"I was pretty stoked and it was nice to see the hard work paying off."
Ironside, 29, said a lot of his success in terms of sales came in the third and fourth quarter of last year, but said he would prefer not to disclose how many sales he made.
"It is pretty well known that the property market in general bounced out of the Covid lockdown (last year) very well. The industrial and commercial space was no different.
The Onekawa industrial area in Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland
"I think a fair bit of groundwork that had been laid during those quieter months in the middle of the year helped everything come together, which was very rewarding and satisfying."
Ironside spent about seven years in the wine industry, working in Auckland and Singapore, before switching careers when he moved back to Hawke's Bay with his wife in late 2019.
He said the best part of being in real estate was working with the team at Colliers and also meeting new people.
"You meet interesting and really smart individuals daily, and if you like being out and about and talking to people and achieving goals for them it is a great job and career to be in."
Ironside, who grew up in Hawke's Bay, said he had been thinking of switching careers to real estate for a few years and wanted a new challenge.
He said working in the real estate industry did involve a lot of hard work, including outside regular work hours, but he simply loved his job.
"You have to be available 24/7 but I think if you love what you do it is not really a job is it. You are happy to do those extra hours and go the extra mile to make somebody happy or achieve a good result."
The Commercial and Industrial Rising Star of the Year Award was open to agents who had worked between six and 18 months in the industry.
