With an exceptional track record of delivering results for their clients, Anita Dobson and Kieran Barakat are among the most recognisable and trusted real estate agents on the Hibiscus Coast. The Harcourts agents don’t just sell homes – they make people’s dreams come true.
As second generation agents operating in the Millwater area, both Anita and Kieran live and breathe real estate. You’d think life was handed to them on a silver platter, but on the contrary they have worked their way up the ladder in a variety of roles, including Personal Assistant, Sales Manager, Auctioneer and Sales Consultant. Plus, having lived on the Coast for over 20 years, they are both active members of the community and have a thorough, first-hand understanding of the local market and the people who live here. Consequently, every facet of the real estate transaction is first class.
Early start
Anita has been a licensed salesperson since 2013 but had worked in real estate on and off since her early teenage years. “I started off folding flyers and doing odd bits and pieces for my dad. Funnily enough, I never wanted to be a real estate agent because dad was always working, so I wasn’t sure this was the right job for me.”
When she was in her late teens, Anita’s dad owned Ray White Northcote, and she worked for him as the Office Manager. She applied for her real estate licence, but never got around to finishing her exams as she still wasn’t fully committed to the industry. “Instead, I started my own bookkeeping business as one of the first Xero Certified Advisors and built websites as a side hustle.”
She ended up having children quite young and by her mid 20s was single again, had $50,000 in debt, renting, working full time and doing bookkeeping part time. Clearly, this wasn’t the dream start to her career that she had expected. “At that point, dad asked me to come and work with him. There was no looking back – I worked hard to get out of debt and have just kept going since.”
Call of the Coast
As a long time local, Anita kicked off her real estate career in earnest on the Hibiscus Coast. “It is such a great place to raise a family. I love the community and the beaches, and it is a beautiful part of New Zealand,” she says.
Over the past few years, Anita and Kieran have built a great team of sales agents and support staff who are passionate about people and property. “The industry has certainly helped me develop my leadership skills, but I really love that our clients get the benefit of our strengths combined within the team. It also means that our team can bounce different ideas around to come up with the best solution for our clients.”
There are two things she likes best about real estate. “The industry is primarily about people rather than property. I love people’s stories and being able to be part of that by helping them get to where they want to be. Secondly, a lot of people come into real estate because of the flexibility with hours, however we are very structured with our business and I really like that.”
Personally, Anita feels the biggest challenge has always been trying to fit in family time. “We are slowly getting better at it by taking a break during the school holidays, but it has taken a good seven-eight years to get to this point.”
Buying and selling
With the market experiencing a slowdown, would she recommend buying a home currently? “That all depends on the reason for purchasing. First-home buyers should always try and get into the market as soon as they can. Likewise, now is a great time to buy if you’re looking at upgrading your property. With fewer cash buyers in the marketplace, we are seeing a lot of sellers accepting conditional sales.”
On the other hand, if you are a seller, Anita recommends people do their homework. “First up, don’t be afraid to give references a call. You can only sell a property once, and it could end up costing a lot more than the difference in commission fees by choosing the wrong agent. Make sure that your salesperson has a proven record and access to buyers. Since you and the agent will be spending a considerable amount of time together during the sales process, pick a genuinely nice person.”
Outlook for the Coast
According to Anita, the Hibiscus Coast has grown significantly since she started real estate. “What I have noticed is that more and more people who have lived closer to the city are moving up this way. It used to be too far for commuters, but Covid changed that, with the ability to work from home.”
Life outside work
Anita is family focussed so any spare time she does manage often goes to running kids around with sport. They are involved in rugby at Orewa College and the Silverdale Rugby Club; netball and Air Training Cadets. “When we do get family time, it’s usually away in New Zealand somewhere mountain biking.”
The team believe that an important aspect of their business is giving back to the community. “We are proud to be able to support Orewa College Rugby & Stanmore Bay Primary School and look forward to being involved in further sponsorship activities in the coming months”.
Name: Anita Dobson & Kieran Barakat
Area: Millwater
Phone: 021 337 093
Email: anita.dobson@harcourts.co.nz
Website: www.coastrealestate.co.nz
