Angus Raine is the Executive Chairman of the Raine & Horne group. He has been in the real  estate industry for over 30 years and is recognised as one of Australia’s go-to people when you want to know what’s happening in property.

In his segment, he shares how he helped Raine & Horne become an established brand and how you can surpass the challenges you may face in building a leading business.

No place like home

“If you want to go international as a brand, you need to be recognised or be a “superbrand” in your country of origin first.”

For Raine & Horne, it was Australia. For the last three years, they have been the fastest growing network in the country, so they’ve leveraged that into making Raine & Horne a recognized brand overseas as well.

You need to have all your ducks in a row in your country of origin first before you look overseas. A lot of companies make the mistake of expanding abroad when they aren’t ready–thinking that it would save their local operation. But doing so can put you at risk of stretching your resources too thin.

Cultural differences

It can be challenging to move to a different country. They do things differently, think differently, and have different customs. Angus says the best thing to do would be to educate yourself. Watch what you, your people, and your company says and how you act in other people’s countries.

“You just have to conscious of it and adapt to it.”

Franchisees and franchising

Raine & Horne has made a big appointment in the Brisbane market recently so we asked Angus what he looks for in a leader. How does he know when he’s found the right partner?

He mentions the connection. Angus knows that if they can click, if there’s a connection, then it is very likely that the person he is talking to is a good fit for the Raine & Horne culture. Another thing he looks for in leaders is being hands on.

Franchisees look for that quick response. He mentions that there was one case called the Evolve program. Commissions were challenging in the market so the Raine & Horne team made a decision within 48 hours to create a training program for their people so they can be ahead of the curve. “As agents, we need to add value. And we have to let the consumer know the value we add to the whole transaction.”