‘Loyalty’ is a word that means the world to Susie Sturt.
The real estate agent, who has lived in Hawke’s Bay since 2009, says she’s not only loyal to the region, but to the concept of giving back in as many ways as she can.
Susie – who with Jarrod Lowe runs a successful real estate partnership through Tremains – has been a faithful supporter of Hawke’s Bay Foundation since meeting Ambassadors Jules and Tim Nowell-Usticke. “They were actually our first neighbours when we moved down from Auckland,” she begins. “I learned a lot about the advantages of community foundations because of my friendship with them.”
So it was only natural that Susie would also become a passionate advocate of the Foundation. She was critical cog in the wheel of the team that brought The Night of Us, a fundraiser benefitting Hawke’s Bay Foundation, to life in 2021. Jarrod and Susie were also thrilled to realise the sale of luxury Tuki Tuki Road property in 2023 – the proceeds of which were generously donated to Hawke’s Bay Foundation with commission waived. And recently, the pair have joined the Tremains TeamUp programme.
When homeowners list with Jarrod and Susie, who operate primarily out of the Havelock North office but sell throughout the Bay, they choose a charitable cause to help fund. In Susie and Jarrod’s case, Hawke’s Bay Foundation is one of two organisations that they select to receive a $500 donation upon the sale of the property. The donation comes directly from Tremains – not from the proceeds of the home – so it’s a win-win, says Susie. “It’s very important to us that the money donated stays local and remains in our community. Charity begins at home,” she continues.
When vendors learn that by selling with Jarrod and Susie, the important work of the Foundation is supported with a $500 gift, they’re “surprised”, she tells. “I love to explain to them the model of the Hawke’s Bay Foundation and how the distributions work. Sometimes a little bit of education is needed, particularly if they’ve never heard of Hawke’s Bay Foundation.”
Susie says she and Jarrod believe in the “more controlled” model of giving that underpins the work of Hawke’s Bay Foundation. “I’d love to see more people aware of the work the Foundation does and for those that are able to, to leave a bequest in their will.”
This is something Susie personally backs – she and her husband David, who is now retired, are in the process of updating their own wills to include a gift to Hawke’s Bay Foundation. Susie says she’d like to “change a few people’s minds” and encourage them to give in this way, too. But for now, she’ll continue to loyally support a thriving Hawke’s Bay through the $500 donations that Tremains clients select when they sell. “We’re slowly building up that pot – I like the fact that every dollar you donate keeps on giving for years and years and years to come.”
