‘Best decision I made’: The $75k leap that changed this star’s life

Erin Holland says the best financial decision she ever made started with a “very nervous” leap into Australia’s property market.

The Miss World Australia-turned TV presenter bought a classic Queenslander in 2019 for about $745,000, after years of saving every dollar she could while building a career.

Six years later, Holland estimates the same property would be worth closer to $1.7 million to $1.8 million. She should know; she’s a newly licensed real estate agent.

“If I hadn’t bought that first property back in 2019, I wouldn’t have an asset that’s almost tripled in value in six years,” Holland tells nine.com.au.

The former model says uncertainty shaped the way she handled money.

Before making her mark in television, Holland studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and dreamed of a career on Broadway, working as a performer and taking on whatever jobs she could to cover rent.

“My mentality was always save, save, save, because you never know where your next pay cheque is coming from,” she says.

Holland notes it was her now-husband, Australian cricketer Ben Cutting, who first encouraged her to think differently about the savings she had built.

“I remember my husband saying, ‘Why haven’t you gotten into the property market?’” she says.

“I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m really nervous about it. This is my safety net.’”

Cutting, who had been investing in property since his early 20s, helped give Holland the confidence to take the plunge.

She says the Brisbane home has required no major work, with the growth largely driven by land value and location.

“It’s still the same old little Queenslander,” she adds.

“We maintain it to make sure that it’s still a great property for families to rent, but other than that, that’s all just land value.”

The purchase also helped her buy a second investment property, leveraging the equity from the first.

“I didn’t even know that was something you could do,” she recalls.

As for her new career path, Holland says it came from an unexpected nudge from Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause, after the pair met at a Red Cross charity event.

“She was like, ‘Why don’t you have your licence, girl?’” Holland laughs.

Holland has since built her first purchase into a multimillion-dollar portfolio that spans personal investments, her Sydney base and various Queensland projects alongside her husband.

The couple are also behind Golconda Property Group, a residential and commercial development business that has taken on projects across south-east Queensland.

Holland has stepped further into the property world as co-host of Home of the Century, a new video podcast with The Block judge Darren Palmer and Century 21.

The career shift comes during a heartwarming personal chapter for Holland, who recently announced she is expecting her first child with Cutting after a five-year IVF journey.

She says the new series aims to make property feel less intimidating for Australians who feel locked out or overwhelmed by the market.

“One of the scariest parts of property is that people feel intellectually alienated from the market,” Holland says.

Her biggest lesson is simple: learn as much as possible before making a move.

“Education is everything,” she said. “The best decision I made was getting in and the only regret I have is I wish I’d done it sooner.”