Real estate wasn’t initially on the career radar for Sasa Tofilau. Instead, he pursued his dream of playing professional rugby. But after hanging up his boots he was inspired by his brother Xavier, a top Auckland agent, to give selling houses a go, and has proved to be a natural. After not quite four years in the job, he has sold $155 million worth of property, and his achievements include being Harcourts’ number two individual agent in the northern region for 2023-2024.
Q: Was rugby always the goal?
Yes, I always wanted to play professionally. When I left school I did packing in a couple of factories and then I moved to Scotland for three years, trying to go professional. I was packing meat and playing rugby for Kirkcaldy when Edinburgh [one of two professional rugby teams in Scotland] came calling. I played for them for a season and loved it. Scotland is a great place, the people were lovely. I had a wonderful host family, the Hendersons, and I’m still close to them. It was cold though, really cold. I went over with flip-flops and came back with a suitcase full of coats.
I then moved to France and played for a year and a half for a club called Massy, which is just outside of Paris. I came home after I injured my knee. I got a contract to play for Hawke’s Bay and did one year for them in the ITM Cup but things didn’t go so well and I stopped playing rugby after that.
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Q: Was there a plan for what to do next?
When I played for Hawke’s Bay, I was semi-pro and still had to work, so I got a job as a teacher aide and realised I loved working with kids. When I came back to Auckland I became a teacher aide at King’s Prep [King’s School]. That was a whole new world but I loved it.
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I also ran a rugby academy, coaching around 200 kids during my time there. They called me Mr T. Some of them still stay in touch.
Q: What led you into real estate?
My brother, Xavier. He’s six years older and had dropped out of school at 15 or 16 to get a job so he could help our family. He later became a real estate agent and was doing really well. He’d tell me how much he’d made on his sales, and the great experiences he had in his job, particularly selling houses for people in the Polynesian community. That lit a spark.
At the time, things were tough financially. My wife Cassandra, who is a former flight attendant, was pregnant with our daughter and at home looking after our son, and I was the breadwinner. Our rent was $650 a week, and I was getting behind on paying it. I had to do something that paid more than being a teacher aide, and real estate seemed to be the way out, although it was hard going into a job that was commission-based. But I looked at my brother and thought, ‘If he can do it, I can do it’.
Q: Did Xavier help you to kick-start your career?
I was his associate at Ray White for two years, and I learned a huge amount from him. He didn’t go easy on me, I had to work really hard. I did open homes for him, and he told me I had to go door-knocking, which he had done when he was getting started. I knocked on thousands of doors around Mangere East and Favona. I got a lot of rejections – I developed a thick skin – and I also went through lots of pairs of black shoes, but it paid off big time.
Tofilau in action against Leinster at Scotland's Murrayfield. "Scotland is a great place, the people were lovely. It was cold though, really cold." Photo / Getty Images
People got to know me, and I got my first listing from door-knocking, a lovely lady called Lynn. She was going into a retirement home, and when she was ready to sell, she rang me. That was in about my fourth month. She said she chose me because she felt like she could trust me. Her place sold in three or four weeks, and that was a huge boost for me.
I also had great mentors in Craig Smith and John Q, from Ray White, who taught me a lot and have been really supportive. I’ve stayed friends with them even though I now work for a different company. You can’t burn bridges in this business.
Q: When did things start to take off for you?
In the last financial year. I moved to Harcourts and business has been really good. I felt like I had to break out of Xavier’s shadow – people would always say, ‘You’re Xavier’s brother’. That was never a negative thing, I was grateful because everyone liked him and he set a really good example for me. But I wanted to have my own brand, and now I feel like I have. I am the top selling agent in the Mangere, Mangere East and Favona area, across all companies.
Q: Why do you think you’ve done so well?
Probably because I love what I do. I love helping people to sell their biggest asset and seeing them happy when they do that. It’s so good being a part of that experience and helping to take the pressure off what can be a stressful time. I especially love being able to work with the island community, and help them.
Tofilau: "I believe real estate is about doing the right thing, every time." Photo / Fiona Goodall
Tofilau's older brother Xavier outside his church in Mangere. Xavier showed him the ropes in real estate. "He didn’t go easy on me, I had to work really hard." Photo / Fiona Goodall
I believe real estate is about doing the right thing, every time. I know a lot of people think agents are not always honest but hopefully I have been able to show that’s not the case. People have said they appreciate me being honest and authentic. I don’t go to see potential vendors with “commission breath” and over-appraise the property to try to get the business. I am always very upfront.
The other thing I do is only sign vendors up for four weeks. For most agents, the standard is 90 days but if I don’t sell the property in four weeks and the vendors want to go to someone else, they can. If they want to keep going with me, we can extend. I’ve never had anyone cancel on me. And I’ve never had anything less than a five-star review.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
I spend time with my family. Cassandra, who now works for me as my PA, and I have three kids – Kobe, Ezme and Kawhi – and I love doing things with them, like going to a skate park or a playground or just hanging out at home. I organise my day so I can do school drop-offs and pick-ups. Kobe, who is six and at King’s Prep, is into his sports and is playing Rippa Rugby and soccer.
I do a bit of private rugby coaching but I don’t play anymore. I’m happy just to watch.
Q: Has real estate changed your life?
Definitely. I feel very grateful. It was great to be able to buy my own house last year – we’ve got a nice place in Flatbush – and I’m currently settling on an investment property. I have also bought myself a McLaren. I’ve always been a fan of supercars and I set myself the long-term goal of one day buying a McLaren when I was in a financial position to do it. I am so thankful I have been able to achieve that.
While I appreciate the good times, I never take anything for granted. My brother has always said, “Stay humble, stay grounded. Don’t forget where you have come from.”
Xavier and I grew up in a one-bedroom state house in Glen Eden, where we lived with our sister, mother and grandmother, who was bedridden. We slept on the floor, and we had it tough. But I thought I had a great childhood, which was down to my mother, Sapi, who never made it seem like we were struggling. She worked very hard as a cleaner, including at a mall and the airport. She’s an amazing person and I’m happy I can help her out now.
Every few weeks I drive my kids over to Glen Eden and I park outside the house and I talk to them about growing up there. I want them to understand that life is not easy, I don’t want them to grow up thinking it is because of what we have now.
I am also a big believer in manifesting the life that you want, and working hard to make it happen.
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