• Marketing and sales whizzes Sadik Karim and Michael Mariani has launched Raine & Horne Bardia after switching their successful southwestern Sydney-based independent office.
• The dynamic duo, who launched their independent Open Homes Sydney in 2018, are delighted by Raine & Horne’s ability to open doors with new vendors, plus its support, advice, and ecosystem of digital-first marketing products such as Amplify.
• The relatively new suburb of Bardia enjoyed decent capital growth in 2022, and the suburb’s combination of affordability, lifestyle, and proximity to the future Western Sydney Airport will ensure real estate values perform well regardless of the market cycle. 

The uber sales team of Sadik Karim and Michael Mariani from Bardia-based Open Homes Sydney are the latest independents to link with super brand Raine & Horne. The results already speak for themselves, with more appraisals and listings flowing the duo’s way. 

The new Raine & Horne Bardia principals also have direct sales experience after successful stints with leading Australian marketing services provider Salmat where Mr Karim and Mr Mariani managed the accounts for some of Australia’s biggest companies.  

“We are a small boutique brand and enjoyed a mentor relationship when we launched the business primarily as an online presence. Now we want to go hard and take the company to the next level with the help of Raine & Horne.

“There is a natural synergy between direct sales and property marketing, so we decided to explore real estate after moving from the corporate world in 2016. With the help of a long-term business mentor, we launched our independent office in 2018.”

The dynamic duo have a well-entrenched working relationship, with Mr Karim leading the sales and property management activities while Mr Mariani keeps the business humming as the Operations Manager. 

Mr Mariani continued, “We are four years into real estate and have done virtually everything independently. Now we feel like we need a mentor with extensive real estate experience – and who better than Raine & Horne to take us to the next step?

“We want to jump into the big league, and Raine & Horne offers the unique combination of technology excellence and community trust developed over 140 years of continuous operation. 

“It’s a delight to tap into the experiences and mentorship of specialists such as our NSW Network Manager from Raine & Horne Travis Wentriro.”

Past experiences also played a vital role in rebranding Open Home Sydney to Raine & Horne Bardia.

“I owned an investment property managed by a Raine & Horne office, and the level of service was exceptional. I told Sadik that these guys are the real deal and let’s talk to them about taking our business to the next level,” Mr Mariani said.

“One thing led to another. Sadik met with Travis, and as that progressed, we saw that the synergy and chemistry with Travis and the team were good, and here we are now.”

Mr Mariani continued, “We are also massively impressed with Raine & Horne’s ecosystem of industry firsts such as the social media sales platform Amplify and the online listing and appraisal tool DigiKit. 

“I honestly didn’t expect to have all the tools handed to us on a plate to expand our business and the knowledge and support we are getting. Travis and the team are great and very switched on.”

More business opportunities thanks to Raine & Horne

According to Mr Karim, joining Raine & Horne will enable the dynamic duo and their sales team to open more doors with vendors.

“The fact that Raine & Horne is celebrating its 140th anniversary is significant to us, especially when you consider our experience as an independent,” he said. 

“One of the main reasons we missed listings was because nobody knew our brand. I have great direct relationships with existing clients who are happy with me. But we could never truly amplify our opportunities.

“Joining Raine & Horne will amplify our opportunities by putting us in more conversations with a bigger pool of customers.”

Mr Karim continued, “Like Michael, I’m also impressed with Amplify and DigiKit because they are straightforward platforms. All the information and data are easily accessible.”

Emerging Bardia is a high-growth area 

Just over 14 years old, the relatively new suburb of Bardia defied market trends in 2022 with a 12.8% jump in values. The median house price is also relatively affordable at $892,500.

Mr Mariani said, “We chose Bardia because it’s an up-and-coming area. Many local property owners originate from the Subcontinent, just like Sadiq.

“Sadik is fluent in English and Bangla, giving him an added advantage in communicating with the community. This allows us to play to our strengths.

“Sadik even built a house in Bardia, which is like a display home for us, enabling us to showcase the charms of living in this region.

According to Mr Mariani, other pluses for Bardia include the opening of a significant new shopping centre, Ed. Square nearby at Edmondson Park, while the Western Sydney Airport is on track to begin operations in 2026.

“We also have many housing options, including plenty of land packages for sale. This market will hold up well in all market conditions.”

Mr Karim agrees that Bardia and surrounding suburbs, such as Edmondson Park, represent a fantastic opportunity for vendors and buyers.

“People can move here and get more land and house for their money. It’s just an exciting place to sell real estate.”

Raine & Horne Bardia will operate from 2 Theatre Walk Bardia and provide sales and property management services to Bardia, Edmondson Park and surrounding suburbs. To find out more, call Raine & Horne Bardia on (02) 8750 6835.