Raine & Horne marked a half-century in franchising on 1 July, celebrating the opening of its first franchised office in Liverpool in 1976.
The move proved a decisive step towards international expansion when its board, led by chair Max Raine, adopted franchising as a growth model.
The real estate chain then opened franchise offices in Parramatta, Penrith, Maroubra and Randwick within six months.
Raine & Horne had a national footprint and a revenue of $6.2 billion in 1989, leading the group to expand internationally.
Today, the brand boasts more than 300 offices across Australia, 62 offices in New Zealand, 12 in Malaysia and has two offices in both the UAE and Fiji.
Fourth-generation boss and executive chair, Angus Raine, said the shift into franchising aligned and rapidly accelerated the company’s direction.
“It was a major turning point for Raine & Horne as the focus of the business shifted from selling real estate to providing market-leading and innovative real estate services to back the growth ambitions of other business owners,” Raine said.
Raine & Horne Liverpool continues to build on that 50-year legacy under the leadership of Vince Labbozzetta and Michael Busden.
“This milestone is something I’m incredibly proud of,” Labbozzetta said. “To be part of the very first Raine & Horne franchise office carries a real sense of responsibility.
“Since joining in 2002 and becoming a franchisee in 2007, I’ve always seen our role as continuing a legacy that helped shape the entire network.”
Innovation has remained a constant driver of the business, from adopting QR codes in 2011, integrating predictive sales through AI into operations in 2017, to employing a digital proposal tool that enables teams to combine data-driven insights with local expertise.
