Stone emerges as Raine & Horne Commercial Erina relaunches
There’s plenty happening behind the scenes of the coast’s red hot property market with the relaunch of a successful commercial franchise and the emergence of an aggressive new agency which is opening up its eighth local store.
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One of Australia’s fastest growing real estate agencies is set to open its doors in Wyong.
Real estate veteran Mark Gibb, who started his career in and around Wyong, has partnered up with high-profile agents Sean Coffey and Scott Wall to open a Stone Real Estate office on July 7 at 22-32 Pacific Highway.
The team is set to capitalise on the booming Central Coast property market, as Sydneysiders continue to flock to the region in search of affordable housing and a better lifestyle.
“For me it was a pretty easy decision, I have got a history in Wyong having started my career in real estate here,” Mr Gibb told the Express.
“My core objectives are to focus on the lifestyle offerings of the Central Coast region and to work alongside Stone’s other offices in the area to grow the business.
“Mr Coffey and Mr Wall are rural and lifestyle property specialists who are well-placed to help clients realise their sea change and tree change aspirations in the region.”
“I wouldn’t have done this without Sean and Scott, these guys bring so much in terms of their successful following and knowledge.”
Mr Gibb said he had been through a few boom cycles during his career, each with their own characteristics.
“This one has everything going for it, including low interest rates,” he said.
“Then you throw the pandemic into the mix. The market is really doing the opposite to what the pundits predicted.”
Mr Gibb said people are now focusing more on their “home” with Sydneysiders coming in droves.
“It’s always been a main feeder for our market, at least 50 per cent of buyers already come from out of the area. With the pandemic, that has been put on steroids. It’s also the change in people’s ability to work from home. In terms of people from Sydney, we are the next stop so the commute is not that big. It’s really lifestyle and value for money that people are after.”
Mr Gibb said the Wyong region was attractive in terms of affordability and the proximity to the M1.
“These are the things that will drive the Wyong market,” he said.
“It’s on the edge of bushland and 20 minutes to the beach. It definitely ticks all the boxes. There’s also still potential for growth.”
His advice to first home buyers in this market was to “buy when you are ready”.
“Don’t try to stare into the crystal ball and predict the market. People get concerned about buying in a boom market that it’s going to burst. Generally there’s a bit of backward correction but I believe the demand is going to hold.”
Stone partner and head of franchise Luke Cameron said the Wyong office would give Stone “exposure to one of the fastest growing regional areas in NSW”.
“More than 70 per cent of sales inquiries in the area are now coming from Sydney, as people re-evaluate their work and lifestyle options, and as booming property prices in the major cities show no sign of easing,” he said.
Stone emerges as Raine & Horne Commercial Erina relaunches
On June 2, 2021
Raine & Horne Commercial at Erina relaunched last week under new owners Brad and Naomi Rogers and Geoff and Sue Tilden.
It comes after the long time franchise owners, Brett and Garth Hunter, merged their real estate businesses with boutique firm DiJones earlier this year.
Mr Tilden, who started his real estate career in commercial and industrial property sales in Sydney in the 1980s, is already a director of Raine & Horne’s offices at East Gosford and Gosford, which he originally launched with Mrs Tilden in 1990.
Recognised as one of Australia’s leading property managers and administrators Mrs Tilden will oversee administrative operations for the firm, and has over three decades worth of commercial experience working alongside her husband.
Mr Rogers started with Raine & Horne Commercial in 2016 after cutting his teeth with the brand’s commercial real estate office at Penrith almost two decades ago.
Last year he ranked second as the company’s leading salespeople for the number of sales transactions.
Mrs Rogers, meanwhile, will be responsible for the firm’s property management services, bringing with her eight years experience in residential property and 15 years in commercial property management.
Raine & Horne executive chairman Angus Raine said investors and business owners on the coast were familiar with the four new owners.
While Raine & Horne Commercial’s “mega office” would have high visibility on the Entrance Rd, at Erina, he said there were also plans to establish another office at Tuggerah.
Mr Raine said this office would cover the expanding industrial and warehousing markets in the Central Coast’s northern region.
Mr Rogers said stock of industrial property was limited on the coast.
“Those businesses on the Central Coast not relying on supply chains overseas have bounced back very well and are doing more manufacturing locally than before the pandemic and now have more orders and need bigger spaces,” Mr Rogers said.
“This demand means the industrial property market in this region is very liquid, and owners are achieving better sales prices than we’ve ever seen, especially if the buyer is an owner-occupier.”
Meanwhile one of Australia’s fastest growing agencies — Stone Real Estate — has ramped up its presence on the coast with a new office at Tumbi Umbi along with bus and radio advertising.
Stone now has offices at Toukley, Erina, Ettalong, Copacabana, Berkeley Vale and Tumbi Umbi with plans to open at Terrigal and possibly Wyong, which would also service the Yarramalong and Dooralong valleys.
Founder Peter Mumford said he and a couple of partners started the business just six years ago and while they resisted the franchise model initially, they succumbed and now have 45 offices stretching from the Gold Coast to Victoria, with further plans to open in New Zealand.
Mr Mumford, who ran a few restaurants on the coast in the 1980s, said the point of difference for Stone was “a lot of really good tech” and a hand’s on approach to training.
“Some of the older brands are not keeping up with the tech, brand marketing and training,” he said.
“Ours is really hand’s on training and how to grow a business, not just how to be a good agent.”
Stone’s new Tumbi Umbi and Berkeley franchise owner is Abdullah Choudhari, formerly of Wiseberry.
He said he was attracted to Stone because of their fresh approach and willingness to reinvest into their business model under the motto “creating bigger businesses with better people”.
Mr Choudhari, 30, said most real estate principals on the coast were aged over 45 and had a mentality of just offering their leading agents more money instead of opportunities to buy into their own businesses.
He said he wants to have five Stone franchises “fully operational with some new fresh blood” because there were a lot of good young agents looking for new opportunities.
In other real estate news Cathy Baker is expected to officially open the Belle Lifestyle Precinct on Pine Tree Lane in Terrigal next week.
The precinct includes a Belle Property Central Coast shop front, flower and homeware store as well as the already popular, Bouffant bakery.
Ms Baker wants the three businesses to work together to create a warm and friendly experience for customers, with plans to also host cooking classes, styling workshops and other community activities
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Originally published as Stone emerges as Raine & Horne Commercial Erina relaunches
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