2 March 2010

Raine & Horne Bathurst win prestigious awards

Leading local property firm Raine & Horne Bathurst secured eight awards at the 2009 Raine & Horne NSW/ACT Chairman’s Awards, held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney on Saturday 27 February 2010.

The firm finished second in the Top Country Office category, sixth in the Top Office (number of sales) and ninth in the Top Office (dollar value) category.

Also, Raine & Horne Bathurst proprietor Matt Clifton was elevated to the prestigious Chairman’s Club along with Heidi Fenech, Chris Hagney, Natalie Moase and Sharon Naylor. The awards were presented by property doyen, Max Raine, Chairman of Raine & Horne.

Mr Clifton said the awards recognised Raine & Horne Bathurst’s sales consistency and property management team, while the First Home Owners Boost (FHOB) helped underpin sales.

“We also held more auctions than in the past, while we had more consistent listings,” Mr Clifton said.

As for the outlook for 2010, Mr Clifton said he was pleased that the end of the (FHOB) on 31 December 2009 had not had the negative impact many anticipated.

“The first home buyer market fell back, but the next level of mid $300,000s to mid $400,000s has taken over. This market has been strong for the last few months.

“However there has been a shortage of stock and this has pushed up prices recently.

Mr Clifton said stock shortages were created by homebuyers and landlords taking a 'wait and see' approach.

“Prices could rise further; however trying to time the property market is a risky business. It’s a good time to be upgrading into a new home and locking into existing interest rates.

“There are also real opportunities for investors because vacancy rates are incredibly low and this is forcing up rents in Bathurst.”

For all your property needs contact Raine & Horne Bathurst on (02) 6331 6555.

Raine & Horne is an iconic Australian property firm, with more than 370 offices worldwide. It is a recognised, official Superbrand along with the likes of Qantas, Vegemite, Woolworths and Myer. The company has four distinct property service brands including Raine & Horne Residential, Raine & Horne Commercial, Raine & Horne Financial Services and Raine & Horne Rural.

For more media information, contact Matt Clifton on 0414 011 117.