• Raine & Horne opens a new office in Lismore and commits totally to supporting the real estate needs of local homeowners, buyers, and investors after the challenges of the last 18 months.
• Raine & Horne Lismore is led by star agent Brett McDonald
• The resilient Lismore economy is set to bounce back in 2023 following the latest pause on interest rates and local real estate values will benefit.

Star real estate agent Mr Brett McDonald has opened an office in the growth hub of Lismore in the Northern Rivers region of north-eastern New South Wales.

Mr Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne, said he was delighted that Raine & Horne was opening an office in the strategic NSW Northern Rivers region.

“We are also delighted that we can now directly support homeowners and buyers in Lismore, especially in the wake of the challenges caused by flooding last year. 

“We fully know the double whammy flooding crisis that gripped north-eastern New South Wales in autumn and spring of 2022.”

Experience and a passion for Lismore

According to Mr Raine, Brett McDonald is an outstanding Agent to lead Raine & Horne Lismore, with the right combination of real estate experience and passion for the Lismore community. 

“Brett has as worked for real estate offices in Northern NSW and, more recently, with one of our nearby Raine & Horne offices,” Mr Raine said.

“During this stint, Brett’s focus was to list and sell properties in Lismore and the Byron hinterland markets. He has decided to formalise his business operations by opening Raine & Horne Lismore.”

Mr Raine continued, “Brett has a real passion for Lismore, and his family has a long connection to the town.

“His mother had family living in Lismore in the 1950s and visited the town regularly for holidays. His parents even honeymooned in the region, making Brett very proud and honoured to work and live in Lismore.”

Mr McDonald’s husband’s family has lived throughout the Northern Rivers since the 1850s.

The Raine & Horne technology ecosystem is extremely appealing

Mr McDonald, who started his outstanding real estate career in 2005 in Victoria, shifted to Northern Rivers region in 2015. After a short break from the industry, Mr McDonald sold his first property in Girards Hill, Lismore in January 2016.

“Starting my business under the Raine & Horne banner was a no-brainer. I want to open my own office and I love the Raine & Horne brand.

“I love what Angus has been creating over the last few years, with his leadership in technology. This includes a series of industry firsts, such as Amplify, our first-to-market digital marketing platform that uses social media to put our listings in front of more eyeballs.

“But it’s not just Amplify. It’s also the online appraisal and listing tool, Digikit, and ground-breaking CRM CompassPlus.

“The tools in the Raine & Horne toolkit are just fantastic for our offices. Also, there is ProcessPlus, the first-to-market digital end-to-end sales workflow platform designed for salespeople, principals, assistants, and administrators. 

“All the tools I need to run an office are provided by Raine & Horne. You don’t need to subscribe to other third-party providers for anything.

“I’m amazed by Angus’s focus on developing systems, software, and support for our offices. He is at the pinnacle of the industry, but somehow always finds the time to personally support us and knows everyone in the network, which blows me away.”

Dream become reality for new principal

Apart from opening his own office, launching a business in Lismore is a dream come true for Mr McDonald.

“My mother if she was alive, would be saying about time, Brett. You should be running your own business.

“The timing for opening this office is perfect. It’s a case of grabbing the opportunity and just doing it. And to be honest, I thought I might never get this opportunity.”

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2023, Mr McDonald said the challenges created by the recent floods have made Lismore more productive and cohesive, and this energy will translate to the town’s real estate market.

“While sadly many people have copped a tough time, this town and its community are remarkably resilient.”

Mr McDonald added, “In my opinion it’s a great time to be opening a new office, and we always have people from outside our area moving here because it’s a desirable place to live. It also offers great investment returns.

“However, the majority of buyers are people already living in the Northern Rivers. Even during COVID when more properties were transacting, locals dominated the sales market rather than people escaping lockdowns in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.”

For all your real estate sales and property management needs in Lismore and the surrounding regions, contact Raine & Horne Lismore 0421 606 422 or drop into the office at The Strand Arcade, Shop 18, 74-78 Molesworth Street, Lismore.