As a volunteer firefighter, former business owner and one-time independent political candidate, Belinda Kolstad knows how to keep her cool under pressure.
But even she did not expect her latest career move to take off quite so quickly. Just 15 months after walking into a Darwin real estate office on a whim, the Northern Territory local has been named Rising Star of the Year at this year’s REA Excellence Awards.
“It was pretty amazing, and very nice to see the Northern Territory recognised,” she said. “We’re a little bit of a different market up here, and I didn’t even think I’d be in the running to be honest.”
The award caps off an extraordinary career pivot for the Darwin-based agent, whose journey into property has been anything but traditional.
“We moved to the Northern Territory 17 years ago on a short-term stay with the Defence, and ended up falling in love with the Northern Territory, and have now raised our children here.”
How it began
Before entering real estate, Ms Kolstad spent years building a successful career in the hairdressing industry.
She worked as a hairdresser before moving into business development, technical support and education, eventually owning a warehouse supplying professional haircare products throughout the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.
Belinda Kolstad was named Rising Star of the Year at this year’s REA Excellence Awards. Picture: Supplied
She later found herself searching for a new direction after battling breast cancer and undergoing a double mastectomy. Around the same time, longtime Northern Territory politician Kezia Purick encouraged her to run as an independent candidate in local politics.
“Unfortunately, I decided that it was not for myself and my family,” Ms Kolstad said. “It does take a large toll on your family.”
Real estate soon followed, although not in the way she expected. Ms Kolstad had been encouraged to look at real estate as a future career option, and she recalled dropping her son off at school before stopping for a coffee near a real estate office.
Curious about studying property later in life, she decided to walk in for what she thought would be 15-minute chat and ask a few questions.
Ms Kolstad and her husband are involved with the Virginia Bees Creek Volunteer Fire Brigade. Picture: Supplied
“Well, three hours later, I walked out with a job,” she said. “I spent the first six months of my career working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, juggling my real estate career, and also still running my small business as well.”
The hard work quickly paid off and Ms Kolstad sold her first million-dollar property within 12 months of entering the industry. Still, she insists the real reward has little to do with sales numbers.
“I am a people person. I love being out with people,” she said. “I suppose that is probably the key part of why I have succeeded in real estate, is I like nothing more than being out and having a conversation with people.”
Community in mind
Ms Kolstad has been a volunteer firefighter since the age of 15 and has spent decades serving with rural brigades, alongside her husband.
“We have now for the last few years boasted we are now the largest female brigade in the Northern Territory,” she said.
She has represented the Northern Territory internationally through firefighting and says mentoring women entering the field remains one of her proudest achievements.
“I absolutely love it,” she said. “It is a very family-orientated role that we choose to do, and I believe it complements and supports everything else that we do in life.”
Her community focus also influences the way she approaches real estate in Darwin’s uniquely remote market. When asked what she finds most rewarding about the job, Ms Kolstad’s is clear.
“Getting our locals into homes,” she said. “Getting our first-home buyers and our tradies into homes. Without our locals and without our tradies, Darwin is a very remote place.
Ms Kolstad says it's important to help find Darwin locals a home in the city. Picture: Getty
“If I can lock a tradie in up here, or a local emergency service worker, or literally anyone into a home, then I’m helping to grow our community.”
Ms Kolstad said winning the Rising Star award had only fuelled her desire to keep learning and pushing herself further. The award included professional development grants, which she plans to use to continue building her skills, including pursuing auctioneer training.
“There’s not too many female auctioneers in the Northern Territory, so that’s next on my cards,” she said.
The REA Excellence Awards comprised eight submission-based categories, including Residential Agency of the Year and Most Influential Woman in Property Award.
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