Mandy Huang was a newbie real estate agent when she joined forces with industry veteran Jack Hu three years ago, and she admits it initially felt like working with her dad. But the pair’s differences have proved a strength, making them one of Barfoot & Thompson’s most successful teams.
Q: Mandy, what did you do before real estate?
I got two bachelor’s degrees in China, in advertising and architecture, but I did think real estate could be a good option. I went for an interview to be a salesperson and the man who interviewed me said, “Mandy, you are too well educated for this job. You won’t stay long.” So I didn’t get it. I decided to do a master’s degree in architecture and I came to Auckland University to do it. I chose New Zealand because it looked peaceful.
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When I graduated with my master’s, I did six months as a draughtsperson, doing CAD, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I am a people person, I wanted to talk to people, not sit in front of a computer. I then got a job as a PA to a top real estate salesperson at Barfoot & Thompson, then went to the Highland Park office to be the admin lady. After that I moved into rental, as a property manager. I did that for 10 years.
Q: Why did you move into property sales?
Being a property manager, you deal with a lot of trouble. You have to solve problems and I had to say no a lot. Sometimes I would have to sit in my car for half an hour when I got home to digest all the negative things before going in the house.
My passion is art and I was doing children’s books that are going to be published in China, but it was hard to feel the happiness you need to paint when you have been dealing with arguments all day. I thought I could try selling real estate, that it might be less stressful but also give me more flexible time. Actually, I am very busy and don’t have as much time to do painting, but I am still pleased I got into sales.
Q: How did you end up working with Jack?
He worked in the same office, he was one of the top salespeople and I knew he had a lot of good qualities. Before I quit my property manager job, I said, “Jack, you have 20 years’ experience, why don’t I become your associate?” He said, “Mandy, I like to be fair. I don’t want you to be my associate. If you work with me, it will be in a partnership. We will do everything as a team.” That touched me. I was nobody, he was a top salesperson.
Huang: "When you hear a lot of people’s stories, it makes you think about your life and how to have good qualities." Photo / Fiona Goodall
In that first year we worked together, sometimes I thought, Gosh, this is like working with my dad. There was the age difference and we are also different personalities. I’m quite outgoing and if Jack can finish a conversation in 30 seconds he will not talk for half an hour like me. But after a year I could see that we were a good combination, with different strengths. I am good at marketing and communication and making a property look beautiful. I also have a younger database, and I have lots of investors on my database because I was working in rentals.
Jack is very good at negotiating and he has a lot of experience and knowledge in selling developments and commercial properties. There is a lot of respect for him.
Q: What’s the most important thing you have learned from Jack?
Loyalty. He is a very loyal person and people trust him. He treats people equally, whether they are rich or not. Also, he showed me, don’t try to be like anyone else. Just be yourself.
He is a very good role model. I look at his amazing garden, which he has spent 10 years working on, and it encourages me to be persistent and dedicated like he is.
Q: Have you had any particularly memorable sales?
A lot! I feel like I can learn a lot from my customers. I sold a property for a couple who were divorcing and because of the way the market was, the lady was going to lose a lot of money. In the auction room I said to her, “You don’t need to take this,” but she said, “No, I need to sell the house and move on.” She was so calm, and so decent, she even congratulated the buyer. From watching her, I learned a lot about dealing with a situation that is not so good. I hope in the future she can buy something really nice.
Q: What do you love about the job?
The contact with people. They make me feel that life is vivid. When you hear a lot of people’s stories, it makes you think about your life and how to have good qualities.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
I always like to paint when I have the time. I do different types of art and also calligraphy. I did an exhibition a while ago and gave the money from selling some paintings to Starship. I think it was around $3000.
Jack Hu tends to his pride and joy: "If I have an hour of spare time after work, I will change my clothes and go into the garden. In summer I’m still out there at 9.30pm." Photo / Fiona Goodall
I go to the gym three or four times a week. Five years ago it was twice a day because I entered a body-building competition. I was the only Asian girl in the competition and I got third place. It was a good experience.
Q: Jack, what did you do before real estate?
A long time ago, in China, I was a policeman. I lived in a big city and wanted to have a garden, so I came to New Zealand because it had such a good environment. I studied IT at AUT but I wanted a job that was more challenging than just sitting in an office. I was helping friends who were coming to New Zealand from China to find houses to buy and I thought maybe I should change to this career.
It was hard to get listings to start with. I did a lot of door-knocking. A lot of people did not want to talk to me, they shut the door. But I kept going and now about 60% of my listings are from previous buyers or referrals.
Now I sell properties from Kerikeri to Haast, on the West Coast of the South Island. A lot of my buyers are investors and I find suitable property for them. I sell commercial and rural, as well as residential.
Q: Why do you think you have done so well?
Hard work. I work long hours to get the best for people, I think that is why my clients are so loyal to me. When I was starting out I would be working and my wife would be working so I would put the children in the car and go to see people. I’d be standing outside the car, negotiating a sale, while the children were in the back seat. People would say, “Jack, how can you work like this?” but I had no choice. We were new immigrants, we had to work hard.
Q: Have you had any particularly memorable sales?
I had one vendor who had to sell his property in the next week because he was going to go bankrupt. It was in the recession in 2010 and the bank wanted to put his house, which was worth a million dollars, in a mortgagee sale. He would have lost everything, and his wife would have divorced him. I only had a couple of days to sell it, but there was no time to put the house on the market. I used my database, I found a buyer overseas, an investor I worked with previously. I did an unconditional deal in two days and selling the house saved his marriage.
Q: What’s it like working with Mandy after being solo for so long?
It’s good. I had always been on my own and thought it would be hard to be in a team because I have quite a different style of working. But I saw that she is a hard worker. It has been good training her – she listens to me! I do the negotiating, she does the marketing, and things like social media and radio shows, which I am not good at.
Her architecture background is also good because she can give advice to developers about designs and layouts.
Q: What do you do when you are not working?
I like to go climbing. I have climbed Mount Cook. I find climbing gives me life balance and helps me to do a stressful job.
My big passion is gardening. I have just finished designing and building my garden – it is 3000sqm and has taken 10 years. It’s a traditional Chinese and Japanese style garden with a teahouse and waterfall and bridges. Most of it is very steep so it has been a lot of work. I did get a digger in and a crane to move heavy rocks but the rest of it I have done myself. If I have an hour of spare time after work, I will change my clothes and go into the garden. In summer I’m still out there at 9.30pm.
It’s the second time I have done a big garden – the last one took me 16 years. I won’t do another one, I’m too old now. But I feel very lucky to have been able to do this – in China I would still be doing bonsai.
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