{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6a7a3151c399196b515e6d40/6ac429216c7db16d953eeb59?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"How she knows what you’ll buy before you do | Sharon Donnelly ","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6a7a3151c399196b515e6d40/1791240785074-664d67a3-a3bc-4f39-9534-1db629169454.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Sharon Donnelly can have one conversation with a buyer and know which property they’ll buy before she’s shown them a single one. Host Sarah Wood, Chief Executive of realestate.co.nz, talks with the Bayleys’ number one salesperson who has spent 25 years selling across Central Otago. Sharon grew up with three brothers, and she learned early how to read a room. </p><p><br></p><p>She talks about the one-bedroom house where she raised four kids, why some mansions feel empty, the home her grandchildren now let themselves into to enjoy her pool, and why, 25 years in, she still wakes at 4am wishing she was at work. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Highlights</strong> </p><p><br></p><ul><li>Growing up in “the party house” with three brothers and a relaxed mum meant a constant stream of different people. Sharon says it taught her to speak her mind and read the room, which has helped her career in real estate. </li><li>She knew as a child she’d be an agent. Location, Location, Location was the programme she remembers most, and she was “completely in awe” of the presenter, deciding that one day she’d be that person. </li><li>Her favourite home was the smallest: a board and batten house that was basically one bedroom, with four kids. The family slept in the open-plan lounge, her eldest had a room the size of a cupboard, and they stayed there for ten happy years. </li><li>Her read on buyers is uncanny. From one conversation she can tell which property someone will buy before she’s had them in her car, a skill she traces back to the house full of people she grew up in. </li><li>Her tip for first home buyers is to research the agent, and to look at how many listings they hold rather than the sales shown online: “the more listings an agent has, the more buyers, the more they sell.” </li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Guest bio</strong> </p><p><br></p><p>Sharon began her real estate career 25 years ago while raising four children, driven by determination and a commitment to succeed. That same work ethic continues to underpin her business today. </p><p>People remain at the centre of her approach. “I build relationships by being curious about people on a personal level,” she says. “I love hearing their stories and making them feel comfortable in their own home.” </p><p>Across residential homes, lifestyle properties, luxury estates, development opportunities, and everything in between, Sharon has built a reputation for tailored marketing, trusted advice, and consistently exceptional results. </p><p>Year after year, Sharon Donnelly continues to set the benchmark, not only for what success in real estate looks like, but how it is achieved. In 2025/2026, she was named Bayleys’ #1 salesperson nationwide for the second consecutive year, marking an extraordinary fourth time holding the overall national title. Her results have placed her ahead of not only her peers, but entire teams across the country. Sharon’s success reflects deep experience, high standards, and quiet determination behind the scenes.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Host bio</strong> </p><p><br></p><p>Sarah Wood is the CEO of realestate.co.nz, New Zealand’s longest-standing property portal, running since 1996, before Google even existed. Today it connects millions of Kiwis with homes, rentals and commercial spaces every month, and she’s leading its move into AI-powered property search. She is a regular commentator on the property market and the economic conditions shaping it, including the Official Cash Rate (OCR) and what each decision means for buyers and sellers. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Links</strong> </p><p><br></p><p>Sharon Donnelly at Bayleys: <a href=\"bayleys.co.nz/agents/sharon-donnelly-2855 \" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">bayleys.co.nz/agents/sharon-donnelly-2855 </a></p>","author_name":"realestate.co.nz"}