200 homes sold in two years! From relentless door-knocking to building a “Dream Team”, what did this Chinese Auckland real estate agent get right?

Parents with a harmonious marriage, a happy family upbringing, and a smooth path through school, exams and job hunting; a job with a large company run by Westerners within two months of deciding to immigrate to New Zealand; more than 600 clients gained in just over a year in sales; a real estate licence secured in six weeks after deciding to change careers, followed by a signed listing the very next day; then a move into leadership, working alongside her elite Dream Team to sell more than 200 homes over two financial years…

Many people in New Zealand have heard Kitty Long’s story and shared it as an exhilarating tale of career success: a radiant heroine, seemingly blessed with a protagonist’s luck, overcoming every obstacle and rising ever higher. Such a story certainly sounds thrilling and inspiring, but that is a fantasy floating above the clouds.

 

Back on the ground in everyday life, no one can keep winning without effort. Ups and downs, twists and turns are the norm.

 

Kitty’s story charts a young woman’s growth from vulnerability to strength. It is an inspiring account of an independent woman striving tirelessly for her dreams, an exploration of women’s limitless potential, and an approach to life that combines an apparently delicate exterior with powerful inner resilience.

 

Today, we continue with Kitty’s story, sharing its concluding instalment。

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Link to the first instalment: Turning the tide against the odds! She gave up a comfortable life to move to New Zealand—20 years later, she had become a Chinese “legend” in this industry!

6 weeks that laid the foundation for a lifelong passion

 

The Great Commentary on the Book of Changes says: people must first help themselves before others will help them, and only then will Heaven help them. In other words, only by striving and working to improve ourselves can we gain more support and move from one success to the next. Without the ability to grasp an offered hand, we may fail to recognise a benefactor even standing before us. Perhaps it was Kitty’s determination to lose herself in her efforts and push beyond her limits during adversity that brought her such support: her talent found someone who recognised it, changing the course of her life.

 

The first person to recognise Kitty’s potential was Les Hoverd, owner of the Harcourts Flat Bush branch.

 

While working at WTV, Kitty’s habit of reflecting and drawing lessons helped her gradually realise that 50% of her more than 600 clients worked in real estate. Seeing their enthusiasm when discussing their work and their command of property knowledge, she found herself wondering, as someone who loved a challenge: could I do that? But she firmly suppressed the thought. “I had so many advertising clients who trusted me, and I had a responsibility to them. Besides, my income was already stable. After going through upheaval, I had come to understand how important stability was.”

 

At this point, Les gave Kitty an extra push towards changing careers. He was another client she had won over through persistence at WTV. Impressed by her refusal to give up in the face of rejection, he made a direct recruitment pitch: “Kitty, you should become a real estate agent. Your drive is perfect for it!” After half a year of persuading each other, Kitty secured an advertising contract with Harcourts Flat Bush for WTV, while Les secured her a scholarship through Harcourts headquarters, finally bringing this talented recruit onto his team. The offer was so good that even Kitty’s boss at WTV supported her move, promising: “If it doesn’t work out, come back. WTV’s door will always be open to you.”

 

 

Kitty’s performance proved Les had an excellent eye for talent. After 6 weeks of intensive study, she obtained the real estate licence that usually takes three months to secure. The memorable date was 17 December 2014. On the 18th, she signed her first listing: a former WTV colleague had complete faith in her character and ability and had been waiting for her to get her licence and start selling!

 

“During my 20 months at WTV, I mostly dealt with senior executives and attended countless business meetings, improving my sales and negotiation skills. If I could communicate well with them, I could win over homeowners too!” Kitty encouraged herself as she once again set out to canvass the streets. This time, she was knocking on residential doors in East Auckland. What had not changed was her determination, like the character Xu Sanduo, to “never abandon, never give up”. At one property, she knocked seven times, persevering through six emphatic refusals to sell before securing the listing at 1A Laings Road.

 

Within a few months, it seemed almost every homeowner in East Auckland knew the agent who knocked on doors so relentlessly. Her peers also quickly noticed this hardworking newcomer. During her first year, Kitty attended auctions held by almost every real estate company, taking extensive notes to understand which homes were popular and sold well, and to observe which types appealed to different groups of buyers. There is real wisdom in a willingness to use painstaking methods: self-directed learning and door-knocking helped Kitty sell 19 homes in her first year. Of her 7 own listings, more than half came from door-knocking. In her second year, she again sold 19 homes, but her listings doubled to 15.

 

Kitty’s hard work and results caught the attention of the next person to recognise her potential, Shao Cheng.

 

A Barfoot & Thompson agent and one of the best-known agents in Auckland’s Chinese community, Shao Cheng had already ranked first at the Howick branch for 6 consecutive years and among the company’s top 25 for 5 consecutive years. He had also been Kitty’s client and hosted the weekly Property Live programme on WTV. Listening from outside the studio, Kitty had long admired his expertise and dedication. His team’s first working principle—never lie or sacrifice integrity to make money—also made her feel she had found a kindred spirit. When Kitty decided to move into real estate, her normally supportive parents had given her just one golden rule: stick to the facts and never deceive anyone. This became a principle she has upheld unwaveringly throughout her career.

 

A larger platform, more opportunities, shared values and a desire to learn more from a leading agent meant Kitty had every reason to accept when Shao Cheng’s team repeatedly invited her to join. On 1 April 2017, she officially joined Barfoot & Thompson’s Howick branch.

 

 

Kitty remained a tireless worker in Shao Cheng’s team, sending work texts from 6h and selling 24 homes in her first year with the team. Moving from working alone to being part of a closely coordinated team also taught her a great deal. Shao Cheng’s management philosophy, techniques and leadership style laid a solid foundation for her to establish and lead her own team one day.

 

200 homes in two years: the elite Dream Team builds dreams

 

Perhaps when you choose to face life with an optimistic smile and a love of living, life loves you back, bringing opportunities and challenges that cannot simply be sought out.

 

Kitty spent two very happy years in Shao Cheng’s team and was pleased with her income. Just as she thought she would continue working alongside her team leader indefinitely, Shao Cheng decided to embark on a new chapter, moving from sales into management as manager of the Highland Park branch. Kitty and the other team members followed him there, formally establishing their new Dream Team on 1 September 2019. Although Kitty was not the most experienced member, she became its leader with everyone’s trust and support. After all, she is a decisive Leo with blood type O, a born leader.

 

Kitty’s Dream Team uses the slogan “Making your dream of a home come true”. Perhaps few people understand what that dream means better than Kitty:

 

After arriving in New Zealand, Kitty moved between rental homes more than a dozen times, with all the hardship that implies. Seeing her parents and children squeezed into two rooms, she quietly vowed: I must buy my own home as soon as possible and give my family a comfortable life! That wish finally came true in 2013. A decade later, the excitement of buying a home she loved remained vivid. It helps her empathise with even the most particular clients and offer thoughtful service, because she knows everyone has a unique dream of a home.

 

Kitty’s own dream home is in East Auckland. She has lived there since her first day in New Zealand and has never left. She loves the area and calls it her second home. “Chongqing is a mountain city, with undulating terrain, steep slopes and lots of steps. East Auckland is flat, with wide roads, and living here feels wonderfully refreshing. My dream home is a relatively new brick-and-tile house, ready to move into and easy to maintain. It needs to be in zones for highly rated schools to meet my children’s schooling needs. Supermarkets and shopping centres must be within walking distance, because my parents don’t drive. Good sports facilities matter too, because I have always played badminton and have represented Auckland in competitions. East Auckland meets all my requirements, and its house prices are reasonable, making it one of Auckland’s more affordable areas.” This is why the Dream Team focuses on buying and selling property in East Auckland. Kitty and her team recommend to clients who trust them a place they have loved for years and remain passionate about.

 

 

Over its first two financial years, the Dream Team sold more than 200 homes. To Kitty, that meant helping 200 families buy homes they loved. In particular, she has helped many single mothers find suitable homes. This has strengthened her belief that everything God has led her through has its own special meaning, and that only eyes that have shed tears can truly see the world clearly while retaining an innocent heart.

 

The Dream Team has grown steadily over three years. Even with the virus spreading and market sentiment low, it has maintained monthly sales of more than ten homes. Kitty is particularly proud that helping clients fulfil their dreams also allows team members to achieve their own. But she is even prouder of the team’s culture of mutual trust and support. Character and values are her first considerations when assessing team members. They are as close as family, spending time together with their children and travelling on holiday together as well as working alongside one another…

 

During the interview, Kitty mentioned Sun Li’s portrayal of Fang Sijin in the television drama I Will Find You a Better Home, a fiercely competitive manager focused on sales results and making money. Kitty, however, firmly believes human relationships deserve even greater care beyond earning a living. The grace of the Lord Jesus and her parents’ love, the family-like bonds among her team, friendships with clients and gratitude towards everyone who has helped her all nourish Kitty, giving her the motivation and courage to keep moving forward.