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How does your usual day look?
I have a very busy at-home life with my husband, son, daughter and four year old granddaughter all living under the same roof. Very often I drop my granddaughter at kindy and head to the office where it’s all go until about 6pm.
My day starts with a coffee at the office to schedule my day which then consists of a mixture of client meetings, meetings with my business partner Trudi, management meetings and supervising staff, including signing off any listings or contracts. I also spend a lot of the time on the road meeting clients at commercial buildings for sales and leases.
How did you start your career in commercial real estate?
My husband (Chris) was working as a commercial real estate agent for Ray White United Realty and after a great deal of discussion, we ultimately decided to start as a team. The transition was natural, and after two years of success, we then started our franchise of Ray White Auckland West Commercial, which at that stage was the only dedicated commercial franchise in West Auckland.
Following an unfortunate accident, my husband could no longer work, so eventually we sold the business, but I never left the team, and have continued to work as the commercial manager.
What do you enjoy most about being at Ray White Commercial? What makes Ray White Commercial different?
After 15 years with Ray White Commercial, I have always been a strong believer in the brand with its value to our customers and the interaction between the franchisors and franchisees. We have a very strong team, with the agents very rarely leaving us to go elsewhere. I believe our point of difference is the values that filter through Ray White, which provides a very good platform to conduct business from.
What are your go-to property marketing methods that you present to your clients?
We have a very strong auction culture, so for the majority of our properties we have a tailored auction marketing package. For the remainder of our properties we have a standard signboard and various internet advertising.
Tell me about a unique success story?
My favourite success story is 12 O’Neills Road, Swanson.
This property had been on the market for over two years with various agencies. We secured a sole agency and then converted to an auction. We ran a solid marketing campaign which resulted in an overwhelming response.
The reserve was set and the property went to auction.
The property sold for $100,000 over the reserve, well above the price advertised for many years.
The vendor came in the next day to thank us, and expressed they had “walked away with a $100,000 smile”.
Do you auction?
Yes, we are a firm believer of auctions and this is usually our chosen method of sale.
What’s the one thing you know now, that you wish you knew when you first started out?
I was lucky enough to work alongside my husband when I started, who had already been in the industry for many years. So anything I needed to know, I simply asked him and he guided me, he had an extremely strong set of principles, which I have endeavoured to pass on to our agents.
I am proud of what I have achieved and would not change a thing. I only wish that my husband and I went into real estate together earlier in our lives.
What is your outlook for the Auckland market over the next 12 months?
Following Covid-19, I feel the commercial property market will be particularly busy in leasing, as businesses will either amalgamate buildings or retract in the harsh economic climate envisaged ahead. Having been through previous economic downturns, I know our team has to work diligently at listing stock both for lease and for sale as I do not believe there will be any strong rebound in the commercial market over the next 12 months.
