What does it take to build one of New Zealand's highest-performing real estate businesses and maintain that success over time?

In this episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird sits down with Adam Heazlewood, one of Christchurch's leading residential agents, to discuss the habits, systems and strategies behind a high-volume real estate business.

Adam reflects on his journey into real estate at a young age, the key decisions that helped him gain momentum early, and how his business evolved from a solo operation into a scalable team. He shares how Christchurch's property market has transformed throughout his career and how adapting to change has been critical to maintaining results.

A strong advocate for auctions, Adam explains why they remain central to his approach, how he positions the method with clients, and the role that collaboration and process play in delivering successful outcomes. He also offers practical advice for agents who want to incorporate more auctions into their business and overcome common misconceptions about the process.

This is a practical conversation about consistency, discipline, growth and performance, packed with lessons for agents looking to build a more effective and sustainable real estate business.

How do residential projects actually work — and what can every agent learn from one of the most specialised parts of real estate?

In this episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird sits down with Suzie Wigglesworth, National Director of Projects at Bayleys, to demystify the world of residential projects and development sales.

Suzie works across the full lifecycle of residential developments, from acquisition, planning and feasibility through to product positioning, brand development, project marketing and sales. While most agents focus on individual property transactions, Suzie's work often begins years before a project reaches the market.

In this conversation, Suzie shares her journey into projects, explains how development sales differ from traditional residential real estate, and breaks down the process from site acquisition through to launch and sell-down. She discusses the importance of long-term relationships, the role of trust and credibility when working with developers, and why getting the fundamentals right early can determine a project's success.

This is a practical conversation that demystifies residential projects, helping agents better understand the development cycle, where they can add value, and when specialist expertise matters.

What happens when deep real estate experience meets engineering thinking and a drive to constantly improve?

In this episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird sits down with Will Alexander, Head of Innovation and National Director of Property Management at Bayleys, to talk about the journey behind one of the most forward-thinking minds in the business — and the role technology is playing in shaping the future of real estate.

Will started his career as a professional cyclist before transitioning into real estate, where he built extensive experience across property management, leadership and proptech — including time with Renti — before returning to Bayleys to lead innovation across the business.

In this conversation, Will shares how his engineering mindset drives him to identify inefficiencies and build smarter solutions, the thinking behind products like the Bayleys rental appraisal app, and why the real opportunity in technology is freeing agents up to focus on what truly matters — people and relationships.

This is a conversation about curiosity, consistency and what it takes to build the systems that support the future of real estate.

What does it take to reinvent yourself in real estate — moving to a new market, joining a new brand, and building something from the ground up?

In this episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird sits down with Hayden Ringrose, a Bayleys agent based on Waiheke Island, to talk about the career pivots, personal disciplines and mindset shifts that have defined his journey in real estate.

Hayden's path to real estate is anything but conventional — starting out as a tour bus driver before finding his feet in the industry in Dunedin, relocating to Waiheke Island, and eventually making the move to Bayleys. Each transition required him to rebuild his network, re-establish his reputation and back himself in an unfamiliar environment.

In this conversation, Hayden reflects on what it really means to enter a new market and build trust from scratch, why aligning with the right brand changed the calibre of his business, and the personal disciplines that keep him sharp, consistent and showing up at his best.

This is a conversation about reinvention, resilience and what it looks like to grow into the agent you always wanted to be.

What does it take to build a world-class marketing campaign for one of New Zealand's most extraordinary private coastal estates?

In this episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird sits down with James Phelan, National Residential Marketing Manager at Bayleys, to unpack the strategy, discipline, and thinking behind the Andersons Cove campaign.

Set across 48 hectares of palm-fringed coastline between Mangawhai and Langs Beach, Andersons Cove is a once-in-a-generation coastal estate — long shielded from public view and known only to a discreet circle of family and close friends. Marketing a property like this to the right buyer, in the right way, required a different level of thinking entirely.

James shares what it really takes to pitch and win a listing of this calibre, build a campaign mix worthy of the property, and leverage media relationships to bring Andersons Cove to the attention of the world.

He also reflects on the role of database intelligence, campaign sequencing, and why great marketing should not be underestimated as a discipline in real estate.

This is a conversation about what exceptional property marketing actually looks like — and what every agent can learn from it.

What does it take to perform at the highest level in the world—and then apply that mindset beyond sport?

In this episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird sits down with Olympic silver medallist Ethan Mitchell to explore a career defined by relentless pursuit, discipline, and high performance.

From winning silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics as part of New Zealand’s track cycling Team Sprint squad, to now leading performance and growth within a high-performing real estate business, Ethan shares what it really takes to operate at an elite level.

He reflects on the mindset required in high-performance sport—where success is built on sacrifice, structure, and total focus—and how those same principles translate into the ambiguity and pressure of real estate.

Ethan also unpacks the realities of competing on the world stage, the cost of chasing marginal gains, and why process, discipline, and internal motivation are the foundations of sustained success.

This is a conversation about Olympic-level performance—and what it teaches us about achievement in any field.

What really separates top performers from everyone else?

In this solo episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird reflects on the lessons she’s learned from more than 20 years in real estate — and the consistent habits shared by some of the industry’s highest performers.

Recorded during awards season at Bayleys, Jen unpacks the five key foundations that repeatedly show up behind long-term success: mastering the basics, creating structure, building discipline, prioritising health and fitness, and developing a strong mindset.

From prospecting and building trust to managing energy, routines, and self-belief, this episode is a practical and honest look at what actually drives sustainable performance in a competitive industry.

Jen also explores why most people already know what they should be doing — but struggle to consistently apply it — and how small changes over time can completely shift the trajectory of a business and career.

This episode is both a reset and a challenge: what’s one thing you could change tomorrow to move yourself forward?

What does it really take to start again — and succeed?

In this episode of The Better Podcast, Jen Baird sits down with Heather Walton-Bycroft to unpack a career shaped by reinvention, resilience, and high performance under pressure.

From running a legal firm to stepping away from property development and rebuilding her life and career, Heather shares the realities behind starting again in real estate — and what separated survival from success.

Heather reflects on how she built momentum in the industry, including evolving her business across different markets over time, and why backing yourself in new environments is often part of long-term growth. She also shares how to truly leverage a network, the discipline behind reaching the top tier of the industry, and what it takes to build momentum when there’s no safety net.

This is a candid look at the less-visible side of success — and the mindset required to sustain it.

Kathryn Robertson, Bayleys Takapuna Residential Manager, joins The Better Podcast for a conversation about leadership, personal growth, and building a thriving real estate business.

Before entering real estate, Kathryn had a successful career in the New Zealand Police. In this episode she shares how the skills she developed in policing — resilience, communication, discipline, and problem-solving — have shaped her approach to real estate and leadership.

Kathryn also reflects the transition from sales into management, what great mentoring looks like within a branch, and how creating the right culture can help agents grow and succeed. The conversation also explores the opening of the new Bayleys Takapuna office and the opportunity it creates for collaboration, client experience, and attracting new talent.

Jen Baird is joined by Sarah Wood, CEO of realestate.co.nz, for a future-focused conversation on the changing dynamics of the real estate industry. Sarah shares her perspective from inside one of the country’s most influential property platforms, discussing how agent behaviour, consumer expectations, and property marketing have evolved over time.