He’s only been in real estate for a year, but Tama Emery has already sold over $14m worth of property, mostly in and around Papakura, where he grew up. At 29, the Harcourts agent has also been a social worker, business owner, mentor, rugby player, kapa haka performer and dancer. His philosophy: Dream more.
Q: Why did you get into real estate?
I wanted to wear a suit. True! When I was at school – I went to Dilworth – I said I wanted a job where I got to wear a suit and they said lawyer or real estate agent. But they said I wasn’t smart enough to be a lawyer. And I didn’t have the money behind me to go into real estate – I always thought you had to have money to get into it. So I went into social work straight from school and did that for over 10 years. I also set up a company called Community Access Group that raises funds through business to help communities that need it. That involves getting people with a lot of money who don’t know what to do with it to help others. We specialise in social development projects and mentoring, and I am still involved with that.
Q: Why did you change careers?
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My mum passed away a couple of years ago and I went through a period of reflection. I felt like it was time to do something for myself. Social work is full-on. I worked a lot with people with mental health issues and also in the youth prison sector and in schools. It’s not the kind of work you leave at the office, it follows you home. And with my company, I was wearing a lot of hats and overseeing a pretty big operation. I thought it was time to do something that involved engaging with people in a different way. And meant I could wear a suit.
Emery says when he was a kid he wanted to do a job where he wore a suit. His school said be a lawyer or a real estate agent. Photo / Fiona Goodall
Q: Did your experience as a social worker help when it came to selling houses?
Definitely. It has helped when it comes to interacting with people from all walks of life, and building and maintaining relationships. I’ve sold a range of properties, including some high-end places, but most have been lower-priced ones. I’ve dealt with people who are struggling and being able to help them when they are going through a tough time is really important to me.
Q: Was it hard getting started in a totally different career?
There is a lot of fear and anxiety when you go into an industry like real estate that is commission-based and competitive. You can feel like you are very much on your own. But I feel fortunate that I ended up at Harcourt’s Papakura office, who have given me an incredible amount of support. You get a lot of ongoing training and everyone is a team player. It feels like a family thanks to our branch manager Glenis Shirley and our business owner Harsimran Singh, and that has carried me through.
The office gave me my first listing, a house in Papakura that was empty. It was ugly and wrecked; it needed everything doing to it. But it was brick-and-tile and had good bones and I managed to build up interest and get 150 groups through. I sold it with a deadline sale and it has been happy days since then.
Q: Why do you think you’ve done so well in just a year?
Actually, it’s not really a year – I got my licence last year but then we went into lockdown and there wasn’t much I could do. My wife Rima had just had our son Amiorangi so I spent 16 weeks at home with my baby, which I was very lucky to do. I didn’t go full-bore into real estate until January.
I think I’ve done well because of consistency, commitment, and a drive to be the best. My philosophy is to dream more, do more and say less. I think in society today we forget how to dream and we limit ourselves to where we are. I believe in setting strong goals and going for it. I’m not afraid of putting myself in situations that might be uncomfortable and I also believe in doing things a bit differently.
For example, I bring te ao Māori (Māori world view) and te reo Māori into real estate. I use them in advertising and promotion and dealing with people because they are a big part of who I am. I was raised by two very strong women – my godmother, and my grandmother, who became my adopted mum – who led the way in their community when it came to te ao Māori. They led the Māori mental health movement and were all about breaking barriers, and I think I have taken that on board.
Emery is a trained dancer: “Over the years I did ballet, tap, jazz, rock, contemporary and hip hop.” Photo / Fiona Goodall
Q: What has been the response to that?
I’ve had a lot of support from my office who have really backed me for the way I do things, and I am grateful for that. I have had heaps of positive feedback from Māori people but also from other members of the community who think it is a good thing. But I have also had comments from people saying real estate is a white industry, there’s no place for te reo, “for that bullshit”. I have also had Māori people saying, “You’re just ripping us off even more because you are selling our stolen land.”
There is a lot to take on board and I am navigating it all as best I can. At least it is starting conversations that need to be had and that is important. My long-term goal is to build partnerships with iwi and hapū and figure out how they can co-exist with the real estate industry. There are problems; we need to work together to find solutions.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
Spend time with Rima and Amiorangi. We like to go to the beach or for a drive. Unfortunately I don’t get time for hobbies because of the hours I work – you can’t do much at weekends because of open homes. I used to play rugby – I was an Auckland secondary schools rep and I went to the Blues Academy for a year. I’ve played club rugby and would like to go back to that but it is hard to find the time.
I am also hoping to get back into kapa haka, which I used to do for Hokianga, where my whāngai family are from. My whanau are from Murupara, near Rotorua, so that is also a long way away. I don’t have a group in Auckland; I am feeling out where I want to be.
Q: Is there anything people would be surprised to know about you?
Possibly that I am a trained dancer. I started dancing when I was three; I always had to be out of the house, doing something. Over the years I did ballet, tap, jazz, rock, contemporary and hip hop, at the same time as I was playing rugby. When I got to intermediate age I stopped doing ballet but I kept going with the other stuff for a while. I did hip hop and contemporary until I was 19; I was best at contemporary dance. I wouldn’t mind doing it again, even just one class a week, but at the moment there just isn’t any time.
