Harbour Grounds team leads the way

At the end of August, the Bayleys Commercial Property Management Harbour Grounds team became the latest winner of the Properties / Facilities Management Team of the Year at the 2026 RICS Awards.

To say they deserved their win would be an understatement. For almost a decade, Bayleys commercial property management have built an excellent reputation for trusted partnerships, consistently strong performances and a future-focused approach to property and facility management.

Their balance of commercial performance, environmental leadership and human experience is what makes the team exceptional.

Bringing the vibe to their portfolios

Responsible for approximately 90,000sqm of A-grade commercial space, more than 1,000 car parks, and large public areas, the Harbour Grounds team brings together expertise across property management, facilities management, sustainability, financial performance and occupier experience in a truly integrated delivery model. Their clients include Apple, Air New Zealand, Microsoft, KPMG, Fonterra, Datacom, Auckland Transport and Visa.

If you’ve ever been to the Bayleys Auckland Headquarters at Gaunt Street you would no doubt have seen the Harbour Grounds vibrant presence through daily management, or their programme of wellbeing, cultural and community activations. With more than 40 events delivered annually, the team help to foster a vibrant and inclusive precinct while supporting tenant engagement, retention, retail performance, and broader social impact.

In 2025 alone, six on-site blood drives generated 384 donations (potentially saving up to 1,152 lives), while charity initiatives raised significant funds for organisations including the Cancer Society and Dress for Success. Environmental programmes such as a precinct-wide clothing drive diverted 314.5kg of waste from landfill, with 96% recycled or reused.

Keeping sustainability and risk management front of mind

Through their sustainability efforts, the Harbour Grounds team have set a high standard for integrated property and facilities management in New Zealand.

Throughout 2025, the team’s key focus areas were clear: driving sustainability performance, improving operational efficiency, enhancing occupier experience, and delivering innovation that strengthened resilience and long-term asset value.

One of many examples of quantifiable results is the solar programme, which is forecasted to achieve grid energy reductions of up to 23% year-on-year, and is recognised as the largest multi-asset commercial office solar installation project in the Auckland CBD. The solar programme contributes to improved NABERSNZ (a system for rating the energy and water efficiency of office buildings) performance, enhanced Green Star ratings (improving from a 1-star average to near 3 stars in 2025), and continued uplift in GRESB (a trusted partner for sustainable investments across real assets in climate-critical industries) scores since 2019.

Following the 2023 Auckland Anniversary flooding, the team identified a critical vulnerability and led the implementation of flood barriers at basement entry points. This project established a new benchmark for risk management across comparable commercial assets and is now the largest installation of its kind on a commercial office building in New Zealand.

Future proofing their workforce

The Harbour Grounds team has a diverse range of skills, experience, and perspectives. Senior leaders provide strong governance, commercial oversight, and technical expertise, while graduate and assistant team members provide a fresh perspective and are actively educated through hands-on exposure across facilities operations, property management, project delivery, and tenant engagement. “This cross-functional approach not only strengthens team capability but also supports long-term succession planning and contributes to the development of future industry professionals” says Stacey Matheson, Harbour Grounds Account Lead.

Well done, team

Their RICS win is well-deserved recognition for a team that brings energy, care and expertise to everything they do, and continues to raise the bar for the future of property and facilities management.