Harcourts is stepping up its expansion across Sydney, with the eastern suburbs emerging as a key focus for the network.
Markets including Maroubra, Randwick and Coogee remain highly relationship-driven, where local knowledge, reputation and community connections play an important role in how agents win and retain business.
Tina Ashton, Harcourts’ Chief Growth Officer, said the network’s growth strategy is centred on giving experienced operators access to the scale, resources and support of a major international brand without asking them to lose what makes their business successful.
“Business owners have spent years building their reputation, relationships and knowledge of their local market. That local connection is incredibly valuable, and it’s not something we want to take away,” she said.
“What we can do is put a much bigger support structure behind them – technology, systems, marketing, training, compliance and people who can help them run and grow their business.”
That support includes technology designed to help agents win business, demonstrate their value to clients and make better use of property data.
Harcourts’ online Appraisal tool gives agents a digital resource to support the appraisal process and demonstrate their market knowledge to potential vendors, while its REACH platform uses property data and digital insights to generate greater exposure for listings and support more informed conversations with vendors.
According to Harcourts, properties marketed using REACH across the Australian network have recorded an average price achievement of $907,377, compared with $896,301 for those without it – a difference of $11,076.
The sale rate was also 79.7 per cent with REACH compared with 71.7 per cent without, an eight percentage-point gap.
Ms Ashton said technology should ultimately support the relationship between an agent and their client.
“Technology should make our people better at what they do, not get in the way of the relationships that make real estate work,” she said.
“We want our agents to have better tools, better information and better support behind them, so they can spend more time doing what they do best – understanding their market and looking after their clients.”
The support also extends to the operational side of running a business, including systems and assistance with regulatory requirements such as anti-money laundering obligations. Harcourts offices retain the flexibility to build their own local presence, including customised websites, signage, office extensions and marketing.
“You don’t have to choose between being local and having scale,” Ms Ashton said.
“You can still be the business your clients know and trust, but have the resources of a much bigger organisation behind you. That’s a very different proposition from simply putting a new brand on the door.”
She also said the network isn’t chasing office numbers for their own sake.
“We’re looking for good business owners who know their market, care about their clients and want to build something for the long term. If we can give them the backing, resources and reach of an international brand while allowing them to remain genuinely local, that’s a proposition we believe is worth exploring.”