Harrison Reid is leaving the beach behind.
After 12 years as a lifeguard on Bondi Rescue – and a recent stint in the South African jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! – the 30-year-old has joined Harcourts Gold in New Zealand to begin a career in real estate.
Harrison will work alongside Cameron Bailey at the franchise, which the company describes as New Zealand’s number one Harcourts office.
“When you’re used to high-pressure situations, you learn pretty quickly the value of having a reliable team around you,” Harrison said.
“I knew if I was going to step into real estate, I wanted to learn from the absolute best.”
Harrison started lifeguarding professionally at 18 and joined the Bondi Rescue cast in 2014.
He grew up in Sumner, a seaside suburb of Christchurch, and has now returned to his New Zealand roots.
“Not many people get to say they landed their dream job at 18 and lived it for 12 years,” he said.
“Turning up to work each day with your best mates, never knowing what the day would throw at you, who would knock on the tower door, or who would end up in a rip and need help.”
Harrison said he sees parallels between lifeguarding and real estate.
“Real estate is ultimately about helping people, building trust, and solving problems – just with fewer shark alarms and a lot more paperwork.”