Neil Walker's ability to make it happen for people is a great source of personal satisfaction. This high-octane beach boy exudes his company's core values of integrity, excellence and enthusiasm, barreling into life with the gusto he tackles the Wainui surf.

These waves attracted him to Gisborne in the late 70s, kept him through 15 years of primary school teaching and hold him still. In the mid-90s he discovered the joy of "helping people get on with the next stage in their lives" - that's real estate, he says.

He and wife Julie, also a former teacher, live and support the local lifestyle, extol Gisborne's virtues as a great place in which to raise children (they have four), grow old and retire. The city has lost none of its original appeal - not with its five-minutes-to-anywhere culture and the way strong relationships are built on trust. For Neil, life's cup is always more than half full.