Well-known Gold Coast real estate couple Kevin and Lisa Brown are taking the long-established family business, Hartnell Realty, forward under new ownership and a new look with RE/MAX Coast, which opened recently.
The Browns have had a long-held desire to establish their real estate business in Ashmore, where they, along with nine-year-old twins and an almost-eight -year-old, have lived for fifteen years.
“We are totally immersed in the Ashmore community as a family and wanted our business to be part of it as well,” Mr Brown said.
The Browns have worked together as a successful business team for 15 years, including at the helm of LJ Hooker Mermaid Beach.
“We’ve looked longingly at the Hartnell Realty office for the past nine years – a family real estate business in Ashmore, exactly our dream.”
Louise Hartnell takes up the story.
“We were an established family business of more than 28 years, the longest established real estate business in our market place, and I’ve been in the industry for around 35 years, However, we decided the time had come to wind down and relax, and have one ‘long holiday’.
“Ironically, it was right about then that Kevin and Lisa told us they’d been driving by our office for nine years and wishing it was their business. We all just clicked. It was meant to be, we were meant to meet each other, they were meant to carry on the business,” she said.
The two families hit it off, and both were to have their dreams realised.
Kevin and Lisa Brown are excited to move their business to the next level with the RE/MAX brand and all that comes with a leading global network.
“With RE/MAX Coast, we are building a business that is about exceptional service in every aspect of real estate,” said Mr Brown, “and because we are operating in our own community, which we know so well, we can serve that community better.
“You can’t just sell real estate, you have to ‘feel it’, you have to ‘be’ your marketplace.
“We love RE/MAX because we can put ourselves into it. Its culture is one of encouraging individual initiatives, supporting agents to grow their business, and providing exceptional experiences for customers.”
The Browns said they were delighted that Adin Hartnell, who has been in his family’s business for more than 20 years, has transitioned to RE/MAX Coast. Joining him is Eric Wittenberg from the Brown’s previous sales team.
“Our son, Adin, is very happy with Kevin and Lisa’s choice to join RE/MAX as he sees the opportunities that open up for his business,” Mrs Hartnell said.
“Peter and I have many great memories, one of which is being on ‘Selling Houses Australia’. That was an amazing experience. Even though it was quite a few years ago, people today still come up to tell me they’ve seen the show.” she said.
Kevin Brown loves people and property and bringing them together and has an extensive real estate background of more than 20 years. Lisa Brown has a Business/Communications Degree from Bond University and a strong corporate/marketing background. With Ms Brown’s passion for property management coming to the fore, a strong property management focus and growth in that side of the business will be evident in RE/MAX Coast.
“In all aspects of real estate business, we have to innovate to provide what customers deserve and expect,” she said. “We are in a digital space, for example, and social media is a tremendous focus not just the traditional real estate marketing platforms.”
“We are excited, incredibly happy and humbled to have had this opportunity to take one successful family business and make it into our own successful and equally long-established family business, said Mr Brown. “One of my nine-year-olds already says he wants to join me in the business!
“And to be able to do this in Ashmore is the best. We can’t find anywhere else we’d love to live. We did look some years ago but invested heavily in our own house instead and renovated.
“Ashmore is becoming like an ‘inner city hub’ of the Gold Coast – in a perfect location with so much going for it. It is already a highly desirable place to live and a suburb set for growth.
“We are building a highly productive team that is clearly focused on its customers and I welcome enquiry from enthusiastic, customer-focused people interested in being on our team,” he said.
Contact Kevin Brown, RE/MAX Coast, on mobile 0417 648 001.
Media contact:
Lyn Cox, Public Relations – M. +61 418 793 096, E. lcox@remax.com.au
About RE/MAX: RE/MAX was founded in 1973 with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. Its global reach is in more than 110 countries and territories, with more than 125,000 agents.