New brokers join Colliers offices
Colliers’ North Shore and West Auckland offices have bolstered their brokerage capacity with the addition of new team members.
Blair Smith recently began as a sales and leasing broker in the North Shore team while Sam Mackarell has moved into brokerage at the West Auckland office following a year learning the ropes as a team assistant and then office manager.
They came from different backgrounds before moving into property with Smith, an avid cricketer who plays for the East Coast Bays senior club side, working as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach. Mackarell spent seven years as a primary school teacher in the UK and New Zealand.
Real estate has been in Smith’s blood with a grandfather who worked in the industry, and he says the time is right for him to move into the property sector. He will focus on the commercial and industrial markets in Takapuna, Birkenhead, Belmont, Devonport and Browns Bay.
“Having lived in the North Shore most of my life I am really passionate about being able to further my career in this area,” Smith says. “There are some hugely successful brokers in the North Shore team, so being able to work alongside them and develop my skills is a great opportunity.”
Jimmy O’Brien, director at Colliers Auckland North, says they’re excited to have Smith on board and believe he’s the right fit for their team.
“Blair has outstanding connections to the local area through his background on the North Shore and having those links will put him in a great position to develop as a broker,” O’Brien says. “Our philosophy in our office centres around ‘fewer better people’ so while we are a small team, we are full of high performers, and we welcome Blair to our office and look forward to seeing him develop.”
Mackarell first thought about joining the property sector following a chance meeting with Colliers’ international sales director of capital markets, Richard Kirke, a couple of years ago. Kirke continues to offer mentoring and advice.
“I was thinking about taking on a new challenge and after meeting with Richard, I knew it would be a sector I could be successful in and now I am ready to get started and build a presence in the market,” Mackarell says.
The West Auckland office is led by general manager Nelson Raines, who says Mackarell has proven himself to be an incredibly quick learner in previous roles at Colliers. We are confident he will thrive in brokerage due to his outgoing nature and ability to build strong relationships.”