By TINA LIPTAI
Emma Brown-Garrett knows what it takes to turn dreams into reality. From Bollywood star to making her mark as a successful auctioneer, Emma squeezes every drop out of life and that’s why she’s so excited for what comes next.
“I love what I do,” Emma explained with a vibrancy that’s infectious.
“My career gives me an identity in addition to my role as a mother and wife, which makes me better at everything that I do. I think it’s so important to have that autonomy and something that’s just yours to work on and grow.”
With an outlook that seems nothing but optimistic, it’s hard to believe Emma has overcome years of feeling that she was somehow both ‘too much’ and ‘not enough’ at the same time in her acting and real estate careers. But, over time, Emma has built the incredible resilience and vitality that drives her today.
“It’s not been easy,” Emma said of her path. “There were so many times when I wondered if I should keep going. But today I’m the best version of myself – and I can tell you that when you get there, it’s really, really good!”
“From the moment you arrive, you need to be at the top of your game, look your best and be ready. A good auctioneer can read the room and get a feel for the crowd to draw out the best result.”
From back-up plan to Bollywood
From a young age, Emma knew she wanted to be an actor – but the road to success was far from straightforward.
“From the age of about 10, I sang, danced, attended NIDA, appeared in commercials and even in films that screened at Tropfest,” she explained. “My focus in life was all about becoming an actor. I loved it, but it was really hard.”
Things started to change when she was in her mid-20s and her boyfriend, now husband, picked her up from an audition.
“The audition didn’t go well, and I was literally crying in the gutter when he arrived,” she recalled. “That’s when he suggested that maybe it was time for a backup plan. He’s in corporate banking – a very different world from my creative life – but I knew he was right.”
With some previous experience answering phones at a real estate agency, Emma decided to try her hand at property management and then sales. Looking back at that time, she said: “I loved real estate from the moment I started. I’m a massive people person and customer service is in my bones”.
But life took an unexpected turn in 2008 when her husband launched a business in India. Newlywed Emma put her real estate career on hold to join her husband and went from being a struggling actor and working in the real estate industry to life as a movie star who couldn’t walk down the street without being recognised.
“I engaged an agent before I left for India and, within two weeks of landing in Mumbai, I had my first acting job. I’d spent years in Sydney trying to get work, but in India I landed a film with a famous Bengali actor almost immediately,” Emma explained.
Though it felt like starting from scratch, including learning to speak, read and write in Hindi, Emma said that it was all worth it.
“Life over there was amazing, it’s an incredible country,” she said. “I was famous, but I also worked my butt off. I hustled like I did when I was working in real estate and it all paid off.”
“It has not been easy at all. There were so many times when I wondered if I should keep going. But today I am the best version of me – and I can tell you that when you get there, it’s really, really good!”
Finding a new path
With her background as an actor and her outgoing nature, you might think Emma was destined to become an auctioneer, but she’s quick to explain that was not the case.
“I bring that presence and personality now, but not early on in my career,” she explained. “In fact, when I started out in property management and sales, I think I was a bit ‘too much’ for a lot of clients who would often choose agents that were less effervescent than me. Now, I can see how a career as an auctioneer suits me, but having an outgoing personality can be intimidating to some people.”
After feeling inspired by a successful auctioneer, Emma decided to enter the REINSW Novice Auctioneers Competition and went on to compete in the State Final.
“From that moment, I realised I could do this,” she said of becoming an auctioneer. “I had a real sense that everything I had done in my 10-year real estate career was leading me to that moment. I walked away from sales soon after, knowing that I had finally found ‘my thing’. I think this is the same for a lot of people in their careers – it can take years, but one day things click into place and the path is clear.”
Doing it differently
Emma has now been auctioneering for eight years and less than a year ago began working independently. Though it’s a different world from her time in Bollywood, Emma said her work today is as much a dream come true as her acting success.
“I’m proud of myself every time I call an auction – and I pinch myself every Saturday and think ‘wow, I’m actually doing this’,” she said with a huge smile. “It’s a role that’s challenging for women and it’s not easy for us to get work as auctioneers. I want to be a leader and set an example for what can be achieved.
“There were times when I thought about giving up, but I decided to keep going. Now, every time a client books me to do their auction, it feels so much sweeter because I know how hard I’ve worked for this.”
Emma said the biggest thing she’s learnt throughout her career is the importance of being true to herself while putting aside negativity from other people.
“Some people have a very narrow view of what calling an auction should look like,” she said. “They think women don’t bring the same commanding energy or strength to a room that men do.
“I can get big results with my own twist. I have a strong presence, but I also do it with empathy and understanding. That’s not to say that I just walked in and knew how to do it. I’ve been working on my body language, tone of voice and presence for years. Of course, I’m not the first or only woman that’s an auctioneer, but together we’re showing the industry that we can do it and be successful.”
And what does Emma think makes the difference between a good and an average auctioneer?
“From the moment you arrive, you need to be at the top of your game, look your best and be ready,” she said. “A good auctioneer can read the room and get a feel for the crowd to draw out the best result.
“I have a strong vision of what auctioneering can be. I know that I’m already doing things differently, but I can do more. I want to be able to give more time to my clients – the agents. I want to be there to create a valuable experience by giving them more time and building deeper working relationships.”