Meet the quiet achievers who keep Raine and Horne Murraylands running
Behind every great sales agent or property manager is an all-star admin team. This is their story.
This sponsored story is brought to you by Raine and Horne Murraylands.
When you partner with Raine and Horne Murraylands, you’re getting more than just the services of a sales consultant or property manager.
A whole team of locals is working to get the best result for you and your property.
Some have been part of the furniture for years; many have even returned after taking time off to have kids.
All love the community where they live and work, and believe in giving back through sponsorships or their own personal involvement.
But who are the hard workers on the Raine and Horne Murraylands team who you might rarely see in the public eye?
Meet the admin team
Kim DeMichele has to think for a moment when asked how long she has been at the agency.
She started on the front desk at the former Weston Raine and Horne when she was just 18, working at an office in the old Ruge’s Arcade before it burnt down.
She and her husband John took over the franchise in 1998, and she spent time in property management before devoting herself to motherhood for a few years.
Since her return, she has been the team’s finance and accounts guru, making all the numbers add up: “I’m happy to sit behind the scenes and do what I need to do.”
Office manager Meaghan Watkins has been another of the faces making everything run smoothly for the past 14 years, organising the team, assisting John with commercial sales documents, and filling in whenever someone is away.
“We do that work so the sales agents are freed up to have their conversations (with vendors and buyers), and can provide a more personal experience for clients rather than getting bogged down with admin,” she says.
“It’s a real point of difference for us.”
Rounding out the admin team is sales support officer Leticia McNicol, who prepares the critical documentation for any residential property transaction.
For the past three years, from social media posts to preparing appraisals, she has been the one doing all the odd jobs that make everyone’s lives easier.
Giving back is part of the Raine and Horne culture
All three women are life-long locals who grew up in the community Raine and Horne Murraylands exists to serve.
Like the rest of the team, they each have their own ties to local schools and sporting clubs: yes, to Imperials, long associated with the DeMichele name, but to a range of other groups as well.
Raine and Horne sponsors the River Murray Football League and Netball Association, Murray Bridge Speedway, Murray Bridge Bowling Club, Murraylands Multisports, the Unity and St Joseph’s pedal prix teams, charity golf days, special events like Kai Martin’s legendary runs and more.
Not every business is so inclined to give back these days, but asked why it was part of Raine and Horne’s culture, Kim just shrugs.
“It’s Murray Bridge – (sponsoring people) provides a good sense of community,” she says.
“You support the people who support you and your family.”
That’s true of the agency as an employer, too, Meaghan says.
“I’m grateful there’s such a family-first focus here,” she says.
“If you’ve got to do something for your kids, you can.”
So: how can the quiet achievers at Raine and Horne Murraylands help you and your family?
- More information: Visit www.raineandhorne.com.au/murraylands, call 8532 3833 or drop into the office at 4 Seventh Street, Murray Bridge.
Advertising to more than 20,000 highly engaged locals can do wonders for your business. Call Jane Intini on 0418 835 768 or email jane@murraybridge.news.
Peri Strathearn
