Media release - 23^rd June, 2014

It’s been a massive week for Terrigal empty-nesters Mike and Mary Hood.

The couple, who have been married since 1973, sold their luxury four bedroom townhouse at 63/41 Terrigal Drive, Terrigal for $752,500, and became grandparents for the seventh time, with the birth of grandson Miles Edward Wright.

Ducks In A Row winners, Michael and Mary Hood, with Angus Raine, and Matthew Brown from Your Broker But it’s often said that luck runs in threes, and the fortunate couple are also the big winners of Raine & Horne’s “Get your ducks in a row” competition.

The competition, run in collaboration with co-sponsor, Raine & Horne’s financial services arm Your Broker, gave one lucky Australian homeowner(s) the opportunity to win $50,000 by exclusively listing their property for sale with the leading real estate firm.

The prize is part of Raine & Horne’s first consumer campaign for 2014, which ran across a number of platforms including digital, local area marketing and print advertising, as well as a strategic run on the 7 and 9 networks.

Over the three month campaign period, Ducks in a Row resonated with Raine & Horne’s agents, with over 2.5 million direct mail pieces delivered to letter boxes across Australia.

“We also had 67,000 views of the ad on YouTube, and in excess of 3.5 million digital impressions across a mix of websites and pre-roll video, as well as a multitude of social media interactions,” said Angus Raine, Chairman/CEO of Raine & Horne, who visited Mike and Mary Hood at their home in Terrigal this week to present the winning cheque.

According to Mike Hood, a former high-school teacher, turned education consultant, specialising in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), he was surprised to receive a call from Angus Raine about the couple’s amazing win.

“I was gobsmacked when I checked the answering machine to find a message from Angus Raine. I just couldn’t believe that he was ringing me about the sale of a townhouse in Terrigal,” said Mike Hood, who also works on a consultancy basis for the University of NSW.

“Angus Raine asked whether I remembered the Ducks in a Row competition – my agent Cameron Clayton from Raine & Horne Terrigal-Avoca Beach had discussed it with me and helped us sign up for the competition.

“I have to admit we were sceptical when we received Angus’s call,but occasionally wonderful things like this happen.”

Mary Hood, who is the pharmacist at Blooms Pharmacy in Saratoga, said, “We want to thank Raine & Horne and Your Broker tremendously, not to mention Cameron. Without him getting involved, this wouldn’t have happened for us.

“So, well done all round for running the competition and the way it’s turned out. Even now, I still can’t believe it.”

As for their plans for the winnings, Mike and Mary, who moved to the Central Coast from Sydney in 1976, will shout their three children and their families to a holiday at Lake Cathie, a town about 15 minutes south of Port Macquarie.

“We’ve always holidayed at Lake Cathie since the children were younger, and we thought we should use some of the winnings to take them there for 10 days,” said Mike Hood.

The sale of their Terrigal home, with the help of Raine & Horne Terrigal-Avoca Beach, also means the Hoods need to get their skates on to find a new property, with Terrigal or Avoca the most likely destinations.

“We were negotiating to buy a block of land in Terrigal, but building another home, we feel, is a bridge too far,” added Mike Hood.

“We’ve built two houses in our lifetimes and we’re too old to go through that scenario again and are now looking to buy a suitable property in Terrigal or Avoca.”

Brett Hunter, General Manager of Raine & Horne Terrigal-Avoca Beach, is also thrilled that the prize went to a Central Coast couple.

“It was always going to be fabulous if the winners could come from this region, especially as my team at Raine & Horne Terrigal-Avoca Beach have got right behind the campaign from Day 1,” said Brett Hunter.

“So, when our CEO Angus Raine rang me with details of Michael and Mary’s win, and told me he was coming to Terrigal to present the cheque to them, I was over the moon.”

The campaign, which was co-sponsored by Raine & Horne’s mortgage broking arm, Your Broker, has also proved a major success as a new business initiative, according to General Manager, Matthew Brown.

“We have spoken to plenty of potential new clients and we are just so proud to be able to support the 131 year-old Raine & Horne network,” said Matthew Brown.

“The campaign has generated between a 5% and 10% increase in new business enquiries for the Your Broker network.”

As for Mike and Mary Hood, after selling a house, welcoming a new grandson and winning a once in a lifetime prize in the space of seven days, they’re looking forward to a ‘week of boredom’ to help them get their breath back.

–ENDS–

For further media information contact:

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

Andrew Harrington, Marketing & Communications Co-ordinator on 02 9258 5448

Matthew Brown, General Manager NSW, Your Broker on 0405 448 925

Terrigal empty-nesters enjoy a winning week with some help from Raine & Horne