The Better Podcast

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.

We’re joined by Conor Patton, National Auction Manager, to explore the auction process from the auctioneer’s perspective.
Conor shares how strong collaboration between agents and auctioneers helps create the conditions for a successful auction day. He discusses the behaviours that set the best agents apart, common pitfalls to avoid, and what effective communication looks like throughout the campaign.
The conversation also looks at negotiation — the questions buyers ask, the challenges that arise on auction day, and the role the salesperson plays in helping navigate these moments with clarity and confidence.

This episode features a conversation with Josh Nixon and Tricia Lafferty to explore what happens on auction day and how agents prepare for the energy, pressure and opportunity in the room.
They discuss their approach to auction day preparation, how they manage nerves for vendors and buyers, and how they work closely with the auctioneer to guide the process. Josh and Tricia also share how they approach challenging scenarios, including one-bidder auctions and passed-in properties, and the practical steps they take to maintain momentum and achieve strong outcomes.

In this episode, we sit down with Lorraine Young and Carolyn Ryan to unpack the first stage of a successful auction campaign: the strategy behind choosing auction as the method of sale.
They discuss how to guide vendors through the decision-making process, when auction is the right approach, and how experienced agents position auctions with confidence. Lorraine and Carolyn also share how they navigate common vendor concerns and explain the language and examples that help build trust and clarity from the very beginning of the campaign.

In this episode, we sit down with Cristelle Blanchard, Social Media Manager and Marketing Coordinator for Bayleys Auckland, to discuss how agents can use social media more effectively - without overcomplicating it.
Cristelle shares why clarity, consistency and authenticity outperform volume and perfection, how storytelling and video build long-term trust, and how ads can be used strategically to scale what’s already working.