Rich Listers’ Dom and Dave’s epic love

When Dave and Dominique McCartney decided to give a new career in real estate a go, all they wanted was to provide a comfortable life for their two young boys.

They never imagined that five years later, their success would see them rubbing shoulders with former deputy prime minister Paula Bennett on the new Bravo series Rich Listers.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” tells former stand-up comedian Dave as the couple chat to the Weekly from their home in Auckland’s Cockle Bay. “The people, the amazing places, plus you’ve got a film crew following you everywhere, which was sort of bizarre.”

The local series is in the vein of popular shows like Selling Sunset and Luxe Listings, and follows local agents, giving viewers a peak into the glamorous world of luxury real estate in New Zealand.

Dave, 41, and Dom, 37, who have been married for 16 years, admit the competitive nature of the business means they don’t have many friends in the industry. One of the highlights of starring on Rich Listers was getting to meet and connect with agents they don’t have to compete with for deals.

“Sometimes, with other real estate agents in your area, you can be super- competitive,” tells Dave. “You don’t end up being super-friendly. But because the show’s agents are spread out across Auckland and the country, we got to have fun.”

It’s just the latest adventure for the couple, who met almost 20 years ago. Dom was 19 when she and Dave were introduced by mutual friends at church. She reveals the moment she laid eyes on him, she knew he was the one, but admits it took Dave a while to return those feelings.

“When I first met Dave, I absolutely adored him. He’s got what I call the ‘Power of Woo’. He’s very likeable. But he wasn’t really interested in me. When I got another boyfriend, that made him realise, ‘Actually, I do like her.’ And the rest is history.”

Though he was slow to acknowledge his feelings, Dave certainly made up for it a year later when he planned an elaborate proposal involving a full day of events.

“At first, I thought, ‘He can’t be proposing’, because my dad had been away for months, so he wouldn’t have been able to ask him,” says Dom. “So, I had no idea what was going on.”

But once they reached the beach, where a giant burning sign read ‘Will you marry me?’, Dom knew exactly what was going on. After saying yes, she was treated to a lavish fireworks show.

“It took a lot of planning, but I knew I had to do something epic in order to secure her hand!” tells Dave.

While they’ve made a great team in marriage and parenthood, with their two boys Jude, eight, and Leo, six, the couple have also extended their partnership into business.

Dom comes from a family of real estate agents – her father owned the LJ Hooker agency in Auckland’s Howick for many years. But she was never interested in pursuing that path, instead choosing to forge a career in nutrition while Dave ran several businesses of his own.

But by the time Dom was ready to return to the workforce after taking time out when the boys were younger, she wanted a new challenge. Her father finally convinced the pair that with Dave’s people skills and Dom’s admin acumen, they would conquer the world of real estate.

Though it can be tricky mixing marriage with business, Dave and Dom agree it’s one of the best decisions they’ve made for their family, and the pair now rank among the top one percent of Ray White agents in the country.

“It definitely has its moments, but we make a great team,” enthuses Dave. “Our biggest strength – and sometimes our weakness – is that we have such different personalities. Everything that I lack, Dom has in spades.”

Dom adds, “It’s a busy life, but we like the thrill of it. Our life probably looks different to other families, but I am always there for the boys at school pick-up.

“Dave might be busy on a Saturday with open homes, but he’s there during the week to kick the soccer ball around. Our kids always get our time and attention.”

Rich Listers screens 7.30pm, Thursdays on Bravo.