Clean sweep for sales champ
Sales consultant Jeannie Boswell takes top honours at awards cermony.
With 26 years in the real estate industry behind her, Jeannie Boswell has collected her fair share of awards, but this year she has surpassed herself.
At the latest LJ Hooker national awards ceremony Jeannie scooped the pool. Jeannie was named No. 1 salesperson in New Zealand overall, No. 1 for income, No. 1 for exclusive listings and runner-up for number of properties sold.
This brings Jeannie’s total number of national awards to being named top salesperson overall 16 times and runner-up five times. She has been top salesperson for properties sold 14 times and runner-up six times.
She was aslo awarded the prestigious International (World Champion) Gold Medal Award, which is the penultimate award. This brings Jeannie’s medal tally to an astounding 29 - 11 golds, 13 silvers and five bronze.
‘‘I’ts been a while since I had such a clean sweep of awards.’’
But Jeannie says the delight in her success this time round is heightened by the fact her personal assistant Olivia Heaven was named No. 1 personal assistant in New Zealand.
Jeannie nominated Olivia for this new award category.
‘‘Olivia has been with me for seven years and she has been incredible. She takes care of all the administration and she second guesses me all the time. She’s a very special person. Olivia’s the one who keeps calm while I’m the one running around doing the business.’’
Jeannie believes that her success comes through having perfected the systems she works within.
‘‘I have created two separate roles. Olivia looks after admin and deadlines and Tammy Shanahan is my sales executive who looks after second phase processes. That leaves me free to show properties, do the open homes, closing and negotiating.
‘‘Over the years I’ve perfected my systems and don’t believe anyone else operates like this. My systems give me the opportunity to get my clients to the market exceptionally fast.’’
Widespread use of social media also means that Jeannie has a ready access to the market.
‘‘I use Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram and have a very good following. Not to mention my own website, LJ Hooker’s, Real Estate.co.nz plus Trade Me. I also have a big buyer database which Tammy manages so I can keep people updated constantly.’’
Negotiating is the part of the job that Jeannie most enjoys.
‘‘I love meeting people and becoming confidentially involved to help them when there are different things happening in their lives. Selling a home can often be a difficult time. There are many reasons people need to sell their home and this can be a stressful time for them.
‘‘Working with vendors becomes very personal and I establish really close relationships. Confidentiality is also very important. I just love to take the pressure off where I can and people are very happy with that continued level of involvement.’’
Jeannie hasn’t always been involved in the real estate industry.
‘‘There was a time in my life when I couldn’t afford to buy a house and had to go on the DPB for a couple of months to support myself and my three children.’’
Jeannie’s working life began with Telecom and New Zealand Post and by the age of 23 was carrying out management training sessions for people considerably older than her.
Then followed nine years at home raising children. Jeannie’s return to the workforce saw her selling radio advertising, at which she was very successful.
From there selling real estate was a natural progression. Jeannie started out with Challenge realty which was eventually bought out by LJ Hooker, and that is where she has stayed. She is still as passionate about the business and people as she was 26 years ago.
Whatever role Jeannie has undertaken she believes it’s all about the work ethic.
‘‘I’ve always worked really hard and for the first 16 or 17 years I was in real estate I worked seven days a week, 12-hour days, often I worked till midnight writing advertisements and doing admin work. Now I have two amazing PAS and successful systems that enable me to try and have one day off a week (if I’m lucky).’’