Keen soccer player Lawrence Yuan proudly lives and works in Mission Bay and was named Barfoot & Thompson’s #4 Individual Salesperson, Central Auckland Region, to end March 2024. With his steadfast work ethic and love of people, he helps both Kiwi and overseas clients connect and realise their property dreams.
Q: How long have you lived in New Zealand?
I’ve been here 22 years, I’m from Shanghai originally. I was 19 years old and came by myself – New Zealand is a lovely place and people had told me that it’s paradise.
Q: Were you nervous?
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Not at all – people are only scared when they don’t know what they want to do. You have to try – it’s like selling a property, if you never try, you never know. While we can’t guarantee the result, being positive and persistent is crucial.
Q: What did you do when you arrived here?
I studied automotive engineering at Unitec for two years. At the same time I did lots of basic work like being a kitchenhand, doing pizza delivery and driving a Speedy Sub60 courier van. I was looking for a bit more of a challenge, so got into property management and my income increased by 30% – I was renting out three or four properties a day. After this I decided to move from management to sales.
Yuan on the field: "Soccer is hard work, you need to learn skill and how to play smart." Photo / Fiona Goodall
Q: Have you always been with Barfoot & Thompson?
I started out at Ray White City Projects on Lorne Street, then I moved to Property Asia to focus on apartments. They had a huge platform and had lots of contacts for people from Hong Kong and Singapore and throughout Asia. I met my wife there, she was a graduate of Auckland University. She then became a PA for Barfoot & Thompson, so suggested that I come over and join her around 2011.
Q: Doing sales isn’t for everyone, what makes you so good at it?
It comes down to whether you enjoy it or not. Real estate is all about relationships and harmony. It’s important to always cool down and listen first, find out exactly what the client wants. That way I can deliver better service.
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I’m bilingual so I consider myself "the bridge" – helping both Kiwi and overseas vendors connect. It’s not just language it’s culture, so I help them understand each other and make it comfortable and smooth. I help people from China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan settle in, find their new home and discover investment opportunities.
I also live in Mission Bay, so I can deliver better service for the locals.
Q: What’s been your most memorable sale?
My buyer wanted to purchase part of a building opposite Sky City so I went about finding the owner’s details and found out they lived in Sydney. After first writing a letter to them, I ended up flying to Sydney to meet the vendor and asked if they’d consider selling, they said yes and we got the property sold.
Q: What do you love about real estate?
People and their stories – whether they’re planning for their future, retirement or a new life. Every day is new, different and challenging. I sell anything between around $1.5 million to $30m – whether it’s small or big, it’s all business.
Q: Is your wife still at Barfoot & Thompson?
No, she works at a development company now but we talk about real estate at home. My kids are studying at ACG Parnell. I think the best investment you can make is in people, in particular, education. When I was young, my dad would wake up at 5am every day.
Yuan’s biggest settled sale this year was for a mansion on Paritai Drive, in Auckland’s Orakei. It sold for $9.5m. Photo / Supplied
It’s all about attitude – don’t be lazy, try hard and you’ll have a better chance. This is my home now, so I want to work hard and deliver great results and influence my kids like my dad influenced me.
Sometimes my wife complains that I’m working and not spending time with the family but if you are willing to do this job you compromise on other things – but how to balance it is the art of life.
Q: What do you do to relax?
I play soccer once a week, sometimes in Epsom and sometimes in Takapuna. After open homes at 3.30pm I enjoy two hours relaxing kicking a ball. Soccer is hard work, you need to learn skill and how to play smart.
I also drink tea and listen to music. I like catching up with people, I don’t want to sit at home or at the office all day. I want to be out meeting people and listening to their stories. I like to learn from them.
Q: How do you manage market fluctuations?
You have to find different ways to overcome the ups and downs – go back to basics. I make 100 calls every day and drive 65,000km per year. There’s business everywhere if you do enough prospecting. Find people, find business. People first!
It’s challenging but thinking positively is crucial. With one of my recent sales, I left my card persistently with the vendor for two years. Then one day they finally rang me.
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