Career passion and enthusiasm burns brightly for real estate agent

Speaking on the eve of International Women's Day, the well known Goulburn real estate agent said her early childhood in New Zealand gave her a good grounding.

"I was brought up to believe I could do anything. My parents taught me the ethic of work and saving," she said.

The seeds of her long business career were planted at a young age. Angella and her brother, Monty, would rise at 4am, pick wild mushrooms from paddocks and then her farmer father would drop them up to the highway between Auckland and Wellington.

They'd set up a trestle table, with one weighing mushrooms and the other selling until they ran out of produce.

"The best price we ever got was 22 shillings and sixpence in 1957," she said triumphantly.

Angella also sold flowers her father planted to florists in Hamilton and Auckland.

Her "first real job" was working in an Auckland hotel, cooking and looking after disadvantaged people. Following her engagement, Angella became a clerical assistant and then office manager.

Her male boss encouraged her to take on bigger things. Soon she and her boss were running trials for eight-day-old chicks, learning about their nutrition and later, expanding into wine testing for vineyards.

After moving to Christchurch with her first husband and having her first daughter, Angella studied real estate, valuation and economics at a Tafe equivalent at night.

Back in Auckland in 1976, she went from receptionist to real estate sales person within a short time, after her boss spotted her potential.

"There weren't a lot of women in the industry at the time but I didn't stop to think that I was a woman," Angella said.

"I just thought I was doing a job and I've had that approach to anything I've done."

Time away having her two daughters didn't disadvantage her career.

Angella moved to Goulburn in 1988. It was "a new country, a new town and new marriage." She taught adult education at Tafe for 10 years, refreshed her real estate qualifications and started her own business in 2004.

Angella Storrier Real Estate is well established in the Goulburn and district market. The hours are long and six-day weeks are normal.

Although Angella says there are far more women in the industry today, whether male or female, everyone has a different approach.

"Some people find me too honest; I'm very matter of fact and to the point," she said.

"The only way to sell is to be honest and disclose everything you know. I couldn't bear to deliberately mislead someone."

Angella believes "government red tape" is a burden for small business and honesty doesn't flow from greater compliance measures.

On the community front, she donates funds to 14 schools annually, with a focus on educational improvement.

Despite her job's pace, Angella's passion and enthusiasm for the industry remains strong.

"I absolutely love it," she said.

"Every day is different...It's the variety, the challenge and lots of constant learning."

On International Women's Day her message for other females considering a business career is to ensure it's their passion, do background research, have well developed skills, work out an objective and how to achieve it.