Rachel Lawrie entered the real estate industry after her marine biology career became incompatible with raising young children alone.
The consultancy work she was doing required being on call twenty-four seven for the aquaculture and fishing industries, which proved impossible with young kids at home.
Her mentors from the fishing industry encouraged the transition, recognising similarities between the two fields.
“If you know your product, you know both your clients on each end, and you service them well, you will not have a problem,” Rachel recalled her main mentor telling her.
“It’s the same concept with most industries where you’ve got a product to sell.”
That service-first philosophy has remained central to her business model.
Rachel built her client base through community engagement rather than cold calling, sponsoring local sporting teams and running charity events.
The strategy proved remarkably effective, with her referral business reaching 60 per cent in her first year, over 80 per cent by year two, and 100 per cent by year three.
“I truly believed Adelaide was similar to my small regional town,” Rachel said.
“I started supporting the local community clubs and some of the charities and running a few charity events, and I was getting referred business.”
Her community program includes giving back a portion of professional fees to referring organisations.
For properties under $400,000, she contributes $500 to the club, $1,000 for properties between $400,000 and $1 million, and negotiated amounts for higher-value sales.
Over thirteen years, she estimates contributing over $750,000 to community organisations and charities.
After working with a franchise group for a decade, Rachel launched her own agency, Stadium Real Estate, in November 2024.
The transition proved smoother than anticipated due to careful planning and structuring.
“Everything was on my terms, how I wanted it to run,” she said.
“The transition to our own independent brand was incredibly validating. We hit the ground running, and the community support immediately accelerated our growth.”
Her results speak for themselves.
Current properties are averaging just 22 days on market, with an auction clearance rate of 87 per cent for the year, well above Adelaide’s state clearance rate of 48 per cent.
Properties that don’t clear on auction day typically sell within fourteen days.
Operating across metropolitan Adelaide and beyond, Rachel handles everything from units to luxury listings, as well as commercial properties and property management.
Her daughters now work in the business, which she plans to keep as a “petite boutique agency” rather than pursuing aggressive growth.
“The beauty of this industry is that you can build a business that reflects your values,” Rachel said.
“By choosing to remain a boutique agency, we ensure every client gets our full, undivided attention while building a legacy I can share with my daughters.”
Her focus now is on maintaining that highly personalised approach rather than pursuing aggressive corporate expansion.
“Our goal isn’t to be the biggest agency; it’s to be the most effective,” she explained.
“We’ve built a sustainable, family-run business where we can deliver an elite level of service without compromising on our community roots.”