New COO Appointment: Nick Gaertner
Category Knight Frank News
Knight Frank South Africa (Residential)’s new Chief Operations Officer, Nick Gaertner, is clearly a man of action with a passion for property… We find out more about what motivates this sporty leader.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born and grew up in Cape Town.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Sport has always been (and still is) a huge part of my life. Growing up it was a dream to become a professional sportsman – more specifically, to tour the world as a professional tennis player.
How did you get into your line of work?
From my mid-teens I took a great interest in the property market – mostly in Cape Town, but also around the world in general. I saw property as a unique asset class that differs a lot from most. Property is often the biggest investment that an individual makes in their lifetime, but the decision is not based solely on investment potential but largely on individual emotions. I find it very interesting and rewarding to be able to link both the emotional and investment side in the best way possible to appeal to people.
After completing school, it was a no-brainer for me to study a BSc in Property Studies at the University of Cape Town (UCT). My goal was to create a career in property but I didn’t go directly into property as a full-time line of work. Instead I entered the business of importing and distributing a range of products around the world. While in the import and distribution business, I continued with property projects as a side-line business, and began to buy, renovate and flip properties around Cape Town.
After five years in the business world, during which time I also set up my own import and distribution company, I made the decision to make property my full-time line of work. I wasn’t in a rush to move, but when I saw a management position become available at Knight Frank I jumped at the opportunity.
Knight Frank was always the preferred property group that I wanted to work at. It’s the largest privately-owned real estate company in the world, and I believe very strongly in the brand and what the company represents. Since joining, everything has moved very fast but I am thoroughly enjoying the work that I do and love that each day is different, with unique challenges.
Describe a day in your life
I enjoy sticking to a general daily routine. I wake up each morning at 5am and either head off to the gym or go for a cycle before work. While each day is slightly different, I’ll generally get to the office at 8:30am, with morning sales meetings kicking off around 9am. The rest of the day includes working on business generation, advertising and brand promotion with the sales managers and their teams. My focus is on the business management side rather than direct sales. My main role is to grow the Knight Frank brand within South Africa and to ensure that we continue to increase our market share. I tend get home at around 6pm, and spend a few evenings playing a game of tennis or going for a run, but in general I enjoy an early dinner and glass of wine while catching up on daily news and sports updates.
What have been the biggest challenges to get to where you are today?
The biggest contributor to my successes thus far is a positive mentality, paired with the fact that I’ve chosen an industry that I’m passionate about. It’s definitely taken a lot of hard work, but because I genuinely enjoy what I do and have an interest in business and in the property industry in particular, it has made my progression far easier. When I take on a challenge, I like to do it to the best of my ability.
What do you love about your job?
So far there isn’t an aspect of my job that I don’t enjoy. The industry has been of interest to me for a long time and I am continuously learning new things. I love the fact that no two days are the same and I get great satisfaction in seeing the company grow at such a rapid rate.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
I would probably still be running my import and distribution business. It was also a very exciting business to be in and I enjoyed the daily challenges.
Where does SA sit in terms of the property industry compared to the rest of the world?
In general, the South African property market has largely followed global trends. Cape Town in particular has been a constant top performer on the global stage as far as property growth is concerned, with some areas currently achieving up to 20% year-on-year capital appreciation. South Africa does have its unique challenges, with foreign investor confidence often being affected by economic uncertainty due to government instability. Recent months have started to show growing confidence because of the recent change in presidency, but there is still work to be done for the country to enjoy consistent and continued investment.
Any strong influences/mentors in your life?
My father has definitely been the strongest influence and mentor in my life. He would achieve anything that he set his mind to. He was an incredibly successful businessman and sportsman, and taught me a huge amount about how to go about achieving your goals.
What are your career highlights?
- Starting and running my own successful import and distribution company
- My successful personal property projects
- Being appointed as COO at Knight Frank South Africa
What are you personally proud of?
I’ve managed to accomplish a lot in my professional career since finishing my studies at the end of 2012. I am very proud of my current position in Knight Frank and believe that there is a huge amount to look forward to within the company in the near future.
I am also exceptionally proud of my sporting achievements. Specific highlights include representing Western Province in Tennis, Cricket, Cycling, and Hockey. I also captained my school’s first cycling team and represented UCT three times at the SA University Cycling Championships.
What philosophy do you live by?
Don’t make excuses, make improvements.
What are your hopes for the future?
Knight Frank is one of the most recognised real estate companies in the world but it is still at early development stages in South Africa. My goal for the future is to position Knight Frank as the preferred real estate company – firstly within Cape Town, but ultimately throughout South Africa by delivering a superior and unique client experience.
What are you reading at the moment?
Rafa: My Story (Autobiography of Rafael Nadal)
The hardest lesson I have learnt is that everyone has his or her own agenda.
If you want to succeed you need to take chances and follow them through with all you have.
The best advice I ever got was to make sure that I follow a career path that I love.
Author: Knight Frank
