On this blog, we are bringing the stories of amazing and hard-working Latinos who arrived in New Zealand and who have done nothing but success on these kiwi lands. They are working in the Real Estate business, we wanted to share their story, and we asked them some questions about their careers and their life, here's what they told us:
Oscar Barrero - Exemplar Mortgages Limited
First up we asked Oscar Barrero, who is a network and telecommunications engineer from Bogotá, Colombia. Now, he lives in Auckland with his wife and two daughters. He has over 20 years of experience in enterprise telecommunications companies, including Telefónica (In Colombia), Vodafone, and Vector (In New Zealand). After buying his first property in New Zealand, he developed a passion for property investing and financial markets. He took courses, attended seminars, and completed a Level 5 Financial Adviser for Residential Lending certificate at Massey University.
In 2022, Barrero started his own business, Exemplar Mortgages Limited to help the Latin American community buy their first homes.
How long have you lived in NZ and what brought you to this country?
After 6 years of engineering experience in Colombia, I decided to come to New Zealand in 2007 to learn English, but after arriving and studying in New Zealand, few opportunities started to open for me and my wife, we got engineering opportunities that allowed us to settle and start our family in this beautiful country that now we call HOME.
What do you do in NZ?
I am a Financial Adviser specialized in residential lending and I have started my own company Exemplar Mortgages Limited in 2022. I enjoy working with people providing guidance through the process of buying their first home; I provide advice related to refinancing existing mortgages by looking for the options that best fits the customer’s needs; also if you are planning to buy an investment property, I can provide advice and help you to start an investing property portfolio.
What is the Colombian food that you missed the most? I really miss “De Todito” a Colombian snack with a mix of potato chips, plantain chips and pork cracker, very yummy!!!
If you need general assistance with the process of buying a property in New Zealand; If you need help to get your finances ready (pre-approval); If you are planning to upgrade or downgrade your property or If your mortgage is due for refixing/refinance. Here is his contact information
Email: admin@exemplarmortgages.co.nz
Mobile: 021 806 223
Kellys Osorio - Barfoot & Thompson
Then we talked with Kellys Osorio, a "paisa" woman originally from Medellín who carries Colombia with love in her heart and an indisputably Arepa lover who majored in Industrial Engineer at the National University of Colombia. Kellys lives in Auckland with her husband Fernando and their two children Sara and Samuel. After 10 years working as an Engineer in NZ, she followed her passion for people and property and became a Real Estate Agent with Barfoot & Thompson in 2017.
How long have you lived in NZ and what brought you to this country?
After finishing university and working for a couple of years in Colombia, my husband and I decided to move to NZ in 2006 looking for new opportunities. We already had family established here, which was a great support. After a couple of months of 24/7 job hunting, IELTS preparation and casual jobs, we were able to find jobs as Engineers. We can say that we probably applied to every engineering position available in NZ at the time! Thanks to this we were able to settle and start a new life in NZ. Right from the beginning, we fell in love with NZ, and we now feel extremely blessed to live and enjoy this beautiful country with our family.
What do you do in NZ?
I’m a Real Estate agent working with Barfoot & Thompson since 2017. I became very passionate about property since buying our first property in Auckland in 2010. We quickly learned the financial gains that can be achieved through property ownership. I always encourage people to buy their first home or start investing in property as soon as they can; it is not easy, but it is worth it!
I have an in-depth understanding of the Auckland property market after assisting my
clients to sell/buy more than 100 properties. Selling and buying a property can be a life-
changing event and I understand the pressures that go with such a significant event.
From experience, I understand and relate to my client’s needs, no matter what stage of
property ownership they are at.
What is the Colombian food that you missed the most? Arepas! No question. We used to have arepa for breakfast every day.
What snack of the Latino Foods Store is the one you like the most?
My favourite snack is Platanitos (Plantain chips), they are delicious!
If you are interested in buying or selling Real Estate in NZ to a fellow Latino, you can contact Kellys and she will be more than happy to help you with your real estate needs! Here is her contact info:
Email: k.osorio@barfoot.co.nz
Mobile: 021985448
Don't Forget to Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kellysrealestateagent/
Do you know more latin@s in Real Estate? Let us know! let's add them to the list!
Thanks for Reading! :D Latino Foods Team