Jen Baird

When Jen Baird, CEO of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), is asked what makes her tick, she describes it simply – “I’m a striver. It’s something I developed early, my parents encouraged me to go after things; I always plan to move forward and make change.”

That kind of determination is a trait that propelled Jen through her studies at Waikato Management School, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Management Studies with first class honours in 1998.

Jen’s choice of major subjects were Marketing and International Management and Chinese, a rare combination at the time. She received a scholarship to study in Shanghai for six months, and became one of the first people in New Zealand to graduate with a business degree majoring in Chinese.

“That was a time of huge personal growth. I was 19 and had never been overseas before. It was a complete culture shock; so different to Hamilton. There was no internet or email so it was hard to keep in touch with my family.”

After leaving university, Jen worked in a series of sales, marketing and PR roles, including five years living in the UK.

In 2007 Jen was appointed Chief Marketing Officer for real-estate firm Barfoot and Thompson, at a time of tremendous economic upheaval due to the global financial crisis, and the rapid growth of social media.

She remained in that role for the next 10 years, which gave her the industry knowledge she uses in her role now.

I’m a striver. It’s something I developed early, my parents encouraged me to go after things; I always plan to move forward and make change.

In 2017 Jen returned to her Waikato roots and was appointed Manager of Communications, Marketing and Events at Hamilton City Council.

She then moved into a different leadership role as General Manager of City Growth, heading the council’s planning, growth funding, safety and civil defence functions.

After four years at the council, Jen decided it was time for her next career step. 

She became the new CEO of REINZ in July 2021, an organisation that provides education, data and digital services to more than 16,000 real estate professionals across New Zealand.

Just five weeks into the job, Auckland went into a prolonged Covid-19 lockdown. Jen faced the challenge of helping the real estate industry adapt quickly to new regulations and restrictions, while she also prepared a revised strategy for the organisation.

“It was challenging, given the restrictions, but I was proud of what our team managed to deliver in a new way,” says Jen.

“Things have really changed for the profession, with significant investment required in technology and a new way of engaging with customers … there’s a much greater level of complexity and sophistication in the industry now.”

“Agents are not just salespeople; they also have to be personal brand builders and expert negotiators. They have to be able to navigate legislation and comply with all these different requirements that are in place in the industry now. REINZ is there to support them to deliver great service.”

It’s clear that Jen enjoys working at a fast pace and giving her all to roles she feels passionate about.