Linda Narayan- Suva Manager
Joining Australia’s fastest growing real estate network was an apt choice for a seasoned realtor passionate about breaking new ground.
Linda Narayan joined the game close to 15 years ago, and as one of the capital city’s most established brokers, has reached new heights with her appointment as Raine & Horne Fiji’s divisional manager for the Central Region.
This Suva office provides a regional Pacific hub for property seekers, with a local team part of the Raine & Horne’s global network in Australia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Italy and Japan.
Passionate about her work, she has also generously lent her industry expertise to training courses in a bid to promote the rewarding opportunities of the local property landscape.
“As an agent or salesperson, you need to be fully informed about market movements, property prices based on all relevant factors, carry out correct appraisals, give sound advice to your clients to enable them to make correct and well informed decisions about their most prized possession - their home which has attached to it sentiments as well in most cases.”
Though her foray into real estate wasn’t initially on the cards, she took a leap of faith and has made great strides in an industry that was initially bare of legislations, nor even a statutory body specified to its needs.
Being one of several women agents hasn’t pulled her back either, and she anticipates the continuing interest of more women in joining this career path.
“Women are making their mark in every male-dominated industry and real estate is no different. Yes, we have seen an increasing number of women join the industry over the years- there are no cultural barriers as such and quite frankly I haven't faced any challenges based on my gender. In my experience my male counterparts and clients have been very supportive and have always looked to me for advice or assistance and vice versa and I never felt I was any lesser than them being a woman. I always ensured I took that extra step to keep myself updated so my clients would appreciate that.”
“My career in the real estate kicked off in 2004, when my aspiration was to become an airline pilot. Financial difficulties meant that I took up software development instead, and I took up other work before I was offered a real estate agent job. I rejected it at first, and then reluctantly took it up. There weren’t many agents back then, but I received sound training and have never looked back. I remember sitting in my office with my clients at 9pm and drawing up the sale and purchase contract and after that, it was smooth sailing. It became easier as time went by. I was learning how to sharpen my negotiations skiĺls and overcome hurdles in the sale process from listing to selling a property and keeping both parties happy.”
Joining Raine & Horne has allowed her to spread her wings by taking on bigger challenges.
“R&H presented to me an environment where I could utilize my knowledge and skills to grow in my career while bringing to them my experience and I am excited and honoured to be entrusted with this huge responsibility. At R&H, our sales persons, agents and staff in general are trained to Australian standards whilst keeping our local edge by our group GM and internal trainer, Bill Russell and we look forward to helping take this industry further."
Shyamlee Raju - West Manager
Vibrant, knowledgeable and trained to international real estate standards, Shyamlee Raju exemplifies the calibre of Raine & Horne’s female rank.
Since joining the industry in 2007, Raju’s listings have covered a wealth of all property types, and she has seamlessly closed dealings on prime commercial, residential and hotel properties throughout the country, including major landmark tourism developments.
With a formidable reference of transactions, it was only fitting for this seasoned realtor to bring her credentials to one of Australia’s oldest family-owned real estate firms when they marked their first expansion to Fiji in 2017.
Raine & Horne has operated for over 134 years and with a global network of some 350 offices, its first entry into the South Pacific market has attracted a stellar cast that includes some of the few female agents who have stomped their mark in local real estate.
“Raine & Horne is an empowering environment for women because they promote and encourage our professional advancement in an industry that is traditionally dominated by men, and we are given the freedom of airing any concerns openly and to assert our independence in the amazing world of real estate. This gives us a competitive advantage and a great deal of resources and commitment is put into steering us to be the best in such a highly competitive field.”
Reliable sales, leasing, consulting and brokering of local properties for both domestic and inter-country transactions play an essential role in steering this industry, and like other members of Raine & Horne’s female managerial network, Shyamlee understands the demand for highly competent agents to cater to the increasing purchasing power of global property hunters.
It’s a challenge she has keenly embraced from Fiji’s Western division, the second highest of Fiji’s most active real estate regions and as home to the tourist town of Nadi and the Denarau- the Pacific’s largest integrated resort island- a crucial point of investment for aspiring proprietors.
With Fiji noted as the hub of the South Pacific, Shyamlee’s placement as the country’s Raine & Horne’s Manager West is a career peak and testament of the coveted career opportunities made possible for capable and hardworking professionals.