Raine & Horne is pleased to announce that Mr Gary Hassett has been appointed as the leading Australasian real estate firm’s new Queensland State Manager, effective immediately. 

Concurrently, the super brand has welcomed Mrs Romilly Ashkettle as its Group Manager in New Zealand, strengthening Raine & Horne’s presence across the Tasman following the acquisition of the Mike Pero Real Estate network in December 2023.

Upholding a legacy of growth

Bringing over 21 years of extensive real estate experience in the UK and Australia to Raine & Horne in Queensland, Mr Hassett has demonstrated success as an agent, principal of an independent office he established at 24, and, more recently, as a franchise manager for another real estate network. 

In his new role, Mr Hassett will oversee Raine & Horne’s 60-plus offices across Queensland and the NSW Northern Rivers region.

Mr Hassett succeeds Mr Steve Worrad, who is transitioning to the role of Growth Manager, focusing on expanding Raine & Horne’s presence in Queensland and the NSW Northern Rivers region.

Mr Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne, said, “Gary’s strong background in business growth, recruitment, and franchise expansion will play a pivotal role in supporting our existing offices, and he will work with Steve to continue to drive our expansion across Queensland.”

While welcoming Mr Hassett into the Raine & Horne fold, Mr Raine expressed his appreciation for Mr Worrad’s remarkable contributions to the brand since 2013, recognising his expertise, dedication, and unwavering commitment over the past decade.

Mr Raine remarked, “Throughout his tenure, Steve has significantly grown our presence across Queensland and the Northern Rivers in New South Wales while also playing a pivotal role in numerous corporate achievements, including our recent expansion into the New Zealand market, where we now operate 70 offices.”

Mr Hassett was equally enthusiastic in his praise for Mr Worrad. “Stepping into Steve’s shoes means I have a significant responsibility and deeply admire his accomplishments. I aim to uphold his legacy of expansion while further developing our office network in Queensland and the Northern Rivers region.”

Vision for growth and collaboration in Queensland

As for the goals for his new role, Mr Hassett said, “Everything needs to be geared and associated with growth. We want to maintain a collaborative environment for our existing offices while also growing the group with the quality of our recruits rather than simply more numbers. 

“We also want to support existing sales and property management teams and help recruit high-quality talent to our offices by offering recruits a great environment in which to grow their careers.”

As a former independent principal, Mr Hassett is well-versed in the challenges of operating outside a major group.

“I’m already talking to independents, and I can tell them that the challenge as a principal is that you must wear too many hats. Whether it’s the bookkeeping, keeping up to date with legislation, recruitment and retention, marketing, and social media management, you end up losing focus,” Mr Hassett said.

“When you operate an office within a bigger brand such as Raine & Horne, all those responsibilities, such as marketing, social media, and compliance, are taken care of, and principals can get on with the job of working on the business rather than in it.” 

“Moreover, Raine & Horne’s brand commands significant authority, particularly in Queensland and beyond, with over 350 offices spanning Australia and New Zealand. This status as a trusted superbrand resonates strongly whether you’re a vendor or a principal from a rival network or independent.”

A significant addition to the New Zealand operations

In further recruitment news, Raine & Horne has bolstered its presence in New Zealand following the acquisition of the Mike Pero Real Estate Group in December 2023. Mrs Romilly Ashkettle joins the super brand as the Group Manager, marking a significant addition to the team.

Mrs Ashkettle boasts a stellar track record, having expertly managed a property management business before her tenure in Account Management at VaultRE, a prominent Australasian real estate software developer renowned for shaping Raine & Horne’s leading CRM, CompassPlus.

“With her wealth of experience, Romilly is poised to make substantial contributions to the success of our New Zealand network, particularly as we integrate the 55 offices previously under the Mike Pero Real Estate group into our operations,” stated Mr Raine.