Media release - 25^th March, 2014

Leading real estate group Raine & Horne has appointed one of its sales stars, Tina Ashton, as its new Business Support and Development Manager for Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast.

Tina Ashton Ms Ashton was employed for six years between 2007 and 2013 in sales and property management by Raine & Horne, and during her stellar career attracted the regular attention of Raine & Horne senior management, including Executive Chairman and CEO, Angus Raine.

“We have identified the corridor between the Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast as a major population growth hub as a consequence of the improvements to road infrastructure between Sydney and Brisbane,” said Mr Raine.

“We will be targeting some of the major population centres in the corridor such as Grafton, Lismore and Ballina, while we can also service the smaller satellite towns in the region with a number of strategically placed offices.”

Mr Raine is confident that Ms Ashton, a licensed real estate agent in NSW and Queensland, is the perfect fit for servicing existing Raine & Horne offices in Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast, while also working to expand the network in this region.

“Over the past six years with Raine & Horne as a sales agent, Tina notched a number of suburb records with our offices on the Central Coast of NSW*,” said Mr Raine.

Apart from Raine & Horne, Ms Ashton’s resume also includes stints with a number of major real estate brands and independent real estate offices over a successful 17-year career.

“Tina was looking to make the move to South East Queensland and she was enthusiastic about transitioning from a sales role into management and we were more than happy to accommodate her,” says Mr Raine.

According to Ms Ashton, her appointment to lead Raine & Horne’s assault on Northern Rivers and the Gold coast is not her first foray into business support and development, having worked in management roles previously with Raine & Horne.

“I was in a business support and development capacity focussed on building Raine & Horne property management business on the Central Coast,” says Ms Ashton.

She was also a Licensee-in-Charge of a major franchise office for six years prior to joining Raine & Horne, but is now delighted by the opportunity to continue her association with the real estate Superbrand.

“The fact that Raine & Horne is a family-owned and operated business appeals to me,” she says.

“There are quite a few family-run offices within the network and in real estate generally, and my experience working in that environment will be a big plus as Raine & Horne expands into the Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast.”

“We have great systems, with Raine & Horne’s ground-breaking contact management system, rhcompass, a standout, as well as talented staff, which make working with the brand very enjoyable.

“As a sales agent, Raine & Horne’s impressive systems and technology always gave me confidence when I went out to chase listings or property managements, and with this experience, I believe I am well placed to talk about the Raine & Horne value proposition when meeting with potential recruits to the brand.

“It’s a great company, which can grow its reach significantly in the corridor between the Northern Rivers and the Gold Coast.”

According to Ms Ashton, the market timing is also right for Raine & Horne’s push into NSW’s far north.

“We are in the midst of a mini-real estate boom in this region, thanks to an undersupply of property and oversupply of buyers, which is set to push property prices up by at least 5 percent by the end of 2014,” says Ms Ashton.

“It’s an excellent region to bring up a family, and with the NSW government encouraging people and businesses to move to regional areas with grants of up to $10,000, the long-term outlook for this growth region is very positive.”

* A selection of Tina Ashton’s recent suburb records:

16 Boyd Close, St Huberts Island for $1.5 million in 2013
23 Couche Crescent, Koolewong for $1.39 million in 2013
1a Kendall Road, Empire Bay for $910,000 in 2013

–ENDS–

For further media information contact:

Angus Raine, Executive Chairman and CEO, Raine & Horne on 0409 920 697

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

Raine & Horne high achiever to expand Superbrand from Gold Coast to Northern Rivers