As the endless headlines have demonstrated this past week, sometimes working in the family business can be a bit tricky to get right.
But the real estate industry is full of folks who’ve made working with their marriage partner, or the wider family, look like the only way to go.
The Smiths of Titirangi are a case in point. The family owns seven Ray Whites offices, branded Austar, that cover most of West Auckland.
Brendan Smith says there are “heaps of us” before deferring questions to brother Craig, who is one of the co-owners of the business.
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Of the five brothers and one sister of Craig and Brendan’s generation, only two do not work in the business – one lives overseas, the oldest sibling is a scientist, “the academic in the family”. Then there are a couple of spouses and the next generation of kids, bringing the current number of Smiths in the business to eight.
And Craig has his eye on at least two others of the 13 grandchildren, thinking they’d make great sales people.
Working together as a family was started by Craig’s parents, Rose and George, who owned St George Furnishings in Papatoetoe. George was the great salesman, says Craig, who started at the bottom in the family business learning from the “seminar of dad”.
Rose, who died only last year, aged 89, delighted in the get togethers of her family which Craig says are all very people oriented. He admits that family gatherings involve a lot of real estate talk around the table, saying they like to share stuff. They can’t resist, he reckons, because there’s always a story in real estate.
That spirit extends to the 80 or so Austar staff.
“We’ve tried to create a company based on family values and working together,” he says.
“No-one gets an advantage. One of our pillars is courageous honesty, no one is threatened and we have really strict rules and check-lists.”
Across Auckland city, Lisa and Steve Stone of the Ray White Parnell started their real estate partnership nearly nine years ago.
The couple, both with IT backgrounds, had occasionally worked together while they were doing their OE in London and Florida. When they returned to New Zealand in 2006 they didn’t want to work in corporates, so searched around for business they could do together.
Lisa and Steve Stone for Ray White Parnell, Auckland, say that working as a couple doubles the chances of clicking with a client. Photo / supplied
A stint learning the real estate agent trade in 2011 set them on that track.
“At that stage, there were not really examples of couples, the only ones we knew of were Gary and Vicki Wallace [of Bayleys],” says Lisa.
The couple admit that they’ve never even bothered to try to separate home and work life, as in real estate clients call at all times of the day or night.
“It’s easier than if one of us wasn’t in real estate, because at least we both know we’re doing the open home or doing the deal until 11 at night,” says Steve.
Lisa adds that having a partner gives them both more energy, as they can support each other and having a knowing ear when they need to get things off their chest.
They’ve learned to divide the work load, and can quickly suss which of them is better with a client.
“Nine out of ten times, one of us will be a better fit than the other. So if they don’t like one of us, we’ve doubled the chance to do better with the other,” says Steve.
And if they’re asked by other couples considering working together whether they should, both Lisa and Steve give a resounding yes.
The Stones may well have been helped to meet Janet and Robert Anderson of Bayleys Wanaka.
Wanaka Bayleys real estate couple Janet and Robert Anderson says that getting some time alone is their secret to over 30 years of working together. Photo / supplied
The real estate power couple, working since 1988, says they don't know any other ways of doing business but together.
Janet, 64, and Robert, 68, did received strange looks from the office when they decided to work as a team, starting in Hawkes Bay, as it was a new concept.
"They only way to shut people up is to go out and do it. I sold a house on my first day of work. That kept them quiet for a while," Janet says.
The couple share the load and their real estate career wouldn't be as successful otherwise, Janet says. Advertising is his strength, negotiating is hers. If one plays golf or takes art classes, the other takes care of the open home.
The Andersons say their secret is to dedicate enough time towards hobbies and have some alone time.
"It's important to do something for you otherwise you forget about yourself and just think 'work, work, work'."
Robert says from their start farming together to real estate, the couple has not worked separately.
"A lot of people say that could not possibly do it but we just never done anything else," he laughs.
