3 March 2010

      Strong property market, hard work lands gong for local agent

The South Coast property market has started 2010 with a bullet, with property prices up by as much as 7-8%, according to Raine & Horne Batemans Bay proprietor Adam Porteous.

The rampant market is great news for homeowners and it has also helped local sales agent Christine Ewin win a major industry award.

Ms Ewin beat some of the biggest names in Australian real estate to win Raine & Horne’s prestigious 2009 Top Sales Person (dollar value) award.

Announced recently at the 2009 Raine & Horne Chairman’s Awards at the glitzy Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, Ms Ewin defeated a red hot field, including previous winner and leading agent Michael Pallier from Raine & Horne Double Bay.

Ms Ewin also grabbed second in the Top Sales Person (number of sales) and a Chairman’s Award for her outstanding service to Raine & Horne in 2009.

Mr Porteous said Ms Ewin beat some of the best real estate agents to win the award, including Mr Pallier who last year famously sold the former French Consulate building in Sydney for $23 million to Lachlan Murdoch.

“She’s from a small country town and has beaten the guys who have an average sales price of $1 million,” Mr Porteous said, explaining that Ms Ewin sold a massive 122 properties in 2009.

“Christine’s sales range from a two-bedroom unit for $160,000 to a $1.02 million beachfront home, both in Batemans Bay. Her sales figures are four times the annual average number of sales for an agent - and it was a tough market last year.

“The reason she is so good is that she doesn’t stop. Christine is organised, efficient and tenacious, but she also has the biggest heart and gets involved in people’s lives so she’s like one of the family,” he said.

The dynamic Raine & Horne Batemans Bay office also combined to win the Top Office Business Growth (dollar value), a second place in the Top Coastal Office category, tenth place in the Top Office (number of sales) and eighth in Top Office (dollar value).

Aristotle Stavros won a Chairman’s Award, while Rebecca Shepheard was a standout in the Outstanding Corporate Support category.

Apart from price growth, Mr Porteous said there were several positive themes that would underpin the South Coast property market.

“Investors are still getting around 3.5% yield, but the Canberra market influences Batemans Bay and we’re starting to see a 10% upward shift in rents. Many are finding Canberra too expensive so they are looking to the nearest coastline for a sea change,” he explained.

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 all your property needs contact Raine & Horne Batemans Bay on (02) 4472 6055.

For more media information, contact Adam Porteous on 0414 726 014.