Olympic spirit: Brett Hayman's journey from the podium to property powerhouse

Olympic fever has swept the nation, and in the Hayman household the TV coverage is playing regularly.

Sitting in the sympathetically renovated kitchen-living space of his period home in Forrest, silver medallist and former coxswain Brett Hayman says watching the Olympics raises mixed emotions. 

“There’s a real vibe in our house when it comes back around,” he says.

“[For me] it can bring back some great experiences but also some disappointments.”  

Hayman is referring to the most high-pressure race of his rowing career – the Australian men’s eight final at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

As the coxswain, it was his role to monitor conditions and navigate the two-kilometre course, acting as “part psychologist, part coach” for the crew while steering and cheering them over the finish line. 

A big part of the excitement of the games lies in the fact anything can happen, and Hayman says even the most heavily practised strategies can be thrown overboard in seconds. 

“I completely changed our race plan on the spot within 300 metres because we missed the start and were so far behind,” he says.

“Like everyone, we were gunning for gold. To miss out by such a short margin was devastating.

“But then, for some of the crew, [winning silver] was the most joyous thing that ever happened to them.”

Rowing to real estate

As a young boy growing up in Melbourne, Hayman says he fell into rowing while spending his days at the Yarra Yarra Rowing Club, where his mother worked.

In a similar way, he also fell into real estate, this time through a rowing connection in Canberra after he moved to join the Australian Institute of Sport at 19.

“When I first started, I said, ‘If I put the same hours and dedication that I put into rowing into real estate, I’m going to be successful,’” says Hayman, who worked between training sessions before going full-time after the Sydney games.

“I knew I couldn’t do it overnight, so I treated it like an Olympic program: put in four years like an apprentice and then see where I’m at.”

It wasn’t long before he developed a “real passion” for the industry, using the same drive and focus that helped him to perform at an elite level.

His natural leadership shines as the principal of Hayman Partners, which he launched in 2018.

In February, the business expanded following a merger with Hathaway Real Estate.

“I’m always trying to be innovative, thinking how to best steer the business and the team,” Hayman says.

“Just like in rowing, you need that problem-solving ability to make a decision on the spot and be able to pay close attention to the details.” 

No stranger to putting in the long hours, he admits he doesn’t mind playing the “long game” – focusing on nurturing client relationships, even those years in the making.

It’s one of the reasons he has placed in the REB Top 100 Agents list for seven years in a row – and was one of only two Canberra agents to make it in 2024. 

Hayman says helping people through their property journey is the aspect of the job he loves most. 

“You’re dealing with emotion the whole way through the sale and buying process,” he says. “You’re there to help and support them to get through.

“My role as the coxswain was doing that for the crew, and I do it for my team and clients, too.” 

Home in the capital

Though Hayman moved to Canberra for a three-month rowing trial, he’s happily still here three decades later.

He and his wife Leisa enjoy hosting in the extensively renovated 1926 heritage-listed home they share with their two teenagers.

In summer, the bifold doors off the kitchen are thrown open, connecting the home to an expansive rear terrace overlooking an in-ground pool with a swim-up bar.

In the rare moments when he switches off, Hayman loves popping down to the wine cellar accessed via a staircase hidden by a motorised floor panel.

Decorating the walls here and throughout the home are signed memorabilia and treasured moments captured from his sporting career.

With echoes of past Games in the background, the whole family naturally tuned in to watch the rowing events in Paris.

However, Hayman says he has also been captivated by the determination and grit of so many different athletes from these Olympics.

“The event that brought me to tears was Saya Sakakibara winning the gold for her brother in the BMX,” he says.

“That was an awesome story … you’re just proud to be an Australian when the Olympics are on.”