Key points

• Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith Managing Director Colin Henry has activated the first step in his succession planning with the appointment of John Henry as a Sales & Leasing Associate
• John Henry joins the Penrith firm after a stint in retail centre management with an ASX-listed property trust.  
• Mr Henry also cut his teeth in commercial real estate under the watchful eye of Daniel Krobot, Managing Director of Raine & Horne Commercial Macarthur.

Penrith real estate stalwart Mr Colin Henry has activated the first phase of his succession planning strategy with the appointment of his son John Henry to the highly successful Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith team.

Mr Henry, whose career with Raine & Horne Commercial predates the national network’s launch into franchising in 1993, said he was delighted that John Henry had decided to join his firm.

“John is no Johnny come lately to the world of commercial real estate,” said Mr Henry, who manages a staff of 35 who oversee the management of shopping centres in two different states.

Cutting his teeth outside the family business 

On the advice of Raine & Horne Executive Chairman Angus Raine, John Henry began his property career in 2017 with Mr Daniel Krobot, Managing Director of Raine & Horne Commercial Macarthur, as a Sales and Leasing Executive.

“John has wanted to join Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith since he was in school,” said Mr Henry. 

“But Angus, who worked for several of the world’s biggest commercial property brands before starting with Raine & Horne in 1998, advised John to earn his stripes elsewhere before joining us,” Mr Henry explained. 

“I’m proud to say that at Raine & Horne Commercial Macarthur, John facilitated transactions across all commercial asset classes and assisted the Property Management Department before switching to ASX-listed property investment trust Vicinity Centres in March 2021.” Vicinity Centres owns and manages 60 shopping centres across Australia. 

Mr Henry said of his son, “John was initially employed as a Retail Coordinator by the property group and was promoted swiftly to Retail Manager of Vicinity’s Bankstown Central. 

“He was responsible for daily management activities, facilitating a significant redevelopment, ensuring financial targets were achieved or exceeded, and negotiating more than 150 COVID-19 rent relief agreements with the centre’s retailers.

“We were looking for an experienced sales and leasing associate, and John proved to be the best candidate, and he’s hit the ground running with us.”

Apart from his impressive employment resume, the younger Mr Henry is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, a member of the Australian Property Institute (API) and holds a Bachelor of Business (BBus) majoring in Finance and Economics from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He also recently completed a Master of Property Development (MProDev), graduating with a distinction from UTS. 

Succession planning central to appointment  

Mr Henry said he was delighted that his son, who was born in Penrith and is a long-time Panthers supporter, was now part of the Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith team. 

“John is super qualified, and my succession planning strategy involves working with him for the next decade or so at least and then I’ll hand over the reins.

“But before we get to that point, John will add plenty of value to the business and has already implemented some great IT changes that have improved our efficiency. He’s going very well.”

Mr John Henry said several factors attracted him to Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith.

“My father has a great business and reputation in our community, especially as he has sponsored the Penrith Panthers since 1987 and supported them since they started in 1967. 

“Since attending Penrith business, community and sporting events with my father as an 18-year-old, I wanted to work in this community and commercial real estate.” Apart from the Penrith Panthers, Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith sponsors Panthers on the Prowl, which supports families and young people in the region and many other local causes.

Making his way into commercial real estate

Mr Henry maintains the onus is on him to earn the respect of his fellow staff members at Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith. 

“I want to make my own way in commercial real estate, which means working hard and being seen as a specialist in my own right.”

Mr Henry said that working with Mr Krobot at Raine & Horne Commercial Macarthur had established an excellent base for his career. “I learnt a lot from Daniel, especially regarding the sales and leasing fundamentals.

“Daniel taught me that doing all the little one percenters will impact the bigger picture, and he was great at negotiation and working with tenants. He taught me multiple ways to package a deal and is still a great friend today.” 

For all your commercial property sales and leasing needs in Penrith, contact Raine & Horne Commercial Penrith at (02) 4722 8500.