Talk about being in the right place at the right time. David Rainbow of Bayleys was enjoying evening drinks at a friend's place in St Heliers when a Japanese gentleman knocked on his host's door.
The gentleman was a journalist looking at houses for sale in the area. After introductions were
made, David ended up with a glowing real estate testimonial in the Asahi newspaper, which distributes 8.2 million newspapers, mostly in Japan.
Mitsuro Aoyagi came to New Zealand investigating immigration and tourism opportunities. He was advised by his hotel receptionist to check The NZ Herald's properties for sale. Selecting one of the big names that stood out, Bayleys, he set up a meeting for the following day.
Then he caught a taxi to St Heliers to look for houses with sea views that were for sale. While walking around, he began taking photographs of a garden. That's when the owner discovered him and invited him to meet his friend, David Rainbow.
A few weeks later an item appeared in the Asahi newspaper recommending David as the salesperson to help Japanese immigrants to find a home in New Zealand. To David, it was the kind of once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.
