Sarah McBride and Sarena Glass of New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty have an enviable reputation in the Queenstown property industry as a highly successful partnership. QT Magazine spoke to them about the latest trends.

How challenging have the past 18 months been due to the global pandemic?

We feel incredibly lucky to be working in an industry which has continued to prosper over these times.  The impact of Covid-19 has certainly changed peoples’ mindsets and there is a high demand for lifestyle properties with Queenstown being an obvious target.

People have demonstrated they are prepared to pay good prices in key areas with many looking to relocate to the area permanently once the world returns to normal, particularly now that remote working has become common practice.

One of the challenges has been adapting our sales approach with many buyers being based offshore or in other parts of New Zealand and purchasing properties sight unseen. 

How do you ensure you are providing the best information to people unable to view Queenstown properties first hand?

We find we are doing much more research to collate the most up-to-date, accurate information so that people feel comfortable about the decisions they are making without physically visiting a property.

The latest digital technology helps us guide prospective buyers through a property and we have sold a significant number of homes and sections in this way, to buyers from the UK, Australia and New Zealand, since the pandemic closed borders. Digital technology is certainly changing the way the real estate industry is doing things and we feel we have adapted well to the process.

Is demand for property in the Queenstown area outstripping supply?

There are a lot of prospective buyers in the market and there is a heightened sense of urgency suggesting they are prepared to pay a premium price rather than miss out. We would like to secure more listings to satisfy this unfulfilled demand and welcome the opportunity to provide no obligation appraisals of properties.

Vendors should feel reassured by the trend towards remote purchasing that their properties are just as likely to sell while the borders are closed. It has been proven repeatedly that there is often no need for a buyer to physically set foot on a property with the technology available to the industry.

Is the New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty brand widely recognised?

The Sotheby’s International Realty brand is one of the most internationally recognised and has nearly 1000 offices worldwide and is instantly associated with quality. Listing with us elevates a vendor’s property and we ensure their property is well presented along with high-quality marketing campaigns.  We also look at each individual property listed and decide on the best approach to reach purchasers on behalf of the vendor. 

In Queenstown we consistently perform as the company that sells the most premium properties in the area. We are committed to service excellence.

How long have you been working together as a team?

We previously ran the Sotheby’s Luxury Rental Division before moving into real estate sales around four years ago. The sales environment appealed to us and we have worked well as a partnership. We value the relationships with our vendors and buyers and love the work we do.