New Harcourts Cooper & Co Orewa sales manager Harvey Zhang might call himself a bit of an IT ‘nerd’, but his latest position on the sunny Hibiscus Coast has him fizzing.
After 18 years as IT technician for Wentworth College at Gulf Harbour, Torbay-based Harvey has returned to an industry he has loved since moving to New Zealand from China 20 years ago as a child. And he’s looking forward to shrugging off his computer science persona for that of a friendly and welcoming real estate office leader.
“I learned a great deal from my stepfather-in-law, who was a builder, when I was younger,” Harvey says. “We would renovate houses and sell them together. That gave me hands-on experience of the building and real estate industries, and I loved meeting, talking and becoming friends with people.
“You don’t get to talk to the public in the IT industry much, so I am very excited about my new job.
Harvey, who grew up on the North Shore, got his computer science degree from the University of Auckland and has operated several businesses within the industry since. He says that experience has cemented his attitude that relationships between clients and the sales experts they trust is of utmost importance.
The father of two school-aged children says Orewa is a special town that provides people with an enviable lifestyle and offers a central base from which to see what the Hibiscus Coast has to offer.
“Where else do you have such access to a huge range of activities,” he says. “If it’s walking along the beach, fishing, hiking, boating, cycling, jogging, gym activities, picnicking on the sand or a vast range of other activities, it’s here at Orewa Beach.
“And don’t forget enjoying a leisurely coffee in the township. Everything we need is either in Orewa or Silverdale or Whangaparaoa,” he says. “We are very lucky to have these benefits, and I will enjoy talking to people about them in the future.”
Harvey hopes to provide the top-quality Orewa office team with momentum, motivation, mentoring, encouragement and coaching to maximise their success. “My role will be building their business so they can succeed more,” he says.
In his spare time, Harvey enjoys travelling and IPSC pistol shooting, in which he is hoping to one day represent New Zealand in.
Harvey is also keen to hear from team players who want to establish a real estate business or expand their existing base to join Cooper & Co, which boasts offices from Devonport to Matakana and Hobsonville to Whangaparaoa, with more than 450 sales consultants and around 150 support team members working to sell your property today.
