As Sales Operations Manager at Besser and Co, Nakita Tate has spent nearly a decade working across all facets of real estate, from frontline sales and marketing to executive support and operations and is redefining operational excellence in modern real estate.
For Nakita, it’s all about being the best. Not just getting by, but truly excelling.
“Much like upgrading your mobile phone, I believe it’s crucial for a brand to continually evolve, refine, and systematise their processes,” Nakita says.
Nakita challenges the standard.
“The real opportunity lies in recognising that AI, automation, and virtual assistants aren’t about cutting costs or reducing the workforce,” she says.
“They’re about unlocking your team’s true potential, eliminating low-impact tasks, and creating space for high-value work.”
Building a functional real estate operation using automation and offshore support will get things done.
Listings will launch, and tasks will be completed.
She believes that functionality doesn’t equal excellence, and it certainly doesn’t mean your business is being elevated.
To excel, businesses must constantly push beyond the basics and look for ways to improve.
Nakita has made this her mission.
As someone who has worked across the entire business, she’s developed a reputation for driving meaningful change and ensuring that every part of the business is working smarter, not just harder.
Her experience has given her the ability to see how small improvements can lead to big wins across the board.
Nakita’s journey into real estate was almost by accident.
She began in corporate reception and administration roles from the age of 18, and after moving back to New Zealand, she landed a job at Ray White Manukau.
“I started doing reception and sales admin, and then after hours, I’d work two hours doing admin for one agent. A few others in the business soon caught wind of this and before I knew it I was out on weekends helping with opens,” she says.
“It just sort of naturally progressed. That’s been the theme of my career, it’s just naturally progressed to where I am now.”
After Ray White Manukau, Nakita moved to Ray White Cheltenham, where she worked in a sales-facing role alongside Director Kevin Chokshi.
She then moved to Marshall White Bayside, where she worked in a sales-facing role alongside Matthew Pillios, both of whom are dominant leading agents in the Bayside area.
These roles provided Nakita with valuable exposure to high-performance real estate operations and leadership, and she was able to take many brilliant learnings from both.
This journey led her to Besser and Co., where she found herself in a unique position not confined to a single department.
“I’m not cornered into one department. I get to elevate the business across every layer sales, property management, training, recruitment, marketing systems, database management,” she says.
What truly sets Nakita apart is her strategic yet creative approach.
“My approach is highly strategic, but also creative. I question the boundaries of what elevating a business really means. Could a system be smarter? Could onboarding feel more premium?
“Could our marketing not just convert, but leave a lasting impression? I like to challenge what’s possible and bring a creative lens to operational thinking.”
Having worked with some of the industry’s top-performing directors in Bayside, Nakita’s learned firsthand what it takes to drive high performance.
“I’ve worked with agents at the peak of their careers. I’ve learned from them precision, urgency, focus on relationships, and I’ve layered that thinking into how I operate,” she says.
Her philosophy centres on one key idea: elevation.
“Customer service doesn’t stop at clients,” Nakita says.
“It starts internally with the systems we build, how we onboard staff, and the clarity people have in their roles. All that shapes the business from the inside out.”
Nakita’s approach has bridged the gap between operations and sales, creating more streamlined processes while maintaining high standards.
She’s also known for her forward-thinking stance on technology in real estate, particularly AI and virtual assistants.
“There’s a bit of an unspoken secret in the industry when it comes to using AI tools like ChatGPT and virtual assistants,” she says.
“It’s like a quiet shortcut no one talks about. But the reality is most people are using these tools, and if you’re not, you’ll fall behind.”
But Nakita believes that technology should enhance human capabilities, not replace them.
“AI and VAs should never replace the human element. They should refine the role so skilled operators can focus on what truly moves the needle,” she explains.
“That’s how you get ROI on a support role.”
She believes experience allows you to think strategically about property marketing in ways automation simply can’t.
“You can ask a VA to upload all your open times, but someone with sales experience might think, ‘Is this property struggling? Is there another similar property in the area we could feed off? Maybe we should do the same open times as that.’ You’re not going to get that forward-thinking from AI.”
At Besser and Co, Nakita describes her role as a “unicorn role” overseeing everything from recruitment and training to marketing support, compliance, sales strategy, and client communication.
“I’m not tucked away in the background, I’m across the whole business, and that means I can adapt quickly and step in where needed,” she says.
One innovative system she’s implemented helps manage Director Dion Besser’s high call volume without losing personal touch.
“Without losing the human element, we’ve integrated a system where calls divert to a platform that I can see. If he’s in a listing presentation or back-to-back open for inspections and there’s a vendor or potential client wanting to sell their house, they’re not waiting, they’re getting a personal call from me, not a VA,” she says.
“This system has greatly improved my director’s time and energy.
“Since I’m also across his personal business, many of the calls are something I can handle myself.
“This eliminates low ROI phone calls, allowing him to focus on generating new business or maintaining current relationships. It also ensures that customers are assisted in a timely manner, improving both efficiency and client satisfaction.”
Her approach comes down to using technology to enhance rather than replace connections.
“It’s not about replacing humans, it’s about integrating technology so you can get the most out of your team”, she says.
For Nakita, the future of support isn’t about removing people, it’s about refining the role so the right people can operate at their highest level.
“That’s where tech and talent work best together”, Nakita says.
