Adrienne Mikkelsen is the owner of Property Indepth Franchise, covering Bay of Plenty, Coromandel and South Waikato.
After beginning my career with a long established Rotorua firm in the late 1990’s followed with the obligatory OE. In 2007 I returned to Rotorua. In 2009 I was offered the opportunity to purchase a Property InDepth franchise. As a young (ish) female valuer, this was a fantastic opportunity to own my own business. It is a successful combination of being my own boss, and being supported as a part of a vibrant progressive franchise.
Property Indepth broke the traditional valuation ownership model by offering the franchise opportunity, and without them I would have never become truly my own boss. I am still the only sole female valuation business owner across the Bay, and along with my colleague, the Bay of Plenty offers us the strategic position of being able to provide our valuation services across the Bay area, as well as the Coromandel.
Would you encourage women to become valuers?
Absolutely. Like many other professions in New Zealand, valuation has been male dominated for so long, but in recent years there has been an increase in women coming into the profession. While it is a six- year process to become a registered valuer it is extremely rewarding. The journey starts with a three-year property degree, if studying fulltime, longer if doing extramural study. Then a further three years of supervision under a registered valuer before submitting an application to the Valuers Registration. A long road but I believe it’s worth it.
The benefits include:
- Not needing to be office bound, you can get out in the sunshine when it’s out, and then duck back inside when it’s raining. With today’s technology, working from home is a seamless option.
- Meetings in great cafes and working amongst our region’s great scenery.
- Above average income that we can manage around our family with flexible hours
- Working with great professional people from developers, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, architects
Being a part of the process of supporting their property goals, whether it be their first home, an investment, or a move up the property ladder.
Obviously like many other professions, technology and systems have made setting up a home office easy. As a working mum, you could ensure your inspections are between school hours (in Tauranga traffic that’s best anyway!) and be home working on reports when the kids come home from school.
Valuation is a strong customer relations business, and in my opinion, women have certain strengths that can enhance our success in the profession. Valuation isn’t just about the bricks and mortar of a house, it’s about connecting with your customers, listening to what they may be trying to achieve in their property journey, and showing empathy and understanding as they explain their goals.
With 26 years in the residential valuation business, I have certainly seen the highs and lows of the market, and understand the uncertainty and challenges this market brings, and enjoy supporting clients as we head into this market cycle.
