Luxury real estate agents Terry and Diana King have sold their ornately styled home in Auckland’s Remuera - after teaming up with agents from a “rival” agency.
The Kings, who own Remuera Real Estate Register, first listed their three-bedroom villa on Bell Road in 2019 and while they had offers, they weren’t at the level they felt the house deserved.
Earlier this year, the couple decided to shake things up and they hired Ray White agents Richard Thode and Rae Zhang to have a crack at selling their place.
Terry told OneRoof: “You can’t sell your own house because you see it differently. So many things that mean so much to us, we can’t let it go.”
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He believed that the house, which has a 2021 CV of $5.2 million and had been dubbed Remuera’s Versailles, would “sell immediately” when the right person came along. And he was right.
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Three weeks ago, the right buyer turned up and the deal was done, with the moving trucks booked for November.
Thode said the negotiations had been intense but worth it, telling OneRoof the new owner was a professional who was moving across the city from Ponsonby.
Neither agent was prepared to talk numbers, although Terry said it was a “price we were happy with”.
The Kings are not sure where they’ll move to next, “but we’re excited to get our teeth into a new project”, Terry said.
Thode said he was thrilled with the sale. “It was a bit of a marathon, but we got there. She is the perfect buyer for the property, she really loved the interior which is really nice because so many people appreciated it but didn’t like it.
The kitchen and dining room feature marble, dramatic wallpaper and chandeliers. Photo / Supplied
Ray White Epsom agents Richard Thode and Rae Zhang. Thode said he was very honoured to sell rivals' Terry and Diana King's house. Photo / Supplied
“It was pretty specific. I even had conversations with Terry and Diana about whether they should consider painting it or stripping out [their decor]. I was pretty direct with him. I went away for three weeks and said, ‘Now’s your opportunity. Strip it all off!’
“We don’t beat around the bush with any other client, we’re pretty upfront. But then we had the right buyer come through who really appreciates the decor and they don’t need to change it.
“The buyer was looking for something special over this side of town, and I think Terry and Diana’s property is all of that. Then it was about getting the money in the right place.”
Thode said that negotiations with the Kings were the same as with any other vendor, as they tried to get the price to the right level that the couple were happy to let it go for.
The classic villa has a carefully landscaped traditional garden and pool. Photo / Supplied
One of the marble-clad bathrooms. Photo / Supplied
“We’re really honoured to be the agent that managed to get it sold. And I’m really happy for them to be able to move to a new exciting chapter.
“I’ve known them a long time and their homes have always been standout.”
The couple had completely rebuilt the 1880s villa from the piles up after they bought it in 2015. The four-bedroom home sported dramatic Chinoiserie-style wallpapers and chandeliers, an elegant English-style kitchen, marble bathrooms, manicured gardens with a pool and poolhouse and glamorous bedrooms. Even the garage was wallpapered, Thode told OneRoof.
The Kings know about patience. They listed a five-bedroom mansion at 532 Remuera Road in January with an asking price of $32m. If it sells at that price, it will be the most expensive house in the blue-chip suburb.
“For this house, it’s a matter of finding the right buyer who is attuned to the architecture and appreciates what’s been done here. There might only be five people who fit the bill,” King told OneRoof in January.
Thode said his team now had a new listing for another villa on Bell Road coming to market after the school holidays “so we’re kind of going to own that street”.
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