With a background in the sheep and agri industries of 30 years, Harcourts Nelson’s Rural & Lifestyle consultant found the transition to rural real estate to be an easy and natural one. Originally studying at Lincoln University, consultant Sharyn Miller went on to work as a wool buyer for a New Zealand wool exporting company for 14 years, purchasing wool on behalf of high-end Italian and Japanese spinning mills and liaising with farmers. Through her exposure to the rural industry, Sharyn says she gained a great understanding of the people she dealt with on a daily basis. “I learnt to understand rural people and what was important to them,” she says. This knowledge proved useful when she went on to work for The New Zealand Merino Company as an area manager for 13 years working with her High Country farming clients in Central Otago, Mackenzie Country and then later in the greater Canterbury region. “ I wish I had of thought about Rural Real Estate as a career a long time ago as it is such an exciting and challenging industry, the people we meet and the very cool places we get to visit and bring to the market is a highlight for me,” Sharyn says. Nelson and Tasman’s diverse and interesting rural landscape has always been a drawcard for Sharyn and with the varied nature of the rural real estate industry, she says no two days are the same – Sheep, Beef, Horticulture, Diary, lifestyle all in one day!