VICTORIA BIDWELL
Victoria Bidwell has been interested in property since she was a child, when she would read out For Sale listings in the paper to her parents, trying to convince them to buy a new house. She has gone on to become one of Bayleys’ top agents, with close to $700m in sales and numerous awards to her name. But it’s been an interesting route to getting where she is today.
What was your first job?
I was a professional ballet dancer. My mum sent me to ballet classes when I was a child because I was terribly shy and she thought it might help. I happened to be good at it. I ended up dancing with the New Zealand Ballet, based in Wellington, as well as doing other types of dancing, including being on TV.
Why did you stop dancing?
I wanted to retire while I was still quite good at it. I left for a year then I went back to it for about six months because there was the possibility of going to dance in China. For the first six weeks I thought I was going to die — I could hardly move, I was so sore after a year away. I realised that you get to an age where it is just so hard on your body. Plus I was engaged by then and it is very difficult to have a relationship as a dancer because you are away so much. I was in my late 20s when I retired. I never did get to China.
Did you think about a career in real estate then?
After living on a pauper’s salary as a dancer, going to a commission-based job would have terrified me. I wanted something more secure but I didn’t know what. When you do a job like being a ballet dancer, people identify you with what you do rather than who you are. I went to recruitment consultants to find out what I was suited to and after a while I thought I’d like to work in recruitment. So I did that for a few years, then I started my own business with two other women, GBL Personnel. It was 1984, we were just coming out of a wage and price freeze under (former prime minister) Muldoon and everyone said three women in business would never work. All of the banks except one wanted our husbands to act as guarantors. But the company was very successful and we eventually sold out to our staff members. When I was pregnant with my second child I decided I didn’t want to work full-time, I wanted to be there for my children as much as possible.
Did moving into real estate allow you to do that?
First I had some time off with the children (I have two sons and a daughter) and then worked in human resources at Victoria University before finally becoming an agent. My husband Stephen was in real estate. We met through friends but got to know each other when he showed me houses. One of the reasons I loved real estate was because you could be flexible and arrange your day to do things like pick the kids up from school or go to sports events.
Was it difficult making the move from Wellington to Auckland?
It took me a while to find my feet because I only knew two people when we moved up here in 2002, so I had no networks or connections. In fact, I wasn’t going to be an agent anymore because although I loved the job, I found it was a very competitive industry as it is commission-driven, and I got hurt a few times because I trusted people too much. I came from the touchy-feely HR industry where it was all about being in a team, and real estate was a culture shock. But then I went to work for Bayleys and it was completely different.They have a wonderful culture.
Why do you think you have done so well in real estate?
I think coming from a ballet background has really helped me. Like dancing, you have to be dedicated and hard-working. When I was first getting established and going to do a submission to try to get a listing, I would look at what I did as a performance. I would do as much preparation as I could beforehand — doing research was like rehearsing.
Did your background also help when you were asked to judge the first series of The Block?
Definitely. It was a lot of fun . I was surprised how popular it was. People would stop me in the street and get upset about the kitchen we had chosen as the winner, or ask “Why did you pick that bedroom? The other ones were better!”
After the first series I did some consulting work but I couldn’t commit to judging because of the time it took to film, and with my work it was too much.
After nearly two decades in the business, do you still get a kick out of selling homes?
Oh yes,. I specialise in waterfront properties in the Takapuna/Milford and Devonport areas and I’ve sold a lot of amazing houses. One I sold set the record for Bayleys — it was $11.5m. It was huge at the time but has been surpassed now. You get to meet great people. You became very immersed in people’s lives dealing with something that is very important to them — their home — and you always want to do your best.
Do you still dance?
Only when I’ve had a few wines! I go to the gym and do yoga and walk around Mt Victoria every day. But it is difficult to commit to a regular dance class in this job. However, a friend and I have decided we are going to do adult ballet classes this year. My brain still thinks I can do these things but then I look in the mirror and think, Oh no! But you have to get beyond that and give it a try.
“Coming from a ballet background has really helped me.”