Dave McCartney’s dreams of Hollywood stardom didn’t quite pan out, but his acting and creativity have come in handy in real estate, with his innovative marketing videos propelling him to success. The Howick-based real estate agent has consistently been among the top 1% of Ray White’s top salespeople, so what makes him tick?
Q: What did you do before real estate?
A lot of different things. I did sales, I did a little bit of journalism, writing for The Parenting Place. I love acting. I dabbled in theatre and did some film and TV, but I never made it. It’s a cutthroat industry. I did quite a bit of stand-up comedy for a while. I started a comedy night at a restaurant here in Howick called Live at the Apothecary. I emceed, performed, and organised acts, and it was great to have that kind of entertainment here in East Auckland.
I also had a kids’ entertainment company. We did parties, with clowns, magicians, face painters, bouncy castles. I’d get my actor friends to play parts.
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Q: Why did you move into real estate?
My father-in-law, Murray Biddick, who owned the LJ Hooker in Howick, sat me down and had a talk with me about 10 years ago. My wife Dominque and I had two young sons, and he said to me, “You’ve got a family now. You need to get a job where you can earn some real money. I think you’d be good at real estate.”
My first thought was, no, I’m not that way inclined. I still had this dream that I was going to be a famous actor and take over Hollywood. And I didn’t have the personality to do what I thought was a corporate-type job.
I thought real estate was about numbers and analytics and spreadsheets, I thought you talked interest rates the whole time, and it was like being some kind of economist. And as much as that was kind of cool, it wasn’t for me.
And then Murray explained to me that no, it’s about people. It’s about wearing different hats and dealing with different people. It’s about finding out what their dreams are, what’s practical for them and providing solutions. I thought, OK.
Q: Can you remember your first sale?
A friend who had been in real estate had someone ask her who she’d recommend, and she put me forward. The vendor had a bit of an interesting reputation in the market for something they had previously done, and there were caveats on the property. So it was a tricky one. But I sold it, and learned a lot from the sale. Then I had the bug, and pretty quickly I moved onto the next one, and then another one.
McCartney: "Most people have an inbuilt bullcrap meter, and they can detect if someone is fake." Photo / Fiona Goodall
I realised I wanted to create a world-class service and change people’s opinions of real estate agents. I wanted them to think, "Man, it’s an amazing thing to work with a really good agent."
Q: Why did you think people’s opinions needed changing?
Agents don’t always have the best reputations, which I didn’t realise until I got my licence and started telling people I was selling real estate. They would think, "Oh, shiny shirt, fast-talking, can’t trust them." It was like they saw us as one-dimensional, just out for the commission. A lot of that has changed now, but when I started I really wanted to humanise the suit. I wanted to let people know I am in it because I have their best interests at heart.
Q: You’re known for your innovative marketing videos. How did they come about?
I’m passionate about marketing, and when I first got into the trade, I realised the marketing wasn’t that good. I had a bit of an epiphany. I thought, "I’ve walked into an industry that is a blank canvas when it comes to marketing; I can create something really different here."
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I started doing videos that were a bit more fun and I had agents tell me, “Don’t do that Dave, it’s cheesy.” I was told to calm down, that it was unbecoming. But I thought, These houses are people’s biggest assets and they deserve to be marketed well, which means building up a whole ecosystem of awareness about the property. Along with print and digital and good photos, I wanted to use video to tell a fuller narrative about the houses.
I was able to draw on my acting experience, my comedic timing, and use outrageous fun concepts to make people remember the house, while not taking away from what we are trying to achieve, which is getting people to come and have a look. I wanted to do something memorable.
Q: And the videos worked?
Well, within a year of people telling me that’s not what a professional agent does, I was tripling the sales they were doing. The thing is, they always say that in real estate you’ve got to be everyone’s cup of tea, because you want to appeal to everyone, you don’t want to lose any potential sales. I think if you try to be everything to everyone, you end up being nothing to no one because you’ve lost your soul. If you are true to who you are, you’ll find your people.
Q: Do you think that attitude has helped you to do so well?
I think it’s part of it. Also, most people have an inbuilt bullcrap meter, and they can detect if someone is fake. When it comes to choosing a real estate agent, they’re looking for someone they believe will genuinely have their back when it comes to selling their home. They’ve got to be able to trust you – trust is the biggest currency in this industry.
McCartney is still a big movie buff. "I’ll see a cool scene or some funny dialogue and think, Oh, I could use that in a video." Photo / Fiona Goodall
I think I’ve been able to build a trust brand in this area because people know I will always do what I say I am going to do. I make them feel taken care of and make sure that they can have peace of mind that we’ve got them top dollar for their house.
Q: What do you love about your job?
The people. I’ve met so many amazing people. I love the marketing, and being able to have fun and being creative with that. I love negotiating. I love working with a phenomenal team. I’ve got five people in my team, and I’m so proud of them. They’ve got such a wide scope of skills. We handle developers, mums and dads, first-time buyers, and everyone gets a customised experience. I could not do what I do without support from my team.
Q: What are some of your most memorable sales?
I won’t forget some of the ones during Covid. They were bizarre times. Back then, auctions were taking place over Zoom, and you’d be at home in your blazer and shirt and tie and undies watching the auction. I had one listing that the owners had bought 10 months earlier for $1.2m. They’d done nothing to it. We had so many bidders, and it went for $1.84m. Those owners made $640,000 just for owning a house for 10 months, which was an example of just how crazy that market was. And I sold it in my pyjama bottoms.
Then things changed so suddenly. One day we were getting extraordinary prices for houses; the next day the law changed, the Triple CFA (which made it harder for some people to get mortgages) kicked in, we had ghost open homes and prices were plummeting. In my time, I’ve sold in every market, and one thing I’ve learned is you just have to work with what you know in the present.
Q: What do you do when you’re not selling real estate?
I love hanging out with my family. Jude is 12, and Leo is 10, and I love supporting them and what they’re doing with their sports.
I’m still a big movie buff. Often I get inspiration from movies I’ve seen for my property videos. I’ll see a cool scene or some funny dialogue and think, Oh, I could use that in a video.
Q: Do you still do stand-up?
No, I don’t think it would be very compatible with being a real estate agent. You become very well known in your area, a public figure, and if you put out material that’s not palatable for everyone, it might not be good for your reputation. My comedy is in my videos now.
I still love acting and the production side of theatre. I'd love to one day have a production company for real estate marketing videos and help agents to put out some really cool cutting-edge content.
My worlds of real estate and television came together a few years ago when I got asked to be on the show Rich Listers. That was great. I got to see some of the most high-end houses in New Zealand and travel around the country to places like Queenstown. And I met some fantastic agents who were also on the show. I really enjoyed it.
Q: Have you got over the fact that you’re not going to be a Hollywood movie star?
Yeah, although acting still has a place in my heart. Maybe one day some film scout will go, “Hey you, guy over there. You’ll be perfect for our next blockbuster." If Taika Waititi knocked on my door, I’d say yes.
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