Yvonne Campbell has swapped Newcastle for Nimbin.
The announcement:
The flight from city to regional markets is not limited to buyers, with a growing number of agents, like Yvonne Campbell, making the move to live and work in country towns.
Ms Campbell has moved from Newcastle to Nimbin, after a long and diverse career, initially in Sydney working for real estate franchises.
She worked as Group Property Editor for Cumberland Courier Newspapers’ prestige, realestate.com.au branded property stable of VPA titles such as The North Shore Times and The Mosman Daily, before moving to the Newcastle Herald, editing Domain’s property section.
She then took a redundancy to purchase a run-down cattle farm outside the village of Nimbin and has spent the past few years working for a local independent before making the decision to join @realty’s Oasis team.
She says the switch to rural living and the decision to work with @realty under its Oasis model go hand in hand.
“Being with Oasis has allowed me to create my own brand which resonates with the local area, yet still have the benefits and efficiencies of a national company in the back end. I can concentrate on what I do best,” she said.
“I think, now more than ever, people want to be able to relate to people – and that’s where the strength in individual branding works.
“The people who come to live in Nimbin are the opposite of corporate. I needed a brand that would speak to them.
“That’s how the name Leafy Lane Real Estate came about. Some see it as a tongue-in-cheek drug reference, as that is what Nimbin is known for, but that was not my intention – it is about the beautiful environment.
“Everywhere you go is a leafy lane. For someone who spent years watching her home city of Sydney turn into an overdeveloped urban jungle, that is special.
“I don’t wear a corporate shirt, or a suit – and my branding colours are not the traditional real estate colours, but the earthy colours you’ll find in a leafy lane.
“It sounds cheesy, but it is individual and that is what I wanted.”
Ms Campbell says the other reason she chose @realty is because of its systems.
“More than ever, real estate is a technology business. As a principal, if you are not across technology, then you are simply a dinosaur and, in my view, cannot justify a claim to offer the best service in today’s world,” she said.
“Some might say in choosing the Oasis model, I’ve just bought myself another job, but I see it differently. It was about the model.
“I’d rather have a job where I keep 93 per cent of the commission instead of 40 or 50 per cent, where I can work at my own pace.
“It comes back to the same thing. It’s about the service.”
Ms Campbell says agents who choose to live and work in the same market have a deep appreciation of what prospective buyers are looking for.
“In essence I followed a similar path to many people who come to this corner of the world, so I know exactly what I am selling – the escapist’s dream and who, particularly over the last 12 months, wouldn’t resonate with that?” she said.
“Nimbin has all the property fundamentals, incredible self-sufficiency lifestyle opportunities, income potential, stunning natural beauty and a clever community with a clear, social conscience.
“Nimbin has just come of age, and it is certainly representative of the current trend towards the regions.
“But it is not just a Covid-driven phenomenon here – the real appeal is the community, which is very inclusive and accepting.
“The strength in the local market has particularly played out over the past four years where prices have doubled, such has been the demand from baby boomers cashing in their city homes for an alternative retirement.
“That demand has seen around 80 to 100 properties change hands annually over the past few years.
“Given the small number of properties available, that is probably not sustainable going forward and, in 2021, a shortage of listings has certainly been representative of that.
“The reality is very little land locally is being subdivided to satisfy the increased demand so with the shortage of stock, I expect pressure on prices will continue.”
@realty CEO James Taylor says an increasing number of agents are joining Oasis for the freedom and flexibility it offers.
“The higher commission rate is obviously a drawcard, but like many other people in the workforce, agents are reassessing how their job impacts their lifestyle,” he said.
“Oasis gives agents the power to work where they want, when they want and to essentially run their own business, backed by a national brand.
“This is appealing to those who want to have more work-life balance, which is a big part of the reason we are seeing people move from the cities to regional areas in the first place.
“I expect this trend will continue for a number of years, now that people have got a taste of what is possible.”
Source: Promedia press release
