Raine & Horne has a sweet tooth for Rockhampton

Media release - 11^th March, 2014

• Licorice Property, headed by experienced agent Joseph Ireland, rebrands to Raine & Horne Rockhampton
• Mr Ireland says linking with a major real estate brand delivers the ability to recruit the best real estate talent, as well as technological innovation, cost savings, and more credibility
• 2014 is expected to be a strong year for the Rockhampton real estate market thanks to lower interest rates and the historic town’s relative housing affordability

Raine & Horne is continuing its aggressive expansion in Queensland with the launch of an office in Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia and one of the state’s most robust regional towns.

In a major coup for the 131-year-old Australian real estate firm, experienced local agent Joseph Ireland has rebadged his boutique agency, Licorice Property, with Raine & Horne’s famous gold and charcoal branding, with Raine & Horne CEO and Executive Chairman, Angus Raine, on hand to cut the ribbon at the office opening on Monday, 10^th March.

According to Mr Ireland, who has operated a franchised real estate agency in the past, his alliance with Raine & Horne will enable him to grow his boutique business into a real estate market leader in Rockhampton, because it brings a number of key advantages to going it alone.

Affiliating with a Superbrand such as Raine & Horne will give his business more credibility, according to Mr Ireland, so he won’t need to spend as much time working on his personal brand.

The ability to share the costs of the latest real estate technology innovations with the hundreds of other Raine & Horne offices in Australia and overseas is another advantage.

“Access to the latest technology, a state-of-the-art website and the very best IT support also attracted me to Raine & Horne,” Mr Ireland said.

“You can’t compete with the big brands as an independent or fund the latest technology.”

Mr Ireland also sees his alliance with Raine & Horne aiding his recruitment plans.

“Recruiting the best sales talent is critical to growing a strong real estate business, however sales specialists will always join an office attached to a major real estate brand before they’ll consider a boutique.”

While focused on growing his business, Mr Ireland knows he needs to plan for the time when he’s ready to hand the reins of the business over to someone else. He believes that linking with a marquee brand will put him in the best position when that time comes.

“All businesses need an exit strategy – there is no point being the biggest and best real estate agent in a regional town if you can’t find someone to take the business on,” said Mr Ireland.

The timing for the launch of Raine & Horne Rockhampton couldn’t be better, according to Mr Ireland, who is bracing for strong sales growth in the first quarter of 2014.

Investors and first-time buyers are being drawn to the local market due to lower interest rates and affordability.

“There is a confidence in Rockhampton, highlighted by the building of new high-rise residential apartment blocks,” said Mr Ireland.

Rockhampton’s real estate affordability is also a consistent attraction given that the median house price is steady at about $300,000.

“There is potential for capital growth, but first home buyers and investors shouldn’t expect significant growth overnight – Rockhampton is a stable market and returns reflect this,” Mr Ireland said.

“The current council has a vision to grow the population, which is always good news for long-term real estate values, while it helps that the town has a number of big employers such as two big meat works.

“Central Queensland University is another big employer, while there is a robust health sector led by the Rockhampton Base Hospital.”

Rockhampton’s proximity to Mackay and Gladstone means the local real estate market benefits from mining industry demand, while the town also has a strong retail sector, with numerous major brands setting up shop.

“This is a well-established town with a well-established real estate market, so it makes sense that a well-established real estate brand like Raine & Horne will find a strong niche here,” said Angus Raine, Executive Chairman and CEO of Raine & Horne.

“Joseph has worked closely with members of the Raine & Horne management team in Queensland in the past, and with his decade-long experience in the Rockhampton market, I expect this to be one of the strongest performing regional offices in our network,” said Mr Raine.

–ENDS–

For further media information contact:

Angus Raine, Executive Chairman & CEO, Raine & Horne on 0498 071 991

Andrew Harrington, National Marketing & Communications Coordinator on 02 9258 5400