From hairdresser to real estate agent: How this Gold Cost mum made the switch

FROM styling hair at New York Fashion Week to selling some of the Gold Coast’s hottest property, Hayley Kidson has a fresh new look.

The bubbly mother-of-three, who owns successful hairdressing salons in Reedy Creek and Casuarina in northern NSW, made the switch to real estate earlier this year, hungry for a new challenge.

“It was always something I was extremely interested in but never really took the chance, probably for fear of failure,” said Ms Kidson, who grew up on the Gold Coast.

“I’ve been in the hair industry for 22 years and have had my businesses for so long and hair is what I knew.

“So I just backed myself and thought I would start with the (real estate) course.”

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Before giving her hairdressing career the cut, Ms Kidson was warned about working in a changing property market following the Covid property boom on the Gold Coast.

“I feel like that was brought to my attention a lot,” she said.

“People would say ‘why on earth are you going into real estate when the market is essentially dropping’ and it just means I will have to give it a red hot crack and work extra hard,” she said.

The Tallebudgera resident got her real estate registration

last year and joined Burleigh Heads agency Realty Blue in January.

“The fact that I had been a business owner and am still currently a business owner worked in my favour,” she said.

“I had been building my businesses to run successfully without me for a long time and obviously subconsciously for this.

“Now hair is more of a hobby, I do hair because I like doing it.”

She said one of the biggest similarities between real estate and hairdressing was having strong communication skills.

“You really need to think quickly, build a rapport with people and direct the conversation to make it work for the individual person,” she said.

“It is very similar in hairdressing.”

Since joining the real estate industry Ms Kidson has already sold eight properties including a

Burleigh Heads apartment for $1.4 million and a sprawling Tallebudgera property for $1.4 million.

“I really am loving it so much,” she said.

“I really like getting to know people and getting to help people.”

Ms Kidson has big ambitions and plans to build up her reputation in an industry that is known to be cutthroat.

“For me, I want to continue to work hard, build my reputation, and expand my own personal business and have a team working with me,” she said.

“I feel like I work better with a team. The sky really is the limit.”