Big Brother star Daniel Hayes reveals the true cost of being a real estate agent

Big Brother star Daniel Hayes had it all — a Porsche, Range Rover and $1.5m home. Then his life unravelled as his work took its toll.

Big Brother star and YouTube celebrity Daniel Hayes paid a high price to succeed in the real estate industry.

The number one performer in the number one office in the Ray White real estate group a decade ago owned a $1.5 million home, and a number of investment properties.

His kids went to private schools and he had a Porsche, a Range Rover and a $100,000 boat in his driveway.

However, making the deals to secure the wealth meant he was never at home with his wife and children.

Danny Hayes is going to ride a monkey bike across the Nullabor and back to raise money for suicide prevention. Picture: Mark Wilson

The success cost him two marriages and then the death of his younger brother James to a heroin overdose had a “massive” effect forcing him to reassess his life.

“It just puts things in perspective that we’re here for a blink,” Hayes said.

“Some people just make you think that real estate is life, it’s a drug, doing a deal selling at an auction under the hammer and the crowd cheer you and the vendor is crying and you are king for a day, you’re a God.

“It only lasts a very short time but your kids and your wife are supposed to be there for your lifetime,” he said.

“Unfortunately ego has an unquenchable thirst. It’ll take everything from you. Everything”.

Now the managing director of his own agency Hayeswinckle in Geelong he employs 50 staff in six offices but works just ten hours a week.

His main focus is motorcycle touring for his YouTube channel Million Dollar Bogan which has over 100,000 subscribers.

He will spend seven months this year touring outback Australia, the UK. Los Angeles and South America on his bike.

“I’m doing what I love and I’m be riding a Harley Davidson around the world and meeting you know, fans of my YouTube channel, which is incredible,” he said.

Mr Hayes has raised vast amounts of money for various charities through his motorcycle and is the most prolific fundraiser for Movember after raising $102,429 for the group since 2014.

He said he used to think life was about how many real estate trophies you could win.

“No one cares. I’ve recently posted on Instagram, it’s a photo of me in the pool with six Indigenous kids all around me and they’re all smiling, playing in the pool. And that stuff’s more important to me today,” he said.

Beyond Blue’s lead clinical adviser Dr Grant Blashki’s top tips on managing stress if you are a real estate agent:

WARNING SIGNS STRESS IS BECOMING A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION

* Recurrent thoughts that are very negative, particularly things like self-criticism, self-blame. For example you don’t manage to sell your houses one weekend and you read into that, that you failed when multiple factors that could have led to that – things on the market, interest rates, preparation of the house.

*using alcohol to try and manage the stress.

*Getting into conflict

*Not switching off from work or being away from your phone

*Withdrawing from social activities or relationships

SIMPLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

*Get enough sleep

*Plug your phone in to charge outside the bedroom overnight

*Don’t overdo alcohol

*Avoid drugs

*Exercise regularly

*Make connections and build relationships with people you trust.

SIMPLE STEPS EMPLOYERS CAN TAKE

*Reasonable work hours. A mentally healthy workplace should have some policies around being able to switch off and set hours about when it is reasonable for you to be on the phone and reply to emails.

*Clear job descriptions. Employers must be about what they are asking employees to deliver. Having unrealistic expectations about what young employees do is likely to see them burnout and is the best way to cause them to be stressed.

BEYOND BLUE FREE SERVICE NEW ACCESS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Beyond Blue offers six free mental health coaching sessions for owners of small businesses, including real estate agents.

People in small business that understand the real pressures business people are under are specially trained to be mental health coaches.

They’re not psychologists, but they provide basic problem solving and behavioural advice.

You can participate on phone or video or face-to-face where Covid allows.

Access this service by going to the beyondblue website or phoning 1300 945 301.