Christchurch real estate agent Cameron Bailey has been named the inaugural winner of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand’s Supreme Sales Performance of the Year Award.
Despite the numbers, Bailey said the most rewarding part of the job was seeing clients return years later — and, increasingly, working with the next generation of the same families.
“Most of my business comes from repeat and referral business; probably a good 80% of it comes from repeat business or word of mouth business,” he said.
“So I actually don’t advertise a lot anymore. It’s all just internal business through people that I know.”
In one case, Bailey worked with a couple before later selling properties for each of their three daughters.
While technology and social media had changed the tools available to agents during his career, Bailey believed the fundamentals of selling property had changed little.
“There’s more things that you can do as an agent, but I don’t think the basics have changed,” he said.
“I think that’s one of my strengths is that I still stick to the basics and I still do an older-style belly-to-belly real estate.”
“A lot of the agents are hiding behind emails and hiding behind the internet. I still like traditional forms of print marketing and one-on-one negotiations face to face.
Bailey said a long career in real estate also meant becoming involved in some of the most consequential moments in clients’ lives.
“It’s a privilege to be involved in people’s, in the highs and lows of their lives,” he said.
“Real estate moves people from chapter to chapter.”
“The experienced agents become almost like a psychologist as well because when you’ve worked in so many times in those situations, you can offer a lot of advice, not just about sometimes selling the house, but a bit of life advice as well.”
Bailey attributed much of his success to the small team working alongside him.
“I think there’s strength in numbers, and to be able to service people really well and selling the house and helping them find a new one, you need a team around you,” he said.
“You can’t do it by yourself these days.”
REINZ chief executive Lizzy Ryley said Bailey’s “professionalism, consistency and client-first approach” reflected what the organisation sought to recognise through the award.
“This award celebrates the public value created by real estate professionals who combine outstanding results with trusted advice, integrity and service,” Ryley said.
“On behalf of REINZ, I congratulate Cameron Bailey and his team at Harcourts Gold on this significant achievement and their continued contribution to excellence in New Zealand real estate.”
Bailey said his team’s structure allowed each member to specialise.
“Everyone’s an expert at their role in the team – expert PAs that are world-class, expert sales consultants that work with me – that’s why we’re probably so strong.”
Ben Tomsett is a journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.