Raine & Horne has landed a significant coup with a leading Newcastle independent real estate firm joining its rapidly expanding ranks in the Hunter region.

 Independent firm 1on1 Property will shift to the Superbrand and operate two new offices, Raine & Horne Maitland, and Raine & Horne Cameron Park. Experienced property duo Paul Hartgers and Jessica van Aswegen will lead Raine & Horne’s newest offices. 

 “The dual launch is a major coup for the expanding Raine & Horne brand in the Hunter region,” said Angus Raine, Executive Chairman, Raine & Horne Group. 

 The new offices at Maitland and Cameron Park will join forces with other new Hunter-based offices, including Raine & Horne Kurri Kurri and our other recent additions in New Lambton, Mayfield, and Wallsend. 

 Mr Raine said, “Raine & Horne has a long history in Newcastle and the Hunter, and I’m excited about what Paul Jessica, and the new offices will deliver for owners, buyers, tenants and investors in Maitland, Cameron Park and all the suburbs in between.”

 Mr Hartgers said he is excited to be taking the next step in his real estate journey with his colleague Ms van Aswegen.

 “We have been in business for more than a decade and Jessica started working with us in June 2015 as a Property Manager before progressing up the ranks. This year she officially became a Partner in the business, which will add leadership to our team and a strong foundation moving into the future,” said Mr Hartgers. 

 “Initially, we had one office in the Newcastle/Lake Macquarie area; however, in 2013, we expanded to add a second office in Maitland.”

 Points of difference 

 Apart from being long-term work colleagues, Mr Hartgers said he and Ms van Aswegen are strategically aligned. “Our major strength is that as a team, we are 100% committed to our mission: to be the region’s most trusted real estate agency, providing relevant and profitable property advice with integrity, honesty and authenticity.

 “Our entire focus is to help people in their current situation and on their entire property journey. A happy client motivates us much more than anything we do.”

 Mr Hartgers continued, “Our business has been operating as an independent agency for a decade and has developed an excellent reputation as a progressive customer focussed company with a loyal customer base. We have always strived to put people first and we see that aligning with Raine & Horne will allow us to continue to keep this as a major focus.

 “We first explored the idea of joining a more prominent organisation two years ago. At that time, it became apparent that Raine & Horne was the best option as a comfortable culture fit. 

 “Joining the Raine & Horne family will allow us to be more client focussed, delivering an even better service knowing we have great support in all the behind-the-scenes tasks.”

 Moreover, since deciding to join the 138-year-old real estate Superbrand, Mr Hartgers said his team had not been disappointed. “All the people in Raine & Horne we have met or dealt with from head office to other franchisee owners have been friendly and helpful. 

 “This warm welcome has given us the confidence to take this step. Raine & Horne has a culture of continual improvement and innovation for buyers and vendors with products such as Amplify and Digikit to the fore. Our entire team is excited about the marketing tools and strategies we will now have access to.”

 Market timing perfect for the move to Raine & Horne 

 In the critical areas of Maitland and Cameron Park, vendors and buyers are riding a wave of momentum, according to Mr Hartgers. 

 “Vendors are achieving record prices and quick sales. On the supply side, first and second home buyers are still out in great numbers and competing for lower-than-normal stock levels, which is driving up prices,” Mr Hartgers said. 

 “The attraction of our region for Sydneysiders is high, and we are seeing a steady flow of buyers from the capital making a move north to take advantage of our fantastic lifestyle and work flexibility that COVID has thrust upon us.  

“Out of town investors are also very active in our markets at the moment as a consequence of tenant demand being very high.”

For all your sales and property management needs in Maitland, Cameron Park, and surrounding areas, contact Raine & Horne Maitland and Raine & Horne Cameron Park on (02) 4014 1900