Award-winning Ray White agent Jason Trowbridge knows Auckland’s Ponsonby like the back of his hand. He’s been selling real estate in the trendy suburb for 32 years, and made his name finding buyers for run-down – and in some cases falling-down – villas that are ripe for the “Ponsonby” renovation. These days, there aren’t as many of those do-ups left, but it does mean he gets to sell the stunning houses they’ve become.
Q: What did you do before real estate?
I’m a chef by trade. I was born in Sydney and grew up between there and Christchurch – Australian father, Kiwi mother. My family in North Canterbury had a farming background, but I was always intrigued by food. I did a lot of food for street markets and fairs in Sydney, in Kings Cross, Balmain and Glebe. I’d work from 4am to 10pm. It was pretty full on.
Q: What brought you to Auckland?
Start your property search
I came for a holiday and travelled through the upper North Island with my mother. When we got to Auckland, I thought it looked interesting, and I liked the vibe. It was time for me to leave Sydney and do something else. I found a tiny café in Victoria Park Market that was about to go belly-up, and I opened Metro café. I was very entrepreneurial; I had lots of ideas for what I wanted to do, but no money. I borrowed everything I could and maxed out the credit cards. I’d get up at 4am to go to the Turners and Growers Market, which was in Wynyard Quarter in those days.
We were one of the first places to do espresso and bottomless coffee. We put seating out in the sun, and you could sit there with your coffee and your carrot cake for $5. Within 10 minutes of doing that, we were full, and we never looked back. This was back in the days when it used to take an hour to walk from one side of Victoria Park Market because there was so much to see and do. It’s not the same now.
Trowbridge: “I’ve sold places that were absolute dumps, and they come back on the market a few years later, and you think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing’.” Photo / Fiona Goodall
Ponsonby has changed a lot since Trowbridge started selling. Photo / Fiona Goodall
In the early 90s, after I sold Metro, I started Exit Gourmet, a lunch bar in Ponsonby Road selling gourmet food. I loved the area. SPQR had just opened up, Chris Presley had just started Atomic Café, Ivan’s [restaurant] was still alive and well on the corner [of Anglesea Street]. Ponsonby Road was full of colourful characters – bohemian dancers, artists, hairdressers. It was fun.
Q: How did you end up in real estate?
I had a friend who had a café in Epsom and we’d both noticed that we had a lot of real estate agents coming in. We could see they had a lot of flexibility, and thought it looked like an interesting job.
I did my real estate papers – this was back in the days when you did them in two weeks – and then I got talking to one of the agents who came into Exit Gourmet, and that was Andy Davies [now a property developer], who ran Ponsonby Real Estate. I ended up going to work for him, and he became my mentor. He was inspirational from day one, and he still is. He had an eclectic mix of people starting out in real estate.
Q: Can you remember the first property you sold?
It was on Georgina Street. I think someone gave me a lead, and I knocked on the door. The lady who owned it and gave me the listing was a psychologist, and she said, “I think you’re going to be great at this.”
Things kind of took off after that very first sale, and I built my name and reputation from it.
Q: You must have seen a lot of changes in the industry since then.
Oh yes. These days, you’re competing with 300 other agents; back then, it was about 20. Basically, the phone rang with people asking for your services. There were no mobile phones, no internet. A lot of the houses I was selling were dumps. You could get a villa for about $170,000. Some of them were so run-down, they were just about falling down. You could see the fleas jumping out of the carpets.
Discover more:
- ‘Almost divine intervention’: NZ’s Lotto man quits Auckland, finds his new calling
- ‘I’ll keep going as long as I’m standing’: 88yo agent shows no sign of stopping
- Omaha’s ‘Silver Fox’ on flash cars and wealthy beach town’s hidden baches
But people were starting to understand the value of the area and of these heritage houses. We weren’t selling old houses; we were selling opportunities. I became a specialist in that and made sure we got maximum value for the vendors.
Q: Has Ponsonby also changed?
Massively. Now we’re not selling those do-ups as much because so many houses have been transformed. Instead of selling opportunistic investments, we’re dealing in properties that are massive lifestyle investments. There are so many beautiful homes here. And the area has so much going for it – the shops, the restaurants and cafes, the transport options, how close you are to the city. You don’t have the same mix of people you used to have back then, and I miss some of the colourful characters, but I still think it is the best place in Auckland. I live and work in Ponsonby, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Q: What’s it like to see how some of the traditional Kiwi villas have been transformed?
Incredible. I’ve sold places that were absolute dumps, and they come back on the market a few years later, and you think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing’. One classic case is a villa on Tole Street. It recently sold for $6m – I didn’t sell it – and those people did an incredible job. I love seeing heritage and history, but I also love change. It’s great to see some of the development that’s going on in Ponsonby.
Q: What do you love about your job?
The people. I love the human contact, the trust you build with people, being able to guide them through the process of selling their home. I don’t really think of it as selling.
I’ve got clients I first worked with 30 years ago, and they’re still coming back to me. I did something last year for a gentleman I hadn’t heard from in 20 years. I love that. I love the fact that people trust me, and they know I have knowledge and the ability to pick up the phone and talk to whoever I need to, whether it’s a valuer or an interior designer. In over three decades, I’ve earned my stripes.
Trowbridge: “I enjoy being able to over-deliver and set records.” Photo / Fiona Goodall
This superbly renovated villa on Tole Street in Ponsonby recently sold for $6m - a prime example of the level of living now available in the suburb. Photo / Supplied
Q: Why do you think you’ve done so well?
I’ve worked very hard, and I still do. I leave no stone unturned. Protecting the vendor at all costs is a key motivator for me. I think it’s also because of the knowledge I have of the local community and the connections with so many people here. I’m a big believer in great marketing, and I’m also very process-oriented. At Ray White, the processes are very strong, and transparency is essential. I’m also huge on doing something once and doing it right.
I enjoy being able to over-deliver and set records. Real estate is still a deep passion for me, and I’m enchanted every day by the thrill of what I do. I never tire of it.
Q: What do you do when you’re not selling houses?
I have lots of ways to escape. I’m a keen fly fisherman, I’m an artist, and I have bees. I can often be found looking around op shops and enjoying interesting food and cultures. I have an industrial kitchen at home and love cooking for friends.
I have a small bach in Matheson’s Bay and enjoy getting away up there, lying on the beach, reading and walking. I bought it from a lady who’d had it for 80 years and I was thrilled to be able to have a real Kiwiana bach. It’s very humble.
- Click here to find properties for sale in Ponsonby
