Annabel Marshall has wanted to sell houses since she was seven years old, thanks to growing up with a mum and dad who were agents. Her first four years in the real estate industry have been something of a rollercoaster ride, but the Bayleys agent has no regrets about following in their footsteps.
Q: Is real estate the only thing you’ve ever wanted to do?
Absolutely. It’s in my blood. My mum and dad, Charlotte and James Marshall, were in real estate for a very long time and I grew up going to auctions and handing out flyers. I always knew real estate was where I’d end up.
After school I went to Otago University for three years to do a marketing and communications degree, which is really helpful in my job. I got to have that whole student experience in Dunedin. It was good to get out of Auckland and out of my comfort zone, and harden up in the South Island!
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After I got my degree I came back to Auckland and started working as a PA to my parents, who owned Harcourts in Epsom, while I was getting my real estate licence. I loved working for them and it was good doing the admin stuff because you really get a feel for the back end of the business.
Q: Did they help you to get a leg-up in the industry?
Kind of. They’ve been great mentors and they did help with my first listings. But then they decided to sell the business and get out of real estate at the beginning of 2020, just three months after I started working for them. I didn’t take it personally! They are still great when it comes to giving me advice, even though they are currently sailing around the world. I know I can ring them and ask them anything. But when it comes down to it, you are the one doing the job and you have to prove you can do it, which I have done. I’m definitely not in my mum and dad’s shadows.
Q: What’s the best advice they’ve given you?
They’ve always said not to overcomplicate things. And to be authentic. They told me not to try to be like this agent or that agent, to just be Annabel Marshall. It’s a very competitive industry and when you see other people’s success you think about doing things the way they do them, but you have to be true to yourself.
Q: Was it tough starting out at a relatively young age in an industry where most people are a lot older?
When I first started at 22 I had a couple of people asking how old I was. And I did have a moment of thinking, “How am I doing this at 22?” It’s a lot of responsibility. But once I overcame that self-barrier, age was not a problem. It’s not about how old you are, it’s about whether you can do the job.
One thing that was quite hard about being younger was that I didn’t have a network of potential sellers and buyers like people in their 30s and 40s have. None of my friends from university were selling houses or even buying really. My network had to evolve differently. I got to know people through the listings I had and grow my database that way.
Marshall keeps herself busy in her spare time with cooking. "My mum’s a good cook and it was always something we’ve done together." Photo / Fiona Goodall
I think real estate is a great career to get into when you’re young and it’s a shame more young people don’t see it as an option. Because it is commission-based, it definitely helps if you have some savings. I was lucky to be able to live at home for my first six months in the job.
Q: Was 2020 an interesting year to start selling real estate?
It was quite hard in some ways because the lockdowns meant I spent a lot of time having to work from home when I’d just started a new job. It was pretty stop/start but in those first couple of years we also had houses selling fast for good prices – our auction success rate was amazing. When the market changed in 2022 I had to change the way I did business. The biggest thing was learning to negotiate – I hadn’t really needed to do it much because 90% of the properties I listed had sold at auction. When a lot of places were getting passed in, I had to start negotiating and now that’s one of my favourite parts of the job. I love a good negotiation.
Q: What’s been your most memorable sale?
Last year I sold the former Mt Roskill fire station, and that was a once-in-a-lifetime campaign. When the vendor purchased it, it was in an absolute state – it was covered in graffiti and there were squatters living there. He found the blueprints from when it was built in 1927 and converted it to look like it did then. He did a phenomenal job, and it was so cool to get to sell something like that – it’s a beautiful building.
What was also cool was meeting some of the ex-firemen who’d worked there. A few of them wanted to come and have a look, and it was very emotional for them – some got quite teary. It was a reminder that buildings can be very important to people, and that real estate is not just about transactions.
Q: What do you love about your job?
Every day is different, every campaign is different and bespoke for each property, so you are not doing the same thing all the time. It can be really challenging, but I enjoy that.
Marshall's most memorable listing - a former fire station in Auckland's Mt Roskill. The property sold last year for $3.35m. Photo / Supplied
I love getting to meet so many different people. You become a big part of their lives when you are selling their house – it’s like you’re their best friend, speaking to them on the phone every day and seeing them a couple of times a week. I had one vendor tell me, “It’s going to be so weird not talking to you all the time – I’m going to miss you”. I like to keep in touch with my past clients and see how they are doing.
I can’t imagine ever doing any other kind of work. This is me forever.
Q: You’re doing really well – why do you think that is?
I think what you put in is what you get out. It is hard work and can be long hours, but I love it. I have days where I don’t feel like making calls [to potential buyers and sellers] but I make myself do it and I start having amazing chats with people and think, “Why didn’t I want to do this? This is great”.
I’m lucky to work in a very high-performing office, Bayleys Ponsonby, surrounded by top agents and I couldn’t be in a better place to learn. Everyone is good at sharing their knowledge and Bayleys is an amazing company to work for. The support you get is fantastic.
I’m still very much at the beginning of my career but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved as a 26-year-old. I know I’ve still got a long way to go though.
Q: Do you get a life outside of real estate?
I do, but it’s quite hard. This job is 24/7 and I don’t turn my phone off. When you spend your weekends doing open homes there are a lot of things you miss out on. But I am lucky to be able to have four weeks off over Christmas and a holiday halfway through the year when things are quiet. I love skiing so I try to get to Queenstown for a skiing holiday every year.
During term two and three I volunteer as a hockey coach at my old school, Diocesan School for Girls. I’ve been doing it for four years, coaching the same girls from year 5 onwards and it’s been so rewarding, seeing them grow up. I enjoy being a role model and somebody they can talk to. It’s quite a commitment for 12 weeks – training twice a week and standing on the sideline in the cold on a Saturday morning before I go to open homes – but I manage to fit it in.
The other thing I enjoy is cooking. My mum’s a good cook and it was always something we’ve done together. I’m not bad, but I’m a terrible baker!
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