Max Raine, the former Chairman of Raine & Horne, has passed away at the age of 91, the company has confirmed.
Mr Raine, who was Chairman between 1973 and 2011, passed away on February 22, 2023 following a battle with dementia.
Mr Raine, born in 1931, was the third generation of the Raine family to lead the property group.
After attending Sydney Grammar School Mr Raine joined the family business at age 18.
During his time with the company he pioneered the growth of suburban real estate offices in the late 1960s and introduced franchising to the property industry in the 1970s.
Under his stewardship, the Raine & Horne brand grew to more than 300 offices across Australia and launched a network in Malaysia in the late 1980s.
During his life he also served on numerous committees and boards, including the City Branch of the Real Estate Institute of NSW, the Council of Auctioneers Education Committee, the Corporate Committee of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and the Anglican Retirement Villages Foundation.
In 1988, Mr Raine served as a government-appointed Chairman of the Ministerial Enquiry into Inner City Accommodation.
Brian Reid, Director of Raine & Horne Group, who worked with Mr Raine as the Group’s former CEO, paid tribute to his leadership.
“The real estate industry has lost one of its most forceful and influential advocates with the passing of Max Raine,” Mr Reid said.
“Max was a driving force in the generational change that saw the emergence of national franchising businesses in the 1970s and 1980s.”
Mr Reid said that Mr Raine had a knack for identifying growth opportunities for the brand.
“Max could see the continuing sophistication of the commercial property market along with the emergence of listed property trusts and launched Raine & Horne Commercial in 1984 as a separate brand that boasts 36 offices around Australia today,” he said.
“During his leadership, Max was responsible for lobbying the government and was constantly quoted in the media resulting in many changes to the industry and legislation.”
Mr Reid remembered Mr Raine as a prolific letter writer who left a mark on whoever he dealt with.
“I know many people in the past would have received one of Max’s penned handwritten letters to suggest some alternative to an opinion they might have expressed, or of course, to congratulate them on an anniversary or a birthday,” he said.
He said that Mr Raine also possessed a sharp wit and a genuine concern for others, describing him as having a “larger-than-life persona”.
Mr Raine is survived by his wife Susan, children Rebecca, Julia, Georgina, and son Angus – the current Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne Group, as well as daughter-in-law Natasha and son-in-law Andrew Howard, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Executive Chairman Raine & Horne Angus Raine said the loss of his father will be keenly felt.
“There is a hole left in my family that will eventually repair but will never be replaced,” he said.
“At our upcoming state and national awards, we are celebrating 140 years of our business success, and now we will also celebrate my father’s life too.”
