Rural WA Blog

WITH the property market not showing any sign of slowing down, new players Westcoast Wool & Livestock have entered the market to give farmers the personalised West Aussie approach they have been craving.

Westcoast Wool & Livestock (the brand we all know and love) are in a unique position, where they have more buyers waiting on the books than listed sellers, and are cold calling farmers to try and find the perfect farm for their interested customers.
Calling it a natural progression in their already existing successful business, the team is excited to take the next step into the real estate market.

Heading the Westcoast Rural Real Estate team is real estate manager WA Peter Storch, a well known face in the rural industry.

With over 48 years of industry experience under his belt, Mr Storch was ready to hit the ground running and create a brand in real estate that was local and reliable. Being 100% West Aussie owned, agile and quick decisions can be made according to the customers needs, all within the comfort of the state.

He hoped with time Westcoast Rural would become the “agency of choice” for real estate, just as it is with wool and livestock.
Mr Storch said he was looking forward to reconnecting to the farmers that know him well, as well as creating new relationships and networks with people who may not know him throughout the regions.

“What attracted me to Westcoast Wool & Livestock was that it's local, independent and I see the future growth pattern for some very exciting times,” Mr Storch said.

Westcoast Rural have teamed up with Raine & Horne Rural to ensure that farmers get the country down-to-earth communication they know and love, combined with the back-office functions of a metropolitan real estate agent.
With 330 offices worldwide, Raine & Horne has access to a worldwide network of buyers, connecting farmers to the rest of the world.

Mr Storch described the current market as “phenomenal,” with the environment suiting all sellers as record prices are achieved across the state.

“In any given district, the last farm sold is actually making more money per hectare than the previous sale,” he said.
He predicted buyer demand to continue for the foreseeable future in rural real estate, and believes now is the perfect time to consider listing your property on the market. 

“I think we're in unprecedented times where there's so much interest in rural land, not only in Western Australia, but from all of Australia,” he said.

“That's being created by investors, large institutions, and farmers in general. “There's a huge appetite from people wishing to get into rural Australia or grow their existing portfolios through acquisitions of more country.”

The Westcoast Wool & Livestock team are in “growth mode” and actively recruiting anyone interested in joining the agribusiness world.

According to Mr Storch, the Westcoast model is “proven, local and established,” and now they are putting more people on the ground to better serve their customers.
They are known for their good agency practice in all facets of their businesses, and hope to continue this legacy into the real estate industry.

Westcoast Wool & Livestock was looking forward to having someone as skilled and diverse as Mr Storch joining their team, according to Westcoast Wool & Livestock general manager  Geoff Geary.
“We see real estate as a natural progression of our existing business and we're excited to have Peter on board to help us grow and develop the business,” Mr Geary said.

The team currently includes 40 people across three different states, and they hope that number will continue to grow.
For the past few weeks Mr Storch has been visiting potential clients, networking, and has been involving himself in the wool and livestock business to get an understanding of the already established network.

He has been spending a lot of time connecting with agents and formulating a sales/business plan for Westcoast Rural.

By JASMINE PEART (courtesy of the Farm Weekly)