Mr Bonne said he had been with Ray White Ohope and Whakatane since his retirement from local government in October 2019.
“I’ve always wanted to do real estate as a career. I’d decided two years out I’d retire from the mayoralty and I did my real estate papers part-time during my last year as mayor,” he said.
“My father was a successful real estate salesperson for many years, hence why I wanted to conclude my working career with something I always wanted to do, and something else I knew I’d succeed at.
“Having lived in this area for most of my life, having a high profile in this community has given me a head start into real estate, but it comes down to relationships and trust. Exactly what the mayoralty was about.
“I also have to pay tribute to my wife, Linda, as she’s been a great support throughout my career and I can’t stress enough that having a good person beside you makes a huge difference.”
Ray White New Zealand CEO Carey Smith said having Mr Bonne as part of the family was a blessing.
“His contribution to the community has been significant over many years,” Mr Smith said.
“Personally, Tony is a gracious and humble person who now deservedly has received one of the highest community service accolades in New Zealand, being the Order of Merit.
“As a company, we’re extremely proud of Tony.”
