Ray White Franchise and Career Success Stories

Kevin Parkinson Real Estate Joins Ray White Palm Beach

01/07/2009

From Danny Fritz, CEO, Ray White Palm Beach

As CEO of Ray White Palm Beach, it is my pleasure (together with my co-Principals John Caskey and Mark Gordon and the sole Principal of Kevin Parkinson Real Estate, Kevin Parkinson) to announce that as of 1st July 2009 the two businesses joined together to become one; following Kevin’s decision to retire from the industry.

The amalgamation of the two offices will see the staff involved in both offices come together under the Ray White banner. Ray White Palm Beach currently operates from two different locations/premises in Palm Beach; the rentals office from 7 Palm Beach Avenue, Palm Beach and the sales office from 4 Sixth Avenue, Palm Beach. The amalgamated businesses will continue to run from these locations. The Kevin Parkinson Real Estate location in Palm Beach Avenue will be closed.

The amalgamation brings together two very experienced teams of property management and sales professionals. In doing so it has created the largest single real estate office in the area. The individuals within Ray White Palm Beach have for many years dominated the local area in terms of sales (and still do) however now the business will be a clear leaders in both sales and property management.

Joining the Ray White sales team (after years as respected competitors) will be a number of the local property industry’s most prominent names. Bob Berry with over 20 years experience locally (and one of the areas most successful sales people) joins us together with his assistant Aaron Ball; a dynamic young man well on the way to making a huge name for himself. Peter Smith, with an almost unbelievable unbroken 38 years of sales success locally under his belt, joins us also. Tony and Helen McIntyre both of whom joined Kevin only last year but through sheer hard work and determination have established an enviable sales record (more than a sale a week) complete the sales team joining us.

Joining the Ray White property management team will be Danielle Rowe, who has been a mainstay of the support team at Kevin Parkinson’s Real Estate for well over a decade, and, who, for the last number of years been the head of the property management department. Assisting will be her other support team members; Kylie Foord-Hooper and Rachel Kirby.

As CEO of Ray White Palm Beach, I would like to welcome them all. We are absolutely thrilled and honored that the whole team has decided to join us. My hope is they will all be with us for years to come.

The amalgamation of the two offices not only creates the largest sales team locally and the largest property management team locally, it also makes Ray White Palm Beach one of the largest private employers in the Palm Beach, Elanora & Currumbin areas, which given the current economic conditions is something of which I am enormously proud.

Welcome to Our Place...Paul Conti

01/07/2009

Well known local real estate agent Paul Conti has joined the Ray White Hills Group team. 

An 11-year veteran of the real estate industry, Paul says he is delighted to be joining a market leader such as Ray White as it affords him the opportunity to offer a wider range of services than is usually available from other players in the market.

According to Paul, he has found so many more homes to offer his customers that the chance of finding them the perfect home is greatly enhanced.

Paul is looking forward to meeting his past friends and acquaintances, give him a call on 0414 981 005 to say hello - he would love to hear from you.

New Principal and New Location for Ray White Strathpine

29/06/2009

It’s a fresh modern look with a focus on superior service for Ray White Strathpine which opened on July 1st in a prime new location at Strathpine Plaza shopping centre. As a fifth generation local, Karen Schoenfisch, takes the helm as owner/principal.

Karen brings to Strathpine real estate an established record of property industry success and extensive experience for the benefit of those wishing to sell or purchase in the area. In a career that’s nudging a decade, Karen has worked across all facets of the industry from reception and administration progressing through to residential sales that have spanned the full spectrum - from affordable entry-level property through to premium top end executive homes and lifestyle properties.
 
It was her consistently solid sales performance in the fiercely competitive Aspley and Bridgeman Downs marketplaces, coupled with professional integrity, affable and approachable communication style that earned Karen the leadership position of Queensland franchise manager for a national real estate group.

The opening of Ray White Strathpine is yet another career goal for Karen and will allow her to capitalise on her passion for real estate and extensive local area knowledge. Karen has lived in Strathpine for most of her life - ironically her childhood home was on Bells Pocket Road not far from the office.
 
“Strathpine property has come a long way over the last 10 years which is no surprise with its easy access to the CBD. The suburb offers such diversity, affordability, above all people are discovering it is a great place to raise a family and enjoy life.  With a variety of living styles there is something for everyone from your first time buyer or investor, second or third family home even lifestyle/acreage properties.”

Access to several major shopping centres, a plethora of schools from kindergarten to secondary, sporting facilities, the rail line, the bay for the boating and fishing enthusiasts along with employment prospects in Strathpine, Brendale and Lawnton business hubs means that “people can now live and work locally,” she said.

“Because the Ray White system is proven, operating in over 1,000 offices throughout Australasia, I’m really excited to be a part of Ray White’s success.
In launching my own office I have the full support of my partner Marcus and my family. Working proactively with an enthusiastic, dynamic and professional new team to provide the best possible service to the local community is paramount,” said Karen.

Staying at the forefront of rapidly expanding technology and embracing internet based marketing coupled with good old fashioned communication and customer service will be hallmark of Ray White Strathpine advising property owners and investors through the sales and property management processes.

Innovative marketing, a choice of sales methods, comparative market analysis, are just some of the options that we draw on to show case and give properties the competitive edge in the local marketplace,” Karen said.

Karen and the team at Ray White Strathpine look forward to meeting you and assisting with any enquiries about how to best maximize your property endeavours.

Welcome to Our Place...Nicholas Kelly

24/06/2009

Coming from a mining background with a strong mind for business and finance, new Ray White Paradise Point salesperson Nicholas Kelly is an eager and enthusiastic agent with a passion to get things done. 

Easy going yet hard working at the same time, Nick goes the extra mile to succeed and ensures every need of his clients are met.

As a Runaway Bay resident, Nicholas is renowned as a strong advocate of family values and is fortunate to have had the unwavering support of his family throughout his business career. He’s also committed to the Ray White Group, which, as a family owned business, mirrors the values that Nicholas upholds in such high regard. 

Joining Ray White for its high profile and vast world-wide database and network, he believes that together they are a winning team. 

Welcome to Our Place...Tom Ovcaric

23/06/2009

Welcome to Tom Ovcaric, the latest addition to the sales team at Ray White Paradise Point on the Gold Coast.

After completing a Marketing and Business Communication Degree at Bond University, Tom entered the real estate industry working in retail management in Melbourne. Following this, he traveled to the Northern Territory and spent five years managing a construction company with an extensive commercial and industrial property portfolio.   

In 2005 Tom returned to the Gold Coast to become involved in residential property management. During his four years in property management, Tom gained his full real estate licence and began selling properties within his management pool with the intention to join his local Ray White team at Paradise Point.

Welcome to Our Place...John Wainui

22/06/2009

Experienced sales professional John Wainui has joined Ray White Greensborough in Melbourne after building a strong reputation as a real estate salesperson in his native New Zealand.

With almost two decades in sales with companies including Lion Nathan, Television New Zealand and Spalding Sports, John has recently turned his focus to real estate and has spent the past four years selling property in Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island. 

After ‘crossing the ditch’ to Melbourne with his wife Amy, John joined Ray White’s Greensborough office in Melbourne’s north-east, where he is eagerly anticipating the new challenges and opportunities that await him as a member of the Ray White Group. 

As the latest member to join the ever-growing Ray White family, we wish John all the best and look forward to watching him achieve some great results.

Welcome to Our Place.... Ray White Kenmore Village

22/06/2009

New Ray White Kenmore puts best interests of vendors and buyers at the fore with innovative marketing and efective pricing.

On officially opening the Ray White office in Kenmore this week Rob Hyde principal, plans to emulate the qualities that contributed to his incredible international success - in the Brisbane property marketplace.

In his 12 years as managing director of RE/MAX Traders in South Africa Mr Hyde grew his business to eight offices comprising 320 agents, (105 of which worked under one roof), supported by 40 administration staff.
One highlight from his long list of industry accolades was the selection of his business from approximately 7000 offices internationally as RE/MAX International Broker/Owner of the year in 2006.

Mr Hyde will run a bigger team than is commonplace in Australia with a focus on assisting his staff to maximise performance levels through mentoring, motivating and coaching. 

Ray White Kenmore will be typified by a “proactive” brand of real estate with the aim of making real estate more accessible and improving service delivery levels for clientele. Closely linked is the office location choice within Kenmore shopping centre which mirrors retail-opening hours inclusive of Thursday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday.

 “We want people to feel comfortable coming into the real estate office –to pop in and have a chat to see how we might help them with their property needs or queries,” says Mr Hyde who has a number of innovations in the pipeline.

One relates to communication between agents so that the best interests of the vendor are the primary goal, not whether or not an agent earns full commission.

“We will introduce a more qualified conjuncting process: whereby a seller might sign up for an exclusive auction instruction with one agent, but that agent could have an open conjunct policy and be able to welcome other agencies, agents and potential buyers to create a stronger interest in the property,” explains Mr Hyde.

He believes buyer servicing is also critical in moving forward.
A buyer too “can have a better relationship with the agent who can not only show them their own stock but other agency stock as well.”
This means that an agent will get a better picture of a buyer’s needs and be better able to assist them to find a best-fit property drawing on a larger pool.

Unlike a hot market where buyers “will fall over you”, he believes that in today’s tough market conditions the days of “order taking” are gone.
“An agent is going to have to be more sensitive to detail to make sure the best value is found by the buyer in order for the buyer to enter into the transaction.”

New creative thinking on how properties are priced, brought to market and advertised are other prime areas of focus.

Vendors dealing with Ray White Kenmore can expect frank professional best advice; effective price counselling and constructive feedback during the sales campaign that won’t surround flippant comments about how much prospective buyers “loved your swimming pool”.

“Now we have to be marrying off the right buyer with the right property.”

“One of the biggest reasons properties are not being sold within 60 days is that they are not being priced properly,” contests Mr Hyde, adding that the first two weeks of a marketing campaign is the most telling.

He says effectively pricing a home should involve “a comparative analysis of what has been sold with a distinct sensitivity towards what a market is doing and what the buyer sentiment is.”
This sentiment relates to population demographics and how they might be affected by external factors such as interest rate rise and falls and job losses.

Because buyer sentiment differs from one market to the next and can change in a matter of weeks an agent needs to have an acute “knowledge of their marketplace and what is happening, what the stimulus drivers are and to be able to understand and interpret that to the people they’re dealing with,” says Mr Hyde.

And while he does subscribe to the adage that there’s a buyer for every home, he emphasises that ultimately, “the time it takes to sell a home is in the hands of the seller, not the agent or the buyer.

Mr Hyde says, properties priced appropriately with a generous upfront advertising budget often sell quicker and with less marketing expenditure.

Over-priced properties tend to churn through marketing budgets due to extended campaigns and often involve reducing the price of the property.

 “I do think the critical time in the marketing budget is the first two weeks, that’s when a property is fresh and you’re most likely to get best buyer activity and the best buyers - the rest of time is spending money on repeating the exercise,” says Mr Hyde.

It’s about “doing the right thing by the property up front – getting the property price right and allowing an adequate marketing budget so that your home is competitive in your local market and appears high in the pecking order for buyer appeal.”

Welcome Back...Jason Wan

16/06/2009

After starting his career with Ray White in 2002 in Auckland, New Zealand, Jason Wan has joined Ray White once again, this time with Ray White Ferntree Gully in Melbourne.

Jason has quickly shown that he and real estate are well suited for each other by reaching the high levels needed to be included in Ray White's Premier Club in his third year and continuing to write even higher numbers in following years.

Originally born in Taiwan, Jason is fluent in Mandarin. He regards himself as being fortunate enough to study and work in different countries such as the USA, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong and New Zealand. These experiences have empowered him to better understand and empathise with multi-cultural individuals and environments.

Jason looks forward to settling into the Ray White Ferntree Gully Sales team and getting to know as many people in the Group as quickly as possible.

Ray White Narrogin and Districts Welcomes Karen Chivell

12/06/2009

Ray White Narrogin and Districts is proud to announce that Karen Chivell has joined its successful sales team.

Karen has bounced into her new role and the office with such enthusiasm taking 3 Exclusive listings in her first week. She has also been ploughing into the other agents stock out there securing a listing on a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home that has a corporate tenant paying $350 per week. The property has been with another agent for 6 months at a price of $350,000 and she got an exclusive and got the vendor down to $299,000. She has also already made the first sale with 2 offers on one of the properties after the first open.

Karens background is mainly in retail but has had a go at everything and fits into the team very well. She is so excited at the oppotunities that Ray White provide through the training and systems she has already attended and seen and we look forward to seeing her become Narrogins next succesful agent. Well done Karen!

Welcome to Our Place...Kate Pade

09/06/2009

The Ray White Highfields family welcome Kate Pade to their fast growing business as the new Business Development Officer. 

After managing the family storage shed business in Northern New South Wales for the past ten years, Kate now calls Highfields, Queensland home. 

Kate has always had a great passion for the real estate industry and now with her three children becoming of age, she finally gets the opportunity to unleash what she has been so interested in from such a young age.

Achieving great pleasure in building new homes from the initial design stage through to interior design and landscaping, Kate has always been a savvy investor herself. Kate has really learnt as to what can be expected and exactly what needs to be passed on to her clients for life.

Heading towards and working her way into sales within the next five years is her personal ambition, although Kate is really enjoying the personal challenge of being the Business Development officer within the dynamic team at Highfields.

Lamberton's Join Ray White

09/06/2009

One of the most recognisable independent real estate brands through New Zealand's Central North Island, Lamberton’s, has joined the Ray White Group. 

After 30 years of successful trading, the Lamberton’s offices in Tokoroa and Putaruru have become members of the Ray White Group. They are the 127^th and 128^th office to join the Group in New Zealand.

Dave and Jenny Lamberton are the major shareholders of the company and made their decision to join Ray White on the strength of our company’s position across New Zealand. Having our technology platform to provide marketing, web service and real time vendor information was also a key decision making point. 

Tokoroa lies at the crossroads between the lush dairy farmland of the South Waikato and the vast plantation forests of the central North Island. In Tokoroa, the Lamberton's office holds a market share of 43%.

Putaruru is mid-way between Tokoroa and Tirau on State Highway 1. It is close to Lake Arapuni on the Waikato River. Putaruru is a fisherman’s dream. With no less than 20 rivers packed with trout within a 20 kilometre radius from the township, the fishing experience is not only rewarding, but beautifully picturesque and relaxing. The true escape. In Putaruru and surrounding districts their market share is 35%. 

They are considered the clear market leader in each of these towns and Ray White will benefit from the Lamberton’s Group joining our business.

The Ray White group in New Zealand now has 128 offices trading approximately $4 billion in property sales.

Familiar Face Takes on New Role at Ray White The Gap

04/06/2009

A familiar face has taken the reigns at a new-look Ray White The Gap.

Experienced Ray White salesperson James Monaghan has fulfilled a lifelong ambition by heading up the new leadership at Ray White The Gap in Brisbane’s west.

Taking over from his former boss at Ray White Paddington, George Hadgelias, James said owning his own real estate business was something he had always wanted to do since commencing his real estate career with LJ Hooker seven years ago.

After his brief stint at LJ Hooker, James spent six years at leading Brisbane inner-west agency Ray White Paddington, where he built a formidable reputation as one of the area’s top salespeople.

Now as new business owner at Ray White The Gap, James is firmly focused on becoming the No.1 real estate agency in the leafy suburbs that surround The Gap, approximately 6 kilometres west of the Brisbane CBD.

It is that location that has James excited. “The average price points of between $400,000 to $600,000 are attractive as a business owner,” James said, “there is a demand for ownership from a range of buyers including first home buyers, who can still pick up a property in the $300,000 range.”

“At only 6-10 kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD, the area has close proximity to the city whilst at the same time being secluded by the surrounding mountains,” he said.

The growing office is serviced by a good mix of new and experienced salespeople, who are proud to be known as The Gap specialists.

Welcome to Our Place...Chris Hoger

02/06/2009

Experienced salesperson Chris Hoger has joined Ray White Rural Westbrook, situated south-west of Toowoomba in Queensland 

Prior to joining Ray White, Chris developed her real estate sales career with Raine & Horne Dalby (2005-2007) and Fairway Realty (2007-2008).

A successful multi-million dollar selling agent, Chris now joins at the agency her father, principal Mike Ratz, with whom she started her career. 

With a residential sales license and years of experience, Chris said she was looking forward to continuing to provide her clients with the service that she had become well known for in the area. 

Welcome Back...Alan Atkins

02/06/2009

With over six years’ real estate industry experience, salesperson Alan Atkins returns from a short break to be back selling with Ray White Motueka in New Zealand.

“I am very pleased to announce that I am back working again with the dynamic team at Ray White Motueka,” Alan said.

“The depth and breadth of industry and local knowledge this group has needs to be fully experienced to be appreciated, with 60 years of combined real estate sales experience.”

“The office has it all covered, from sales methods to local history and market cycles, we have the team that can deliver the good in any situation,” he said.

A no-nonsense real estate professional, Alan said he was looking forward to assisting his clients with their real estate sales and purchasing needs.

Welcome to Our Place...Mark Napoli

02/06/2009

Mark Napoli, a highly experienced and respected real estate agent with wide and varied knowledge of the industry, has joined the team at Ray White Baulkham Hills.

Mark’s introduction to real estate began 8 years ago when he would write home loans of an evening because he was compelled to “make a difference to people’s lives in a positive way”. Since then he has shifted his focus into helping people buy and sell real estate with a warm and fresh approach.

Mark has also had significant experience in property development and project marketing. “I feel as though my experience starts literally from the ground up” says Mark. Mark continues to work closely with his clients and their needs and looks forward to making a significant difference in his local area by promoting his good name and reputation.

Welcome to Our Place...Pamela Pearce

01/06/2009

Pamela Pearce has joined the sales team at Ray White Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast.

A member of the real estate industry for over 3 years, Pamela was drawn to real estate industry because it combines her passion for property and people.

After working independently, she became aware of the opportunities which come with belonging to the Ray White Group.

Already a qualified salesperson, Pam looks forward to learning and growing within the organisation and already feels the benefit of being part of a team working towards a common goal.

Pamela settled with her family on the Gold Coast four years ago after making the decision to leave South Africa. They have enjoyed the lifestyle and freedom which comes with living on the Gold Coast and look forward to further establishing themselves within the local community.

Ray White New South Wales expands into Development Marketing and Sales

29/05/2009

Ray White New South Wales will expand into development sales for the first time when Troy Turner opens Ray White Development Marketing and Sales in Sydney later this month.

Mr Turner (pictured right) is regarded as an industry leader in project marketing and has an impressive track record. He was the director of marketing for AV Jennings, positioning the company as Australia’s largest builder. He then went on to develop the very successful Lots A Land project marketing, and is now excited to be opening Ray White Development Marketing and Sales and is confident about the future.

"We will become the dominant marketing agent of residential developments in Sydney and NSW on both retail and englobo sites. We then plan to move into the apartment and commercial building development sales and management,” Mr Turner explained.

Ray White Development Marketing and Sales, based in George Street, Sydney, will primarily focus on the building and development industries. The team will be involved in all facets of the project development from acquisitions and feasibility advice, to project management and review, strategic planning, D.A assistance and on site sales and marketing. 

“This is an exciting time in the development industry. For a few years now the market has been stagnant with no dominant marketing support organisation. As the market starts to recover Ray White Development Marketing and Sales will have a team of experienced professionals ready to provide quality service and advice,” Mr Turner enthused.

Ray White New South Wales CEO Stephen Nell is delighted Ray White will expand into development sales, and believes the future is looking very bright for the business. 

“Ray White Development Marketing and Sales will be supported by the Ray White Real Estate Group. It is great to have such an experienced operator as Troy heading up our team. He is highly regarded with an excellent knowledge of the industry and the players. He also has excellent working relationships with councils, state governments, finance organisations, developers and builders. I have every confidence Ray White Development Marketing and Sales will be a great success,” Mr Nell said.

Welcome Back...Shayne George

26/05/2009

After starting his real estate career with Ray White, Shayne was always looking for the opportunity to be a part of the Ray White family again after spending some time with an inner-city Brisbane agency.

Shayne has lived in the Greater Springfield and surrounding suburbs since 1974 so the choice was easy to make the move to Ray White Springfield.
 
With a background in management and policing, he places extreme emphasis on integrity. Shayne believes that by truly listening to his client’s needs it allows him to individually tailor a professional service to his clients whether they are buying or selling.
 
Shayne’s success in the industry can be attributed to his long term business relationships he maintains with his clients long after they have bought or sold their property. Shayne’s integrity, enthusiasm and real estate knowledge along with superior negotiating skills will ensure that the best result is achieved every time.

Welcome to Our Place...Kay Hanrahan

25/05/2009

Kay Hanrahan joins our Ray White Group, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge in many areas of property management.  

Working for an independent agency in central-west New South Wales for over ten years and finally tired of the cold weather Kay and her husband decided it was time to travel.

They converted a bus into a campervan and set off around Australia, spending 3 months exploring the country. A decision was made, they decided that they would opt for a sea change rather than head back to the country.

They arrived in Airlie Beach about six weeks ago and fell in love with the place and the good news for us they decided to stay. 

Our Whitsunday office have snapped Kay up and why wouldn’t you with a wealth of knowledge that Kay brings in all aspects of trust accounting and property management. 

Having now joined the fantastic Ray White Airlie Beach office we know that Kay will be a valuable asset to Mark and the entire property management team.

Welcome to our Place...Angela Lamb

21/05/2009

A referral from an ex-employee of Ray White Terrigal landed Angela an interview and a “your hired!” call shortly after from principal Jeff Mahoney.

Angela joins the property management team at our Terrigal office as a property manager.  She is no newcomer to the industry having 4 years prior experience with an independent agency on the central coast and a great all rounder.   Angela is looking to forward her career progression in the real estate industry.

But... she does have another passion…street machines!  Pictured is her very own pride and joy, a 2 seater Toyota Hi Lux bearing license plate “MIZLUX” which has won a few awards in car shows for good looks!  Sadly it won’t be her work car.  Best of luck Angela.