My 14 years of very successful experience as a real estate professional with Barfoot & Thompson has been the most rewarding and satisfying time in my life, both financially and personally. Whether riding high during the boom years or surviving through the recession cycles, I've enjoyed it all and have gathered a wealth of knowledge and valuable experience. I have been at the Takapuna branch since 2010, and was previously at the Beach Haven branch from 2004, where I won the annual Top Branch Salesperson award a total of five times.

Secrets of my success?

I love my real estate career, take it very seriously, and love working for Barfoot & Thompson as a non-franchised, family-owned company with the best ethics and biggest market share in Auckland.

My only regret is that I didn't enter the industry earlier. My working life has been virtually all in sales and marketing, mostly in the building and IT industries, although when I was very young I did a few years as a primary school teacher. I have also had extensive experience in front of TV cameras, including a little bit of acting, but mostly presenting commercials. It was all interesting work but I find real estate much more satisfying: I love helping people make what is one of their greatest emotional and financial decisions, whether selling or buying.

On a personal level, I moved to New Zealand from England as a teenager in 1973, and I live with my wife Tiina and children Aaria, now at Auckland University, and James, at Intermediate and about to start college. Snow skiing, windsurfing and surfing dominated my youth and I still have strong interest when I get a chance. Investment, renovation, and improvement of property have always been a big part of my life and I recently managed the completion of a large extension to triple the size of our 100+ year old Northcote Point heritage cottage. This took a daunting four years including the long journey to obtain resource and building consents, but now it's all finished I am again fully focussed on my real estate business.

My commitments to you:

1. To always give clear, real, unfiltered feedback about price and other aspects of your property, enabling you to make informed decisions.

2. To have genuine interest and respect for your needs as a vendor, while making the process as smooth as possible for buyers.

3. To always look for ways to get your property noticed.

Please be open to my suggestions - I know what works!