchisees who share the same DNA and values my wife Bronwyn and I founded the business upon.
“While each region we launch in will operate independently, together I want us collectively to make a huge, positive impact on the housing sector.”
The Coromandel franchisees who “share the Urban DNA” are husband and wife team Daniel Blok and Tanya Jones-Blok, who have been branch managing for Urban Homes in the Coromandel since last year.
Dan has been head of construction at Urban Homes since 2018, and Tanya has been a colour consultant and new homes sales consultant since 2018.
Daniel says Dan and Tanya are the perfect inaugural franchisees.
“Dan and Tanya both have been integral these past few years to the success of Urban Homes. Each of them has made significant contributions to the business that have made a big difference in how we operate as an organisation.
“They have always been exemplary at living our values, building and leading their teams, and being great ambassadors for Urban when working with our clients.
“When it comes to what we want in a franchisee, they are the total package. And I look forward to working alongside them as they build their business in that region,” Klinkenberg says.
Speaking about the decision to become an Urban Homes franchisee, Tanya says from the beginning of their time with Urban Homes, her and Dan have always been impressed with the reputable brand and the remarkable culture that’s been established over the past 20 years.
“Building isn’t just about creating homes — it’s about the people and the integrity they bring,” she says.
“Urban’s focus on culture, leadership, and values has always really resonated with us, and we’re looking forward to extending this culture into our franchise.”
With the downturn in the economy affecting the number of new home builds in recent years, to some it may seem like a crazy time to start up a building franchise. But Daniel says demand in the Thames Coromandel region is steady.
“Urban Homes competes in the mid-to-upper end of the new home market, and communities such as Whitianga, Matarangi and others are seeing steady demand.
“It’s a great time for Dan and Tanya to get established and have some experience under their belts before the next boom takes off,” Daniel says.
Since setting up in the Coromandel, Dan and Tanya have experienced an increased level of enquiries from people, converting many of those enquiries into sales which are taking them through to the end of 2025.
“We’ve yet to see any significant downturn in the Coromandel, as our team has been consistently busy. Traditionally, our summers are bustling with activity, and although winter brings a slowdown, we anticipate a robust final quarter ahead.
“Our focus in Coromandel is to continue to integrate locally, employing local talent and supporting local businesses, especially after the challenges of the past few years.
“Representing Urban Homes allows us to contribute positively to our community while delivering exceptional service,” Tanya says.
Celebrating 20 years
To commemorate 20 years of building homes across the Waikato, Urban Homes has organised a Celebration Tour on May 3. Tour-goers will be able to witness the craftmanship that has defined Urban Homes for two decades as they explore 10 unique homes.
“In planning the Celebration Tour, it’s been really difficult to whittle our home selection down to just 10,” Daniel says.
“There’s one of our houses in Tamahere that’s 15 years old and still looks amazing. I think that’s been a real encouraging thing for me to reflect on.
“We’ve built some amazing homes over the years. You kind of forget sometimes when you’re dealing with the day-to-day business, but actually, we’ve done great work.”
On his sense of optimism for the future of Urban Homes, Daniel says the company has been around for 20 years — “and we’ll be here for decades to come”.
“We’ve been through downturns, recessions, the global financial crisis and Covid. It’s been a challenge, but we’re excited about the expansion of Urban Homes and for what’s ahead.”
Tickets for the Urban Homes 20th Anniversary Celebration Tour are available on their web site. To find out more, visit https://urban.co.nz, with all proceeds going to support the True Colours Children’s Health.
