Nadja Court has consistently been one of Barfoot and Thompson’s top residential sales people, both for Auckland's North Shore, where she is based, and across the company, earning the top sales accolade and residential salesperson of the year two years running. She has sold more than $2.6 billion worth of property since she started 21 years ago.
Why real estate?
I love property, I love houses, design, architecture and being involved with people. Every day is different. It’s a personal business, all about relationships and trust and ensuring the communication lines are open at all times. I have developed fantastic relationships and friendships with many clients, many of whom I’d now call lifetime friends. I’m involved in several charities and love to mentor young agents.
Why Barfoot and Thompson?
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It was really the luck of the draw. I was looking in the window, gathering the courage to go inside and one of the agents, an Englishman Michael Crump, came out and asked me in. He introduced me to the manager, and I was interviewed and pretty much hired on the spot. I have never left. I am still with Barfoot and Thompson in Mairangi Bay all these years later. It’s a great place to work, the village is fantastic, it’s a real neighbourhood. The agents I work with are my friends, and I feel very lucky to do what I do.
How did it work out, juggling working with a young child?
Real estate is an all-consuming business and to succeed you need to be committed to it. When I first started, my son was young so when he was in school I worked. Then at night, when he was asleep, I made calls and followed up with the day’s business. He frequently came on appointments with me in those days, it was more casual and many buyers also had young children with them. It has always been important to me to be a supportive mum.
School holidays are traditionally quiet in real estate as many families are away travelling or at their beach houses, so it was a great time for me to spend time with family and recharge.
I structure my campaigns for four-week periods and try to have a quiet week between them. I love that I can work really hard for a concentrated period and plan around the school terms to use my time effectively. Most clients appreciate my family values and they generally share the same values.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen over the years?
Technology has made a huge difference worldwide. People can access information anywhere in the world and more data is available prior to contacting a real estate agent.
However, all that data does not offer people the X factor of walking into a property and knowing it is the one — the emotional fit. It is far more difficult to meet buyers face-to-face and fully understand their needs. When I first started, you would drive buyers around looking at houses and when they were in the car with you, you would talk about life and relationships and you’d find out all about them. You would say, “I know this is not what you said you wanted but let’s just have a look at this place because I think it could suit you.” And often, because you’d found out all about them, you would turn out to be right.
You don’t really get that as much these days — you just turn up at a property to show it to someone after they have seen it online.
I’ve always enjoyed that side of things, getting to spend time with people.
Do you get a lot of repeat business?
Most of my business comes from repeat clients and referrals. For me, happy clients are what it is all about. If one of my past clients recommends me, I so appreciate the trust and faith they have in me.
It’s not always easy. Many homes take months and months of hard work to achieve our owners’ expectations. I am by nature stubborn and when I commit to something, I believe you should give it everything you have.
I think it is because I have a can-do, solve-it attitude and am able to think laterally to find a solution. I get that from my mum, Jeannie. She’s an artist with a fantastic zest for life. She was 80 last weekend and decided to jump out of a plane and go sky diving with her oldest grandson to celebrate for her birthday. Growing up life was busy in our house — six children, a year apart, it was full-on. You could never lie around watching TV in our house, you always had to be doing something.
We all had jobs and I think that was bred into me from a young age.
Mum says to me now, “Slow down, you are doing too much” and I say to her, “Well, look where I learned that from.” She’s no different today!
What’s the secret of success in real estate?
Empathy, tenacity, humour and being able to have honest conversations with both buyers and owners. We are facilitators in the sale of their properties and need to be able to work together to problem-solve to find the best solution. We are trusted with their biggest asset and are often privy to very personal information so the trust involved by both parties is the basis for a good relationship.
Are you ever tempted to buy any of the homes you sell?
Frequently! I’ve marketed and sold many properties that I would love to have lived in. Clifftops, character bungalows, large estates and land holdings at Great Barrier, to name a few. I don’t believe you should ever buy your own listing though, it’s a conflict of interest.
It’s a real benefit to love what you are marketing, as buyers can pick up when you love what you’re selling.
We as a family have moved quite a lot. I am always tempted by coastal property. My family, as you can imagine, are not so keen. For now, I have been in my current home for six years. We have a lifestyle property in Matakana and try to get to our bach on Great Barrier a couple of times a year to recharge.
