– Adrie Barnard[/mk_fancy_title][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”span” size=”20″ line_height=”140″ font_weight=”300″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none”]Adrie Barnard has ventured into every aspect of real estate, from property valuation to construction, but putting people into their dream home remains her passion – as Chief Operating Officer of Huizemark Franchising Group, a passion she enjoys sharing with agents and business owners.[/mk_fancy_title]
I chose real estate as my career because I wanted to be in control of my own future. I didn’t just ‘fall’ into real estate because I had nothing else to do; I had post-graduate qualifications and could do many other things back in 1986. Initially my parents were horrified by my decision to sell houses but accepted it soon after when I started earning an income unheard of in those years.
After one month of being an agent, I started my own agency – it was small with only five agents, but we were successful and had a lot of fun. If I had to do it all over again, I’d be less bold and take time to first learn more.
Real estate has many aspects to it, and I wanted to experience them all. Over the years I’ve ventured into property valuation, property development, construction, training, letting and commercial real estate, but putting people in the home of their dreams remained my ultimate passion and I always kept selling residential property, specialising in sectional title. I am an accredited Seta assessor and moderator and since 2008 have helped many agents and principals to obtain the relevant qualifications. Thirteen years ago, I joined Huizemark Franchising Group, and as chief of operations, I just love to see how agents grow and business owners succeed.
Less is more. Today with the help of technology one could pretty much sell anywhere, but I believe specialising in a small area where you know everybody and they know you, results in consistent sales. Nothing beats word-of-mouth referrals. To be everywhere is to be nowhere.
You win when you lose. When you have an unhappy client, apologise, fix the problem and move on; even if you are not at fault. To justify or get angry will add fuel to the fire; you will lose them as clients and they will spread the word, robbing you of future business.
Persistence and consistency are the keys to success. There will be times when the going gets tough and if you give up, you will never experience the sweet smell of success. You must have a burning desire to achieve a good man-sized goal, plan your days in advance and consistently follow through.
Keep learning. Read everything that will help you excel in your career: material on real estate, business and finance, self-improvement and legislation. Get your EAAB Logbook & Portfolio and NQF 4 Real Estate done within your first 12 months as an intern. Visit the EAAB website regularly for updates and follow industry leaders on social media.
Take time out for yourself and your family. You’re going to work on Sundays, so take another day that your family knows is ‘their day’. Take a break from time-to-time to recharge. Book your family vacation a year in advance so that you and your loved ones can look forward to it. This will ensure that your motivation levels stay high.
Become the agent of choice in your area. Specialise, be visible and always work with the highest integrity.
This paid feature is part of the Property Professional Special Feature for Women’s Month August 2019.
