In September, I sold a property in West Harbour.
When I say “I sold it,” what I mean is that I listed it, managed the campaign, and guided the process from start to finish.
The eventual buyer, however, was introduced by Yong Seok Chang from Barfoot & Thompson.
Yong did a great job. The collaboration was seamless. My sellers were happy. The buyers were happy. The result was right.
Recently, Yong called. The Daikin heat pump was playing up in the middle of this relentless Auckland summer, and the buyers were hoping to reconnect with the original installer.
I hadn’t dealt directly with the original owner or builder during our campaign and didn’t want to disturb my sellers while they were (hopefully) enjoying their new home. So I contacted Titus Lu from Ray White, who had sold the home to my clients a couple of years earlier.
Titus had been helpful before. During our campaign, we needed clarification on an open Land Use Consent, and he worked constructively with us, coordinating with his clients to have it properly resolved. That cooperation helped protect the strength and stability of our sale.
He made enquiries on our behalf and did what he could to assist. Ultimately, the buyer was directed back through the appropriate supplier channels to pursue the matter further.
It wasn’t dramatic. But it was a reminder that professional relationships don’t end at settlement.
I relayed updates to Yong, and he kept the buyers informed. Everyone remained responsive.
Collaboration doesn’t begin when there’s a commission to share.
It begins much earlier — in the everyday interactions between agents across the market.
When someone needs background on a file.
When clarification is required on an old consent.
When a call is returned promptly, even though there’s nothing directly in it for you.
Helping each other when there is no fee attached builds something more valuable than a split commission. It builds trust.
And trust influences whether an agent feels comfortable picking up the phone when it matters.
In my experience, the agents who invest in respectful professional relationships often find collaboration easier when it counts — and that ultimately benefits the client.
When I started in real estate in 2006, collaboration across brands wasn’t always encouraged. Agency culture often dictated how much cooperation was permitted.
Today, agency agreements still sit with the brand, not the individual salesperson. But culturally, the industry has matured.
Most agents understand that effective collaboration is commercially sensible — and good for the client.
Sharing a fee with another brand is no different to sharing it with a colleague in another office. The objective is the same: secure the right buyer and deliver a stable result.
But meaningful collaboration isn’t just about commercial logic.
It’s about relationships.
Over time, I’ve come to believe it matters less where an agent works and more how they conduct themselves within the wider market.
At GoodHaus, we collaborate with any agent from any agency from day one of a campaign.
Not reluctantly.
Not as a last resort.
But as a deliberate strategy.
Because the client doesn’t care which logo sits on the signboard.
They care about the outcome.
When another agent introduces the buyer, we acknowledge that openly — including on our sold signage. It’s a small gesture, but it reflects how we work.
And sometimes, months after settlement, that professional goodwill simply means the right people are willing to stay engaged and help navigate the next step — even when the solution isn’t immediate, and even when our formal role in the transaction has concluded.
Collaboration is influenced by cooperation.
And cooperation is built on respect.
Those relationships often determine how smoothly a transaction progresses — and how resilient it proves to be over time.
In the end, it matters less where you work — and more how you show up.
Yong and Titus, thank you again.