Meet Nick Renna, the Jellis Craig director who gets his regular adrenaline rush on Saturday auctions

With 25 years in real estate, Nick Renna is a director of Jellis Craig Bayside and Glen Eira. The father of three has seen it all in the Melbourne property market, but it’s in the nail-biting arena of Saturday auctions where the sports lover now gets his regular adrenaline rush.

What is your background?

My parents are Italian. They came over from Italy but I was born here. I grew up in Chelsea and Dad was a barber. He had a barbershop in Frankston and we later moved to Langwarrin.

What were you like at 16?

I was a mad sportsman. I was average at everything and not brilliant at anything. As a junior, I played in the Victorian side for cricket. I also played at higher levels of footy and A-grade basketball. I’m a very competitive person.

Are you still sporty?

I’m still a big sports fan – I love my Magpies and I’m a mad golfer. I also go to the gym most days. You’ve got to be physically fit in real estate.

What drew you to real estate?

One of my best friends had an uncle who was a real estate agent. I remember him walking into a room – he was always dressed beautifully, he had a really nice car, and had a real presence. I was a bit of a shy kid and not sure if I had the courage to do it, but it appealed to me.

Where did you start?

I started down the Mornington Peninsula. It was very different then, 25 years ago. We had 350 listings and two buyers. Back then, you couldn’t sell anything to save yourself. I remember passing in 10 hectares of beautiful undulating land at Red Hill that had a four-bedroom homestead overlooking a private lake. Eventually someone bought it for $325,000. It would be worth millions now.

How did a shy person deal with becoming an auctioneer?

It was a hard process. I used to watch the Real Estate Institute of Victoria auctioneers’ competition tapes, on VHS. I also used to listen to auctions all day in my car – you could get cassettes of auctioneers and I’d listen and learn.

You mastered the art eventually?

My first few auctions, I used to throw up beforehand. Now I really look forward to it; it’s the highlight of my work week.

You’ve been in real estate a long time. Have there been ups and downs?

I’ve been through some tough times, and a particular one was when my mentor and I split. That had a big impact. I set up a bed in the office and just worked and worked. It was like being back at square one.

Did you learn a lot from that?

In many ways it was a gift. I was doing really well at the time and it put things in perspective. At the same time as all that happened my father went into hospital for an operation. It left my father with some brain damage. All of these things changed my perspective. Real estate is a long journey. I’ve seen a lot of agents come and go.

What is your life like outside real estate?

I’ve got three kids – my daughters are 13 and 10 and I’ve got a boy aged two and a half months. The girls are finally getting into netball after a lot of gymnastics, which is good – I’m over glitter.