Before embarking two years ago on a successful career selling real estate for Ray White in Auckland's Remuera, Meadowbank and St Johns suburbs, Matt Gibson was in a very different line of work. But some of the skills he picked up in his previous job have proved useful in his current one.
What did you do before real estate?
I was a police dog handler. I was in the police for 13 years in total, starting out in New Plymouth, where I’m from, as a constable on general duties. Being a dog handler had been my dream since I was a kid, all the way through university (where I did a degree in criminology and education), and once I joined the police. So when the opportunity to move into the dog section in Auckland came up I jumped at it, and made the move with my wife Lauren Andreoli, who was in real estate.
It was daunting coming to the Big Smoke. Lauren had to start her real estate career from scratch. It’s a networking game and because she didn’t know anyone it was tough.
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I couldn’t believe the sheer volume of crime in Auckland compared with Taranaki. I used to go to serious incident after serious incident and none of it would be in the paper the next day. There was definitely no shortage of work for me.
Did you enjoy being a dog handler?
I loved it. Nothing beats a good track with your dog, knowing you are the last line of defence. You might go for a couple of kilometres over fences and through gardens, and when you get that crook who would never be found if it wasn’t for the two of you, it’s such a good feeling. Going back to the victim and seeing the relief on their face when you tell them you got the person… that’s hard to beat.
I also did search and rescue and had a dog that was cadaver trained. I really enjoyed that kind of work, looking for missing people.
All the dogs are really unique. I had three operational ones. My last dog, Tane, was a character. He was a bit of a grumpy young fellow. We used to have our differences but in the end he was pretty keen on catching crooks.
Why did you leave?
It’s pretty hard on your body. I ended up having knee and back surgery and had so many injuries from the job. When you’re tracking a crook you tend to jump a lot of fences and often you’re running around in the dark – if you use a torch the crook can see you coming. So you end up with rolled ankles, sticks in the eyes, walking into clotheslines, tripping over low chain-link fences, running into car towbars…it definitely takes its toll.
I did it for just over six years and was out for a while after having surgery for a slipped disc in my back. While I was recovering I helped Lauren at an open home, taking names on the door. It was very pleasant, dealing with nice people rather than some of my previous clients. I thought, This is something I could do.
Plus I had watched Lauren doing deals and listened to her on the phone, and she had often bounced ideas off me so I knew what was involved. I could see a lot of potential in the real estate business.
Then Lauren got pregnant with our daughter Sienna, now 18 months old, and I thought, It’s now or never. Lauren had done a stellar job of building a platform and I thought we could work well together. So I decided to give it a go.
And do you work well together?
We do. We butt heads every now and then but we come to the right outcome for the client and the business. You have to realise each other’s strengths and let the other person work to those strengths. Lauren has got an awesome eye for interiors and how to make homes look good, and she’ll deal with the marketing and the photo shoots. She used to be a journalist so she’s good at writing the scripts. She’s the finesse in the operation whereas I am more like a bull in a china shop, I get out there and plug away.
I learned the ropes from her while she was pregnant and then took over while she works from home.
Can you remember the first place you sold?
It was a deceased estate, and Lauren and I worked really well with the family. We then got asked to sell the next-door house, which was part of the same estate. That had 21 offers on it, which is still an office record.
From that we ended up selling the sister’s house about a year later. That ended up being our biggest sale in Meadowbank - $4,050,000. That sale really catapulted our business, leading to a flurry of high-end sales in the area. Last year we had our best year since Lauren started in real estate in Auckland, and we are already on track to quadruple that this financial year.
It’s great to get those sales but to me, success isn’t a dollar figure. There’s nothing more rewarding than when you change someone’s life, thanks to working really hard to get a good result for them.
So switching to real estate has been a good move?
Definitely, I’m loving it. It’s very satisfying, and definitely a lot easier on the body. It’s long hours though, it’s pretty much 24/7. I’m a people pleaser, and I don’t like to let anyone down. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that needs to be done. We have an awesome PA now who has taken a massive load off our shoulders.
I feel very thankful to be at Ray White Remuera because we have an amazing leader in Megan Jaffe. She is always two steps ahead of any other business owner and our technology and systems are second to none, so you can provide great service to clients. Plus there is no tall poppy syndrome here – everyone supports and encourages everyone else.
Are there any similarities between real estate and police work?
Every job you go to in the police, you end up negotiating with people and trying to sort out problems. Real estate is not much different.
You pick up a lot of people skills in the police, and you get used to dealing with a variety of situations, which is helpful in real estate. And in the police, you learn to deal with stress, time management and paperwork, which helps with this game.
My Ray White colleague Steen Nielsen is also an ex-dog handler and he has a saying: “Cops are like real estate agents – nobody wants to see you until they really need you.” That’s very true. Although people were often more keen to see a police officer with a dog – unless they were a crook – than they are to see me walking down their driveway coming to do a door knock!
Have your two careers ever intersected?
Every now and then I’ll go to a house and tell the owners, “I’m pretty sure I’ve tracked through your backyard. I remember falling over that fence.” And they’ll say, “Oh yeah, we woke up one morning to find it damaged.” That was me!
