16
OneRoof.co.nz
THE PROPERTY RICH LIST: BUYING AND SELLING
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Mega-mansions, sprawling estates and beachside escapes - you name it, they’ve sold it. DIANA CLEMENT talks to the agents who strike multi-million-dollar real estate deals.
N
ew Zealand’s luxury real estate heavyweights come from a range of backgrounds. Some started out by selling run-of-the-mill properties, others jumped in at the top end. One such agent is Graham Wall, who holds the record for New Zealand’s biggest residential sale - the former Hotchin mansion at Huriaro Place, in Orakei, Auckland which sold for a record $38.5 million in 2013. Wall fell into real estate thanks to being a man about town who knew how to put a deal together. He made his name selling all 11 of the Sultan of Brunei’s houses in Auckland’s Herne Bay to Kiwi businessman Gary Lane in 2005 for $35m. His son Ollie says, “My dad wasn’t a real estate agent, (but) he saw an opportunity to sell all of the Sultan of Brunei’s properties in Auckland.” Wall had a connection with the sultan, found a buyer and put it all together. The regulations were more relaxed in those days and Wall had a friend with a real estate licence who did all the paperwork. Lane only wanted one of the 11 properties, so Wall resold the other 10. It was a big leap into the world of high-stakes real estate and led to the creation of Wall Real Estate. “My dad went off and got his own real estate licence and started selling. Just one man with a mobile phone,” says Ollie. “He knew everyone in town. He’s a hustler - forever running around knowing everybody, putting people together.” Ollie and his brother Andrew joined their dad in the family business, leaving behind careers in advertising and art for the opportunity to sell luxury real estate. The family relies on its database to sell, Ollie says. “I think only one of the houses over $20m we’ve sold has actually been advertised. It’s almost better not to have 50 people at an auction for a property.” Like Wall, Paul Neshausen was made to sell luxury homes. The Barfoot & Thompson agent, whose mantra is “big money energy”, says, “I’ve always liked nice things. Whenever I’m out shopping for clothing, or cars or art, or furniture or whatever – I always end up buying the nicest, most expensive item. So, when it came to real estate, the same principle applied. I actually really love big, beautiful,
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Pene Milne broke records last year with the sale of waterfront home for $24 million. Photo / Fiona Goodall
Barfoot and Thompson agent Leila MacDonald: “I enjoy putting people together.” Photos / Fiona Goodall
Barfoot and Thompson’s Paul Neshausen treats each meeting with a potential vendor like a job interview.
Former Block judge and Bayleys agent Victoria Bidwell often gets calls from wealthy buyers on the hunt for a home.
