Rural & luxury property expert

From her first job as a share milker, Kelly Sinclair has owned and operated two successful business before the lure of a bigger dream took control. Moving through the ranks of real estate for the past 8 years, her sales expertise saw her achieve Top 5 agent status in her first year. She built her ethic on another Real Estate success story, Michael Boulgaris and followed his entrepreneurial spirit closely.

"I watched everything he did and always said that I would love to get into real estate and work alongside Michael one day," she says.

When she heard, a few years ago, that Michael would be selling a property close to her home in Papakura, Kelly took the opportunity to visit the open home and find out more about how Michael operated; but it wasn't until she got married this year and was on her honeymoon that she decided to make the call and to contact him to discuss a partnership.

“before I knew it, I was representing Boulgaris Realty and now specialise as the Luxury Rural Agent for the brand.” she enthuses.

As a self-confessed stickler for details with an A-type personality, Michael says that communication is high on the list of attributes he expects all of his staff to possess and he always makes sure that no email or phone call goes unanswered. "I believe in crossing my T's and dotting my I's and that is just one the many points of difference which makes us stand out from the rest."

Combine Kelly’s exceptional communication skills, motivation to succeed and experience working in the rural and luxury sector, and it was an obvious choice for Kelly to represent the Boulgaris brand for the rural market in the Franklin area. From the age of 16 she has been milking cows and currently lives on a lifestyle block in the region. "We are currently rearing cows and our sheep have just added to our menagerie with some more lambs. The goats, pigs, dogs and cats are always up for some attention.

While she admits that juggling her home life as well as a busy job and being mum to three children can be hectic at times, she says she tries to keep her work/social life balanced at all times. "I might spend part of my day on the property moving and feeding the stock then get a phone call to go and meet a prospective client. Every day is different," she says.

As a positive self-starter, Kelly knows how important it is not to get bogged down with the detail, so she employed a personal assistant from the very beginning who she believes has become a huge asset to the way she operates her business.

"In order to offer the best service to our clients, we can't be doing huge amounts of clerical work. Kelly's job is very much face-to-face and it is important that she has an efficient system in place. A lot of small businesses can fail because they take shortcuts." says Michael.

With an office set up in Drury, Kelly and her now licenced PA Anup Menon work together ensuring that every client enjoys the best service possible at all times.

Kelly has a strong background in dairy farming, which compliments Michael’s well known experience with horses.- having participated in polo and hunting for many years. He also owned a lifestyle property in

Ramarama where he raised Bassett Hounds and grazed his horses.

"Being involved in Polo and getting into the Pakuranga hunt as well as various trekking and equestrian events, has given me an excellent insight into how much of a stronghold there is in the Karaka and Drury region, in terms of excellent properties for those looking for grazing land and good lifestyle properties," he says.

When Strathallan College came into operation, there was an even bigger draw-card for people to buy in the region. "I felt blessed when Kelly approached me and said she was looking for an opening into rural and luxury real estate as she was just the type of motivated employee that I needed".

He says that while a lot of the agents from the city can be uninformed about rural properties, both Kelly and Michael's combined experience can put clients at ease. "We can talk the talk as well as walk the walk. I'm not just a city-slicker in a suit," he laughs.

But it's not just establishing rapport that is important, in fact the team at Boulgaris Realty put a lot of effort into ensuring that all marketing and communication is at the highest level possible. "We make sure our hand-outs have everything a prospective purchaser could possibly need. This includes floor plans (so the buyer can go home and measure up their furniture) and vital statistics including the LIM report as well as aerial photography and anything that will make our client's buying experience easier."

Recognised as REINZ Salesperson of the Millennium, it's obvious Boulgaris Realty is selling properties at the top-end of the luxury market and Kelly has the same motivation and drive that is synonymous with the brand. "I'd like to be the leading luxury property agent in Franklin," says Kelly.

With her many years living and working in the region and an existing presence within the region, with Boulgaris Realty and Kelly Sinclair being the major sponsors for the Karaka Netball Club, it is evident that Kelly is an expert in her field with a bright future ahead.