CommunityAgents and their spaces: Shamit and Ashlee Verma
Next Article15 January 2020
In Shamit and Ashlee Verma’s light filled Ashwood home, neutral, cool toned furnishings are complemented by pops of vibrant colour provided by a wide array of toys belonging to their son, Hudson.
The couple moved into the home nearly 10 years ago with the intention of rebuilding. ‘We were really drawn to the location and the potential of the home when we bought it,’ Marshall White sales executive Shamit explains.
‘The plan when we bought it was to knock what was here down and rebuild, but then we had Hudson and that changed our plans,’ says Marshall White property management team leader Ashlee. ‘My mum was also diagnosed with MND in 2018, so we’re now converting the garage into a granny flat so she can live there, and we’ve also recently renovated the living area.’
Previously two bedrooms and a bathroom, the living area is now an open plan space with a prominent northerly aspect and garden outlooks.
‘This is my favourite area of the house,’ Shamit says. ‘It’s so open and bright, and we can all be together in here.’
As we sit around the kitchen table, Hudson is enthralled by the Teletubbies on the TV. ‘He’s what makes this place a home for me,’ says Ashlee. ‘It doesn’t really matter about the bricks and mortar, as long as I’m with Hudson and Sham.’
Shamit and Ashlee have been together since their high school days and are now united by both their love for each other and their love for real estate.
‘My sister was in real estate, and she told me to give it a go because she thought I’d like it,’ Shamit reminisces. ‘I hadn’t really considered it before that, but once I started I never looked back.’
Ashlee similarly became passionate about the industry as soon as she began her career. ‘I started in real estate when I was 19 and went into property management at 21,’ she says. ‘I just fell in love with it. The relationship building side of it really appealed to me, and it’s so rewarding when clients refer business based on the strength of those relationships, knowing that they have confidence that their friends and family will be well looked after by myself and my team.’
Their marriage is helped by the fact that they both are aware of the pressures of working in real estate. ‘There’s a lot more understanding of the long hours from Ash than there would be from someone on the outside,’ Shamit says. ‘She knows if I have to do an appointment at eight o’clock at night, I’m not just doing it for the fun of it!’
‘Back when I was in business development, I was talking to clients up until 10 or 11 o’clock at night,’ Ashlee remembers. ‘He was really understanding of that, which made it a lot easier.’
Since having Hudson, the couple’s priorities have changed dramatically.
‘Before I became a mum, my priorities were very much all work related,’ Ashlee says. ‘Now, the drive for both of us is to be able to provide the best possible life for him and hopefully also have some work life balance.’
‘Freedom is really important to us,’ Shamit agrees. ‘We want to be able to take the time to be together as a family.’
Working at Marshall White has helped them both be able to design their lives to accommodate their family. ‘The support at Marshall White is always there whenever you need it, it doesn’t matter what office someone is in, they’re always there to help.’
