Media release - 20th April, 2015

Leading real estate group Raine & Horne is launching a state-of-the-art office at the gateway to Sydney’s rapidly growing digital innovation precinct in Surry Hills.

“Raine & Horne Surry Hills is located in a highly-visible position on the corner of Cleveland and Crown Streets, Surry Hills, with tens of thousands of cars passing by its office front on a daily basis,” said Angus Raine, Executive Chairman and CEO of Raine & Horne.

“Raine & Horne Surry Hills’ location, at 672 Crown Street, is also at the gateway to Ultimo, Redfern, Waterloo and Alexandria, where some of Australia’s most innovative digital agencies are located.”

Sydney is rated as a global innovation leader, with NSW home to 40% of Australia’s creative and digital industries, while recent City of Sydney data showed a 252% jump in workers in those industries, according to a recent report from the University of Technology, Sydney.

“Inner Sydney is one of the most consistent real estate markets in Australia, and with the growth of the digital economy’s influence in the region, there will be increased demand for real estate as workers look for accommodation close to their work,” said Mr Raine.

Sydney’s Inner City precincts are also reaping the benefits of the billions of dollars invested in developments such as Barangaroo and the Moore Park Precinct, while the prospect of a light rail service for busy Cleveland Street is another major plus for the region, according to Jason Ballo, who will lead Raine & Horne Surry Hills with Co-Principal Joe Kalou.

“Notwithstanding the infrastructure investments, real estate will continue to be a finite commodity in Sydney’s inner city, and this will underpin long-term capital growth for investors and owner-occupiers, whether they buy apartments, redevelop a warehouse, or renovate a Victorian-era terrace,” said Mr Ballo, who at just 27 years old, has already owned and operated a number of businesses in Australia and overseas.

These businesses include Waterdale Real Estate & Facilities Management in Dubai, Sydney-based Ballo Furniture and most recently BE Property, which delivered bespoke real estate services to local and overseas investors.

“I started in real estate in my mother’s business, Waterdale Property Management, packing envelopes for clients. It was 2003 and I was 15 years old,” said Mr Ballo.

“In 2004, I qualified for a certificate of registration in real estate and began my career in leasing and property management before establishing Waterdale Real Estate & Facilities Management in the UAE three years later.

“When the GFC started to impact Dubai in 2008, we took leave of the emirate and in the ensuing years, I operated as a property consultant before returning to my real estate roots with BE in January 2013.”

Mr Ballo met Joe Kalou, a former buyer’s agent, in 2014. They liaised on a number of projects before deciding to establish a real estate sales and property management business in Surry Hills.

“Between Joe and myself, we have a database of more than 1,000 qualified buyers, and we decided that moving forward with Raine & Horne would provide a platform to increase our distribution network and to increase our scale quickly. Raine & Horne is a Superbrand like Vegemite and Qantas, with a proven record for delivering cutting-edge technology and customer service to real estate consumers.

“We have international clients in Eastern Europe, China and the Middle East, and by joining Raine & Horne we will achieve our ‘economy of scale’ objectives faster by being able to reach out to more than 1 million investors in Australia and around the world, via its unique global database.

“To be successful, we need a strong team behind us, and this is why we chose to connect with Raine & Horne, who have left no stone unturned in guiding us through the transition into the new office,” said Mr Ballo, who also applauded the recent launch of Raine & Horne Dubai.

“It’s fantastic to have that office in the group, as Dubai is an incredible city. My clients in the emirate have an appetite for property transactions in Sydney, which means we can provide a faster and certainly more transparent path to market for them.”

For all your real estate sales and property management needs in Surry Hills and surrounding suburbs, contact Raine & Horne Surry Hills on 9699 5570.

–ENDS–

For further media information contact:

Angus Raine, Executive Chairman and CEO, Raine & Horne on 0409 920 697

Jason Ballo, Co-Principal, Raine & Horne Surry Hills on 0414 467 700

Andrew Harrington, National Communications Manager, Raine & Horne on 02 9258 5400

Raine & Horne establishes office in the heart of Sydney’s digital innovation precinct