Bayleys Real Estate Ponsonby

Cristina Casares is one of Auckland’s most trusted and high-performing real estate professionals, with over $416 million in settled sales across the Greater Ponsonby Area including Grey Lynn, Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Westmere, Freemans Bay, and Saint Marys Bay. Known for her genuine approach and passion for helping people achieve their property dreams, Cristina has a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the diverse range of homes in Auckland’s inner-west. Working with Bayleys Ponsonby, a locally-owned, family-run business with an outstanding reputation, Cristina takes pride in delivering exceptional results for her clients. Her love of real estate goes beyond the physical properties, she believes every home has its own story and charm. From character villas and bungalows in Grey Lynn and Ponsonby, to architecturally renovated homes in Herne Bay and Westmere, Cristina is passionate about showcasing what makes each property special. As a Grey Lynn local, Cristina has built strong relationships within the community, connecting with homeowners and buyers who appreciate her personal touch and in-depth local knowledge. She believes the Greater Ponsonby area is one of the best places to live in Auckland, celebrated for its diverse community, world-class eateries, vibrant atmosphere, and inspirational architecture. Cristina’s dedication to her clients and community has earned her multiple accolades, including the Trademe Property Impact Awards 2025 - People’s Choice Award, voted by clients for her outstanding service and results. She is also a proud recipient of the REINZ Community Service Award - Individual (2018 & 2022), recognising her continuous contributions to the community. Beyond real estate, Cristina is deeply committed to giving back. She is the founder of Alegría Charity, a foundation dedicated to supporting New Zealand’s youth facing mental health challenges by sponsoring them to get involved in sports and activities that build confidence and joy. Outside of work, Cristina enjoys spending time with her children and two dogs. She starts her day with meditation and exercise and is passionate about self-improvement. Cristina finds her adrenaline rush in windsurf foiling, having competed at the New Zealand Nationals in this sport, which reflects her philosophy of striving for excellence in every area of life. When clients choose Cristina as their real estate professional, they can expect more than just a premium result, they can expect a genuine partner who is positive, passionate, and will be with them every step of the way. Cristina provides expert guidance, personalised attention, and specialist negotiation skills, ensuring a smooth and rewarding selling experience. 2025 Trademe Property Impact Awards - People’s Choice Award 2024 Top 5% of Bayleys Salespeople 2024 Bayleys High Achiever 2024 Big on Community Award - Bayleys Auckland 2022 Winner of REINZ Award for Excellence - Community service award - Individual 2019 Finalist for REINZ Award for Excellence - The innovation award 2019 Top 10 New Zealand Agent of the Year - RateMyAgent 2018 Winner of REINZ Award for Excellence - Community service award - Individual

Jono King is a residential sales specialist with Bayleys, successfully selling within some of Auckland’s most sought-after city fringe and waterfront suburbs. Known for his calm approach, strategic thinking, and polished campaigns, Jono has built a reputation for delivering premium results while making the process feel seamless for his clients. With more than a decade of experience in the industry, he combines strong negotiation skills with a sharp understanding of presentation, buyer demand and market positioning - ensuring every property is brought to market with purpose and impact. Clients value Jono’s professionalism, clear communication and unwavering attention to detail. His approach is highly personalised, with every campaign carefully tailored to maximise competition and achieve the best possible outcome. Whether representing a landmark property, a character home, or a design-led apartment, Jono is committed to delivering a high-level experience from appraisal through to sale.

Paul Raynes has had a profound effect on the Central Auckland residential market over the last 32 years. Qualified as Branch Manager since 1998 he now has his AREINZ qualification. With over 500 Settled Sales he clearly has a dynamic ability to get the results. Married with three children, Paul has a background in accounting and marketing. He brings an understanding of life's realities and a sense of humanity and compassion that goes beyond just getting the job done. Paul has sold property from Blockhouse Bay to Herne Bay and Pt Chevalier where Paul currently lives in a renovated 1920's bungalow. "Even though the job is far more demanding than it was, it still provides the ultimate satisfaction when both vendor and buyer are happy with the result". Paul feels taking the time to listen to people's needs, being fully confident in negotiating, and above all having a good sense of humour, have enabled him to thrive in a tough industry.

Blair Haddow is a master of his craft. Achieving the best outcome for each and every client is his number one motivation. He accomplishes this through superior negotiation skills, complete professionalism and a robust knowledge of how to prepare and match high end properties with the ideal buyer. Exceeding expectations is the reason Blair is in constant demand from both vendors and buyers. His attention to detail is as laser focused as his commitment to each client - from the first contact to the final call. It’s little wonder he has remained in the top 5% of Bayleys agents for more than a decade and is regularly ranked one of the top salespeople across Bayleys nation-wide. Blair understands people as well as he understands quality, and combines the two in his dedicated team of professionals working behind the scenes to ensure a seamless and stress-free experience for his clientele. Attentive, empathetic and honest, the individualised and dedicated experience Blair offers his vendors is why so many of them are repeat clients - and because everything he does is underpinned by the drive to achieve excellence. Renowned for handling some of the city’s most exclusive properties, Blair Haddow delivers. In excess of $750M sales in Greater Ponsonby. Top 5% Bayleys Agents Nationwide 2010-2026. Community supporter and supporter of The Bayleys Foundation.

Nick Gilbert is one of Auckland’s leading emerging prestige real estate agents, specialising in high-value homes and premium development opportunities across the city’s most sought-after suburbs, including Herne Bay, Westmere, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Point Chevalier. Renowned for his market intelligence, disciplined sales process and commercial negotiation style, Nick consistently delivers strong outcomes for his clients, both on and off market. Since April 2025, he has achieved over $75 million in settled sales, representing some of Auckland’s most tightly held family homes, architectural residences and strategic landholdings. Nick is particularly known for his ability to structure and negotiate complex, multi-million-dollar transactions, working closely with private clients, developers and international buyers to unlock value and create competitive tension in discreet, tightly managed campaigns. He offers a highly personalised, confidential service to his clientele across New Zealand and offshore, and is trusted for his calm execution, strategic advice and relentless focus on achieving premium results.

Sonia is driven by genuine care and a strong sense of responsibility for her clients and those searching for a new home. Dedicated and sincere, she believes building trust is important in bringing everyone together to achieve a great result. This is a highly successful approach as Sonia has a proven track record of excellent outcomes for her clients. Before moving into real estate, Sonia worked closely with a top business broker marketing a wide range of businesses. This gave her a solid foundation in all aspects of bringing a property to market and designing bespoke campaigns carefully tailored to suit each home and client. Sonia has a reputation for seamlessly combining the skills required to guide people through their real estate journey - care, compassion, problem solving and negotiation. At all times the wellbeing of her clients is at the forefront. Outside of work Sonia loves tennis, cheering on the sidelines of her son’s sporting events, family fishing trips and catching up with friends. Sonia and her family live in Northcote Point and after 15 years in “The Points” she has an in-depth knowledge and connection to Auckland’s beautiful North Shore. She loves to support her community, sponsoring the Northcote Tennis Club and Bearcats Basketball Academy. Sonia only takes on a small number of property listings at any one time, to ensure her clients, their homes and potential buyers get the attention they deserve. For a curated property experience with a 100% commitment in achieving the best possible result, give Sonia a call.