The 39-year-old set up Elaman Property after leaving acting and has recently completed the 87-unit Olympus development<\/a> in Auckland\u2019s Mount Albert.<\/p>\n The try-before-you-buy offer will let eligible buyers live in the apartment of their choice for up to 12 months before deciding whether they want to buy.<\/p>\n The idea is that they pay $700 a week to live in the apartment, and if they decide Olympus is not the right fit, they can withdraw during the licence period with no obligation to complete the purchase and have their $10,000 deposit returned, subject to terms and conditions. <\/p>\n Those who keep going will have 50% of the rent paid during the licence period credited towards their deposit at settlement. <\/p>\n Apartments at Olympus are priced at: from $539,000 for a one-bedroom, from $699,495 for a two-bedroom, and from $799,000 for a three-bedroom. <\/p>\n Drent told OneRoof the offer was a win-win: not only would it spur activity in Auckland\u2019s sluggish apartment market, but also give some breathing room for buyers who were unsure about apartment living.<\/p>\n Elaman Property founder and ex-Shortland Street star Ido Drent: \u201cComing from South Africa, you\u2019re exposed from a very young age to some level of poverty on the streets. My parents always instilled in us this idea of generosity and making sure our lives go beyond ourselves.\u201d Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n Ido Drent in an explosive scene in his Shortland Street heyday. Photo \/ TVNZ<\/p>\n Most people still dreamt of owning a three-bedroom, two-bathroom standalone house, but for many that was not possible in Auckland, he said. <\/p>\n Drent and Squirrel Mortgages founder John Bolton came up with the idea of try-before-you-buy for the Olympus, thinking that the offer would help buyers secure an apartment while the market was fairly flat. \u201cYou can do it in a way that\u2019s fairly risk-free. For me it just felt like a real win-win.\u201d<\/p>\n Drent wasn\u2019t sure if the concept would have come up in a more buoyant market but said tough times called for different levels of creativity and imagination. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the saying? Smooth seas have never made a skilled sailor, right, so I feel that this is essentially a fairly turbulent time across the board for developers, and it\u2019s made us think outside the box for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n If the concept works, Elaman could consider doing the same thing in other developments. \u201cIt\u2019s a great kind of initiative and we\u2019re really keen to see how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n They launched the concept late last month and had an application within two days, along with \u201cheaps\u201d of inquiries. <\/p>\n \u201cI think people are just trying to get their head around it and obviously it\u2019s a bit of a process, but so far it\u2019s been a really positive response.\u201d<\/p>\n Olympus in Auckland\u2019s Mount Albert is Elaman Property\u2019s latest apartment development to come on stream. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n Drent, centre, with some of his Elaman team members at their Parnell office in Auckland. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n The response also includes downsizers, because while the offer is targeting first-home buyers others are not excluded from buying an Olympus apartment. <\/p>\n The downsizer market was one Elaman was watching as the growing retiree population would need help with accessible and affordable housing in the years to come, Drent said. <\/p>\n Drent, who played bad boy Daniel Potts in Shortland Street before heading to Australia and then LA to pursue acting, studied property management and valuation before acting. <\/p>\n Despite a passion for performing, the father of three said he was realistic when it was time to give his family more stability, hence his return to property. <\/p>\n Now, he loves the idea of being part of doing \u201ccool things\u201d in Auckland that impact the community in a positive way. <\/p>\n Some say that property is high risk, but to him, acting is high risk. \u201cMy response is you should try being an actor, because there you\u2019ve got no visibility of what\u2019s coming next. Unless you\u2019re creating your own work, you\u2019re always at the mercy of someone saying yes to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Discover more:<\/p>\n – Ex-All Black Julian Savea sells luxury estate, buys new one over the road<\/a><\/p>\n – Power couple hire $43m agent to sell their \u2018most remarkable\u2019 renovation<\/a><\/p>\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4d8fe83c2f546607c89989a8c80f6faa.jpg\")
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