WELCOME ANA McCORMACK, NEW BEREA BRANCH MANAGER

Ana McCormack not only brings property experience to the role of Berea Branch Manager, but she brings her big heart and enthusiasm at the opportunity to mentor and manage the team.

Ana McCormack's been in the property world since 2006, so she's seen the highs and the lows, and through it all, she loved it! "I'm the kind of person who doesn't do anything by halves, once I put my mind to something, I'll find a way." And she did, from the very moment she began in property.

When Ana joined Wakefields in Kloof - where she lives - she knew the lie of the land, having lived 'in the country' for many years with husband John, a son and daughter, and at one stage, six Labradors and a number of other rescued animals. She was successful as a property consultant, and in particular, loved building satisfying relationships with clients: "I'm hard on myself, I set goals, and push myself to meet them. But that level of hard work always pays dividends, I became a Diamond Achiever, and always pushed myself to be in the top five in the branch. I believe in goal setting."

In 2019, Ana joined the Berea branch in the role of Assistant Manager: "I really wanted to manage a branch, and having mentored quite a few interns in Kloof, I knew it was something I loved doing." When Ana was appointed to head up Berea, she knew she had big shoes to fill after the previous longstanding manager (and a Wakefields director) Mike Riceman: "It's been very gratifying how supportive the team has been, and that's also a testament to Mike's management."

Ana's a giver, even she's happy to admit that. If it's a birthday, she's up early to bake, if you're ill, you'll hear from her: "I'm a great believer if you create a happy work environment, everybody is keen to get into work, content when they're here, and motivated to succeed. I have my team's backs, have an open door policy, and want them to succeed." Ana's passion for property extends to interior decorating, so the Berea office has even had a noticeable little facelift!

"Property is often a challenging industry, but very little is more fulfilling than matching a buyer to a property. For me, my happiest moments were when I walked in to value a property, and knew instinctively who would buy that house. I loved making that call to the buyer, just to say, 'Come now, I've found your house'."

For Ana, one of the joys of this managerial role is motivating people: "We've all had times when we need a fresh perspective, even when we're ostensibly doing all the right things, it sometimes doesn't click.  I'm always here, door wide open, to sit down and provide that fresh perspective. I remember how I needed that, and now I can pass on that experience, provide that support to others, particularly interns. There's something special about helping others, guiding interns, then watching them succeed in this career - it makes me happy!"

Ana loves learning new things, enjoys the challenge. So, whether it's social media or a new recipe...she's on to it! She's an involved person, so when she's not supporting consultants, she's at property valuations or taking photographs of properties for advertising purposes.

Ana considers herself lucky to have John, her husband, as her support: "Thirty two years of marriage, loves animals and people as much as I do...and we're both passionate cooks. Coming from a Portuguese background, cooking is part of our DNA. Nobody in our family is going to be thin!"  And yes, she still has rescue dogs - largely from homes she's sold - and there's a cat too.

Welcome to your new role, Ana.