Jayne Kiely became a real estate agent over a decade ago after figuring that her career hosting TV shows like Mitre 10 Dream Home was done and dusted. She’s excelled as a salesperson, regularly achieving Chairman’s Elite Status along with business partner Ricky Cave, putting her in the top 1% of Ray White salespeople internationally. Now she’s combined her expertise in both industries, presenting AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ with fellow Ray White agent Paul Glover.
Q: What was your response when you were asked to audition for the Kiwi version of what is a iconic UK show?
I was surprised, it had been a long time since I’d been on television. I thought that ship had sailed. The last series of Mitre 10 Dream Home I did was back in 2009. I did 10 seasons, so it was a big part of my life. I remember being pregnant for one season and having to come back later to do extra filming. I’d had the baby by then so I had to jam a pillow up my jumper and pretend to still be pregnant. It fell out when I was walking across the road.
I loved the TV stuff I did – commenting on the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, shows like a Game of Two Halves as well as Dream Home – but I thought it was all in the past. It was lovely to get the job, although I thought, ‘Oh gosh, all the high definition cameras they have these days … you can’t hide behind concealer anymore!’
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Q: How did it feel to be back in front of cameras again?
It was like riding a bike. After day one I thought, ‘Okay, this is good’. The crew were fabulous and made me feel at ease straight away. It was great working with Paul. It just felt like a very natural partnership. We hadn’t known each other before but we hit it off.
We were both mindful that we weren’t trying to be Kirstie and Phil [the hosts of Location, Location, Location in the UK], we were just being ourselves. I’m nothing like Kirstie. She’s quite posh and articulate and uses big words, unlike me!
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Because it’s not scripted, apart from a little bit at the top of the show, we could be natural. We could talk to the house-hunters the way we would if the cameras weren’t there and make them feel comfortable. I think it worked out really well.
Q: How did you juggle filming for the show with your job selling houses?
I couldn’t have done it without my team at Ray White. My colleagues Amy Robertson and Dinusha Sujani held down the fort for me and were amazing.
There is quite a bit of downtime when you’re making television so I was always on the phone talking to clients. I even got a contract together during a lunch break. When you’ve got a phone, you can be a real estate agent.
Q: When did you start selling houses?
Nearly 11 years ago. I got my licence just before I turned 50 and I’ve just turned 60. I had got to the stage where I thought I wouldn’t be doing TV anymore – that chapter was over. I still had plenty of energy, so I thought about real estate. I’ve always been interested in property. My mum and dad were always renovating houses or building new ones so I grew up with that. My husband and I have bought and sold quite a few houses over the years. We met some wonderful agents, and also some dreadful ones. I thought, ‘If I’m half good, I might be able to make it in this business’.
Kiely says it took two years before she was confident enough in her new profession: “I would go into work in those first couple of months, shuffle papers around my desk and then go home again.” Photo / Fiona Goodall
I went to school to get my licence, I didn’t do it online. I sat in the front row at Unitec lapping it all up, being a real nerd and doing all the assignments on time. I loved being a student for 12 weeks.
Q: Did you get off to a good start as an agent?
It took a while. I would go into work in those first couple of months, shuffle papers around my desk and then go home again. I think it takes about two years before you are confident enough to know what you are doing. I was working out of Ray White Remuera back then and I had great training and great mentors. Megan Jaffe [owner of Ray White Remuera] is amazing and I learned so much in the six years I was there.
I moved to Ray White Mission Bay because of the lifestyle and because it’s closer to where I live. Also, I kept getting too many parking tickets in Remuera. I don’t get any here. It’s a great place to work and the people are fantastic.
Q: Can you remember your first sale?
It was an apartment at the top of Victoria Ave in Remuera, owned by my husband’s parents. It was a big leap of faith for them to give me the listing and I was so nervous I did not get one minute of sleep the night before the auction. But we got it sold under the hammer. I was constantly in touch with senior agents to make sure I was doing everything I could to get the best price for them.
Kiely with AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ co-host Paul Glover. "We hadn’t known each other before but we hit it off." Photo / Supplied
I’m glad I started out at a time when we didn’t have a rock-star market. When places are pretty much selling themselves you don’t actually learn to negotiate. When it’s a tough market you have to learn everything involved in being a good agent.
Q: Why do you think you’ve done so well?
I think because all the way through, from the moment I have that first meeting with the vendors through to when the property is sold, I give it my all. Selling someone’s home is a big responsibility and also a big privilege. I don’t think of it as just a job, it’s more about taking care of people.
Q: What do you love about the job?
I love that every day is different and that you are basically your own boss. I love the people you get to meet, and that you can help to make a difference in their lives. I love being in the auction room and seeing the smiles and the tears and the hugs when a property sells. One of my most memorable sales was a bungalow in Mission Bay that sold for $600,000 over reserve. The owners were a young family who’d done a lovely job of turning it into a beautiful home and all of a sudden they had all this money that changed the direction of their lives. It was like they’d won Lotto.
Q: What do you find hardest about the job?
One of the things I have struggled with is taking it personally when things don’t always work out. Sometimes, even when you have done everything you possibly can, a property might not sell or they might not get the price they want. Often that’s because of the market, and there’s not a lot you can do about that.
In the past I have been heavily affected when people haven’t got the result they wanted. Now I try not to take everything on board. Real estate is very challenging at times but that’s the appeal. There are days when it’s very stressful but then there are days when it all works out and people are very happy. It’s a funny old industry.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
We have a beach house in Whangamata that we try to get to as much as we can, although that hasn’t been a lot lately. That’s our happy place. My boys are grown up now – Tom is 26 and Jack is 24 – so I have more me time. I try to do Pilates twice a week with a group of girlfriends, which I enjoy. And I walk my dog, Frank.
Q: Would you like to do another series of AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ?
Absolutely! It felt like a dream fit. People were probably saying, ‘Why have they got that old bird back on TV’, but I feel like we did a good job. I’ve had some lovely feedback from people I know, including former clients, and I had a great time and met fabulous people. I’d love to do it again.
AA Insurance Location, Location, Location NZ appears on TVNZ 1 on Sundays and on TVNZ+
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