When Sarah Howlett fell into the real estate industry, she had her doubts that she could make it in a sales-oriented career.

“Being stuck behind a desk for 30 hours a week, I found I didn’t have the flexibility I once had to be available for my young children. I was encouraged to become a real estate salesperson so I could take those opportunities more easily. I’d never considered the industry as a career and didn’t think I would be very good as don’t have that ‘pushy salesman’ personality, but was open to giving it a try,” Sarah explains.

Thankfully it’s not about being pushy at all, she soon realised.

“Rather it’s all about relationships and a passion for helping people transition from one living situation to another. A good knowledge of the local market, having good processes, plus marketing, communication, and negotiation skills, all play a part in being a great agent and getting the best outcome for your clients. Honesty is also a biggie; providing a realistic appraisal of the value of your client’s property, informing them of what the market is or isn’t doing, advice on how best to market their property, all so their expectations are realistic too.”

It was through a friend at the local Warkworth Tennis and Squash Club that Sarah started working in real estate, initially as Office Administrator. In 2015 she was having a break from her work as a Marketing Consultant when the friend approached her and asked if she’d like to help set up a new real estate office in Warkworth.

“At the time, it was secondary income, and a way I could feel like I was contributing to the household.  I had enjoyed helping in the community so moving to a salesperson role enabled me to continue being involved while having the flexibility to be there for my children too,” she says.

“I was born and bred in Auckland, and even though I had spent holidays at Algies Bay and Snells Beach I’d never thought of living here. I had a couple of years to come to terms with the potential move before making it. Now, to go back and live in the city just isn’t an option – I love it here too much! “

Living by the water, and being in a friendly, beachside community has been so enjoyable. When I first moved up, my daughters were young, so I found it easy to make friends with other young families, and mums of my children’s friends.  I also joined the local Warkworth Tennis and Squash Club and made great friends there too.”

Community is important to Sarah, which is why she loves working where she lives.

“Being able to help those I know, neighbours, and those in my wider community is really rewarding. I want to see them thrive and want the best for them as individuals. Having local knowledge of the area, especially when talking to potential buyers looking to move here, they appreciate the helpful hints and reasons why you might live in Matakana vs Mahurangi East vs Warkworth. We have a friendly community and helping like-minded people move into the area, settle, and feel like they belong is a pleasure.”

Resilience is a quality Sarah values.

“Life can take you in different directions to what you hope and expect sometimes, and recently I have had to rebuild my life from what it was, which has been challenging at times, especially adding lockdowns to the mix. I found myself having to sell a loved home of 10 years and buy another one, in the middle of a crazy market.

“I bought a house in Algies Bay that needed major renovations, something I knew would be a big project and didn’t scare me, but had its struggles, including finding available builders, rising building costs, and topping it off with an extremely busy work schedule and family issues. Thank you to the builders who came to my rescue – it wouldn’t have been the easiest project, but it was much appreciated.

“They say challenges help you grow stronger – you certainly learn a lot about yourself in tough times.”

Supporting clients when they, too, have challenges, is something Sarah prizes.

“I have always had a good listening ear, and I think that is really important when helping both sellers and buyers. Everyone has different expectations, wants different things, likes to be communicated with in a certain way, has a reason to be moving, or even just considering whether to make a change or not. Listening, and taking note, means I can help them make the move at a time that suits their circumstances, and showing buyers property that suits what they are looking for,” she says.

“I love celebrating the success of a sale, both for my vendor and my buyers.  In most circumstances it’s an exciting time for both, for others it might be a relief or mean they can move on. Being so involved in that process can have its highs and lows, depending on the circumstances or the market, but being able to walk alongside people during one of the biggest transactions they can make in life, is certainly an honour and a privilege.”

Sarah’s top tips for today’s market
“The market has done such a huge turnaround from the frantic ‘fear of missing out’ experienced over 2020 and 2021. It’s tougher for buyers to get finance and takes longer for those on the market to sell, so having the tenacity to stay focussed, dedicated and committed to the sale, is extremely important. Sometimes the feedback you are giving to vendors isn’t what they want to hear, but you know it’s better giving them the truth than trying to brush things over to look rosy, leaving them wondering why it’s taking longer to sell than it took for their neighbour last year.”

She’s optimistic about the future of the local market, saying, “Many workers have a little more freedom in where they can work from, while others are preparing to retire out of the city but still want to be close enough to access it when needed. Warkworth and surrounding Matakana and Mahurangi East will become even closer to the city once the new motorway opens, and a lot of land is now being opened up for development which increases the options for buyers.”

Advice for sellers
“I often say to people, it’s a good thing to keep your house well maintained, and even have a plan to update a different part of the property every couple of years, such as the kitchen or bathroom, or outdoor spaces, to keep it from looking too dated or being a big project for the next owner. You never know when life might pull you in a different direction and you need to sell.”

Sarah Howlett
Harcourts Snells Beach
Phone: 021 545 999
Email: sarah.howlett@harcourts.co.nz

Source: Stuff.