Changing with the times

11 August 2022

By Kathy Salter

The value of REINSW membership cannot be overstated. Here, some longstanding members reflect on what they’ve gained through their involvement with the Institute over the years.

Warwick Williams Real Estate

When 23-year-old Warwick Williams purchased a small agency called Charles Warren & Co in Drummoyne, he knew that he couldn’t do it alone.

“I was young and just starting out in business,” Warwick recalled. “I decided that I needed help, so we became one of the first agencies to join Raine & Horne.

“We became members of REINSW in 1977 for the same reason. We needed support and advice, as well as the credibility that went along with membership. And we went to all the meetings held by REINSW, because that was the only way to get information in those days.

“I learned a lot from the people I met through the Institute. There was a great connection and camaraderie between all of us.”

Warwick went on to become Secretary, Treasurer and then Chairman for the Inner West Division, as well as playing an active role in lobbying with the Political Action Committee.

“We needed to work together to be recognised as the voice of the residential real estate industry with government,” he said.

Mr Williams has seen many changes in his local area over the years, with present-day Drummoyne a far cry from the industrial waterfront it once was.

“As you came across the bridge, there used to be a power station on one side and a tyre factory on the other,” he said. “Things started to change in the 1990s, with many of the factories along the waterfront becoming residential as the West became a significant player in the real estate landscape.

“We are very close to the local community here in Drummoyne. My wife and I married here, and our children went to local schools. There’s a lovely connection and a great community. So, when we rebranded to Warwick Williams in 2001, we decided to use the money we were paying in franchise fees to give back to the community. We sponsor the various local schools and organisations to thank the community for all they’ve done for us and for our success.”

Century 21 Novocastrian

When a young John Wragg met the late Sir Leslie Hooker after a rugby match at The Kings School, Sir Leslie asked John what he wanted to do when he left school. John answered that he wanted to be ‘a real estate agent just like you, Sir’. John started out as an office junior with Sir Leslie’s office in Newcastle, soon becoming the youngest Sales Manager in the organisation before opening his own business in The Junction in 1974.

Nearly a decade later, Wayne Stewart joined the agency, becoming a partner in the mid-1990s and then buying the business outright and joining the Century 21 Group in 1999.

Wayne’s family has a long history in real estate, with his father, Clyde Stewart, opening Karratha Real Estate near Lake Macquarie in 1968. This is where Wayne started his career in 1977, while also working in building construction and his own architectural drafting business. After a number of roles in the property industry, he finally moved back into general real estate, joining John Wragg’s agency in 1983.

In 2020, Wayne’s son, Nicholas, became the Licensee in charge and Director at Century 21 Novocastrian, the third generation to run the business.

“I can never remember not being a member of REINSW,” Wayne said. “I always enjoyed the camaraderie and never missed a meeting.”

In the early 1980s, Wayne joined the Gala Dinner Committee, following this with a string of committee roles, including Chair of the Hunter Division in the late 1990s. He was then invited to join the REINSW Board, including serving as President from 2009 to 2011.

“You can’t place a value on being a member of REINSW, with the great friendships I’ve made across the country, what I’ve learned from being close to peak industry bodies and government, and such great alliances with some of the best people in the sector,” Wayne said. “I’ve been blessed with meeting state and national leaders, as well as beautiful human beings at a grassroots level across Australia. How can you put a value on that?”

Raine & Horne Dubbo

Today, Raine & Horne Dubbo is a thriving modern business, with four directors and a busy team of 20 employees.

Grahame Allan, one of those directors, was born and bred in Dubbo, with his great-grandmother being the first white baby to be born in the town. He remembers life being very different when his father first bought the agency back in 1964.

“In those days, it was called Gordon and Gordon,” he said. “I remember the big ledger machine that would have been about a meter and a half long. The secretary had to transpose all the rent receipts manually onto the owner’s ledger and it would have taken her a couple of hours at the end of every day.

“I also remember when we had two-way radios put in the cars. We thought it was so grand to have communications in each vehicle. My Dad could check up on where we were as well!

“My father ran the agency as Gordon and Gordon until he retired when my twin brother and I took over in 1982. We were only in our twenties, and we knew we needed some help and new ideas for the business, so we joined Raine & Horne. I remember being embarrassed about our first franchise return, because we only sold one property in that first month. We’ve definitely improved since then.”

The agency has been a member of REINSW since 1964. When Grahame and his co-directors took over the business, they relied on the information and guidance the Institute provided. Today, the team still looks to REINSW for advice, especially with the ever-changing rules during the pandemic.

“My father would have been gobsmacked at the changes and new technology,” Grahame said. “But he had been in communications in the army and he had always been interested in that sort of thing. He would think all this was great.”