Steen Nielsen’s new career selling houses got off to a very slow start when he moved to New Zealand from Denmark in 2005. The former undercover police officer eventually found success and became one of Ray White’s top salespeople. He’s now supposedly retired and living in Copenhagen, but he just can’t stay away from Aotearoa or the real estate industry.
Q: What did you do before real estate?
First of all, I played cricket full-time and made a living out of that for five years, from 1990. That’s what first brought me to New Zealand – I played three seasons here. Cricket was my passion but I probably should have played football, it paid better. My bank manager ruined everything by ringing me and asking when retirement age was for cricketers, because my savings weren’t growing. So I joined the Danish police, and ended up becoming an undercover detective.
Q: How did you get into that line of work?
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I had tried to get away from the stereotype of being a policeman who was just there to put people away. With drug-related crimes, some of those people hadn’t had many chances in life. If you met them with understanding and empathy, they felt indebted to you. All of a sudden I was getting tips about big drug drops and crime at a completely different level. Because I had a good number of trustworthy informants, I was promoted very quickly.
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Being undercover was fascinating and I loved it. But I had two little girls who never knew where their father was and when he was coming home. I couldn’t tell them anything, I couldn’t tell my wife Jane what I was doing. I left the police and worked for the Danish government, attracting sporting events to Denmark and working with athletes. That was also a great job – I learned a lot about networking and marketing – but I couldn’t get New Zealand out of my system. In 2005 we quit our jobs, sold up, took the girls out of school and moved to Christchurch, where I swapped dealing with Hells Angels for house buyers.
Q: What was it about New Zealand that made you move across the world?
It was a combination of things, including the people, who I think are very similar to the Danes. Same sense of humour, same interest in the outdoors. I loved the scenery but also the chance to give the girls the chance to experience not just one new culture but two. It was wonderful to see these two little blonde girls running around the garden singing kapa haka songs.
Q: What made you decide to try real estate?
Alcohol. We had visitors at our house, Pip and Troels Nielsen (no relation), who owned the Ray White Burnside business. We had some wine at a barbecue and Pip said I should get my real estate licence – I wasn’t working at the time. In Denmark it takes three-and-a-half years to get your licence but she said, “Don’t worry, it only takes three weeks here”. I thought, Why not? I studied at polytech and didn’t know anything. I didn’t even know what the word ‘vendor’ meant – thank God I didn’t put my hand up and ask the tutor, I think he would have kicked me out of the class. That’s how green I was.
Q: Did it take a while to get going?
It was very tough to start with. I didn’t have a network, I knew nobody in Christchurch. I didn’t know the market. After seven months of having no listings and earning no money my wife asked me if I knew what I was doing. I lied to her and said, “Yes, I know exactly what I am doing.” A few days later I got my first listing thanks to the manager of the agency. That then led to two more listings, then four more, and by the end of 2007, my business had really taken off.
Nielsen and his family in 2011 after they moved from Christchurch to Auckland. “The Christchurch earthquake ... was traumatizing for my family.” Photo / Janna Dixon
We moved to Auckland after the Christchurch earthquake in 2011, which was traumatizing for my family. It was daunting to come to the Remuera office, it was the most competitive market in the country. But I had six years’ experience by then and by 2012 I was the number one agent in the office. Since then I’ve been around the top 10 salespeople for Ray White, not only in New Zealand but internationally.
Q: Why do you think you have been so successful?
I think it’s genuinely caring and having empathy. I appreciate that although I do this every day, most people only sell or buy a house around five times in their life, and it can take them out of their comfort zone. With good communication and service, I can take them back to their comfort zone, which they appreciate.
From my job in the police, I developed a lot of communication skills, which is quite useful when you are negotiating. I am good at reading people – if the buyer says they have no more money and you can tell by their body language that they are lying, that comes in quite handy. So does being able to come across with authority.
My career as an athlete has also helped, I think. In sports, you set yourself goals and it becomes part of your DNA to achieve those goals. I have set myself a lot of ambitious goals in real estate and then worked bloody hard to achieve them.
Nielsen: “I walk a lot, and I also run. That keeps me fit and motivated.” Photo / Fiona Goodall
Q: Aren’t you supposed to be retired?
I decided to retire in 2021 when we moved back to Denmark to be close to my wife’s parents who were getting to that age where they needed more care and attention. But I missed real estate too much. I have a business coaching Kiwi agents from all different companies online but I come back to New Zealand every year to sell houses during the spring and summer. My clients keep asking me to sell their houses, which has made it hard to retire. I’ve sold real estate for more than $50m every year since I “retired”.
I’ve been able to combine the selling with the training for four years now but I have a feeling the training will take over one day. My online programmes mean I can work from anywhere and I really enjoy the coaching – it gives me so much joy when the agents I have trained are successful. I get a kick when they come back to me and say, “What you taught me has worked”.
Q: What do you do in your time off?
I walk a lot, and I also run. That keeps me fit and motivated. I swing golf clubs from time to time and I also play old boys’ cricket when I’m in Denmark. I’m lucky that I have been missing out on winters, with coming here every year. I don’t miss Denmark in the wintertime.
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