Winning 6 homeowner review awards and named Real Estate Agent of the Year! From top seller to top-rated agent, what keeps her at the top of the North Shore?

Lily Zhang has been named “Real Estate Agent of the Year” in the latest annual property and construction industry honours. The award recognises her years of market experience and consistently strong sales performance, while reflecting the client trust and professional service she has built over time. In Auckland’s highly competitive North Shore market, her steady results and widespread client praise make her one of the standout industry figures on this year’s list.

Lily Zhang won six prestigious homeowner review awards in 2026. Over the past 24 months, she completed 196 sales worth NZ$234,300,000, bringing her career total to 1548 properties and NZ$1,540,000,000 in sales. Her outstanding reputation and consistent results continue to put her at the forefront of the North Shore market.

In Auckland’s North Shore property market, Lily Zhang’s name has become synonymous with professionalism and strong sales performance. Since joining Barfoot & Thompson in 2006, she has drawn on nearly twenty years of dedicated market experience to build a sustained lead in a highly competitive environment. In 2026, six prestigious awards based on genuine homeowner reviews reaffirmed her distinctive standing in the industry.

Unlike many practitioners who rely on short-term results, Lily has always regarded her reputation as her most important professional asset. In her view, sales can be recorded in numbers, but trust takes time to build. This long-term outlook has enabled her to maintain consistent performance and continued growth through market cycles.

Key achievements and industry standing

Lily Zhang has demonstrated exceptional consistency and competitiveness in both sales performance and client reputation. Over the past 24 months, she completed 196 property transactions worth NZ$234,300,000. Her career total stands at 1548 properties, with sales worth NZ$1,540,000,000. She has long ranked among Barfoot’s leading performers, taking the top North Shore sales team position for consecutive years from 2017–2025. She has also held the top ranking in the Albany–Browns Bay branch for more than a decade, while remaining among the company’s top five for overall sales.

On this foundation, she secured six homeowner review awards in one sweep:

1. Top 5 agents in Auckland by homeowner reviews – ranked 3

2. Top 100 agents nationwide in New Zealand by homeowner reviews – ranked 10

3. Top 10 agents across the North Island by homeowner reviews – ranked 6

4. Top-rated agent in Glenfield by homeowner reviews

5. Among the top 20% of agents nationwide in New Zealand for client satisfaction

6. A pricing expert who consistently meets clients’ price expectations

“For me, rankings based on reputation like these are more precious and more important than sales volumes or performance figures!” she said after receiving the awards.

Beyond her review rankings, Lily has also received repeated recognition from leading industry platforms, including a place among Realestate’s top 15 outstanding agents and high positions in OneRoof’s performance rankings. She has also won Barfoot & Thompson’s Community Service Award and the North Shore auction competition. Together, these achievements underpin her broad influence within the industry.

Professional approach and value for clients

Lily’s success is no accident. A long-term North Shore resident, she combines extensive local living experience, thorough marketing work and a strong client network to develop distinctive, in-depth market insights. She loves the area, pays close attention to every detail that gives a property an advantage, and channels that enthusiasm into helping clients achieve their dreams.

Her attention to detail is particularly evident in practice. From improving a home’s presentation before listing and communicating effectively with prospective buyers at open homes, to developing strategies for auctions or negotiations, she often takes personal responsibility for key stages to ensure every decision serves the final outcome. This close involvement allows her to achieve efficient sales within short timeframes. In some cases, transactions have been completed in just days, at prices exceeding sellers’ expectations.

She also brings a high level of professionalism to her work with buyers. Whether they are first-home buyers or experienced investors, her clients receive clear information and consistent communication. She emphasises transparency and careful management of the process, reducing uncertainty and stress through regular follow-up and prompt responses.

In real estate, sales figures determine an agent’s position, while client reviews determine how high they can rise. Through her consistently strong performance over time, Lily Zhang has shown that true competitiveness comes from professional expertise that delivers repeatedly and a trustworthy service approach, rather than a short-lived surge in results.