RE/MAX agents go above and beyond for their clients, but what does this actually entail? For RE/MAX Go For Sold agent, Hayley McNaught, this means cleaning top-to-bottom, inside-and-out, ready for an open home, even as far as planting new plants and borrowing furniture from her own home, all the while roping the family along for a long weekend of work.
While this may not sound like everyone’s idea of weekend fun, for Hayley, it’s all part of the job (and without any complaint).
Previously working as a salon owner with a number of RE/MAX agents as clientele, Hayley would regularly think about what it would be like to work in real estate; and, after a number of years in various customer service roles including hairdressing, retail, dental health and with Air New Zealand, she finally followed her dream and made the move to real estate – and hasn’t looked back.
“I had always wanted to work in real estate, it just never was the right time,” she says of her move into the industry.
“I’d have clients (in my previous jobs) ask me why I wasn’t doing it, and one day I said to myself ‘now’s the time’ and I just did it”.
Relatively new to the industry, Hayley has been working as a sales agent for RE/MAX Go For Sold, in Palmerston North, for a little over a year, but her impact on those she works with has been significant. Under the leadership of Pamela Lee Burge, and with the support of the RE/MAX office, Hayley’s determination and tenacity has led her to become a well-respected agent who has her clients singing her praises.
You know when someone says to you “If there’s anything you need, just ask”? That’s Hayley. She’s the person that is at your front door ready to help before you even contemplate the idea of asking.
“I’ve always been in roles which involve helping others and I suppose it just comes naturally to me to want the best for my clients,” she said.
“I don’t think it is one particular thing that stands out, but there is a lot of hard work and determination that goes on, and being available for them. Open communication is important and I always make sure my clients are informed about what is going on with their property.”
Every property is different, and so is every buyer and seller. Taking the time to get to know clients and earning their trust is an important part of an agent’s role. While no two sales are the same, for Hayley, getting to know her clients and those that are interested in their properties is extremely important.
It’s not just her sellers she’s looking out for either, personally thanking each person that has come to inspect at her open home, Hayley keeps them in mind for future properties that may be of interest to them.
“I couldn’t tell you what I had for breakfast, but I could tell you what type of property Mr Smith was looking for six months ago!” she says.
As for spending a long weekend getting a property ready for open house, she says it’s just about digging in boots and all, and doing what needs to be done for her client. One particular sale that has stuck with her occurred over the Easter long weekend last year.
“In this particular instance my client was overseas and the property needed quite a bit of attention before it was put on the market,” she explained.
With no-one local to put in the time for the owner, without hesitation Hayley dug in – boots and all – to get the job done, exceeding her client’s expectation.
“They were incredibly grateful and it was really rewarding to see it all go through”.
And a final word of advice from Hayley McNaught: Actions speak louder than words.
