Respect for values sees family agency stand test of time

The team includes trainee Zach Prosser, Toni and Terry Hinds and Kylie Simpson.

Forty years in business is quite a milestone by anyone’s standard. But when those 40 years have been in the roller-coaster real estate industry, it makes the achievement even more impressive. 

Terry Hinds, founder of Terry Hinds Real Estate came to Nambour in 1974 and has now largely passed the baton to his daughter Toni, to carry on the family business. “I originally had an office in town, but in 2001 I moved it to my home and have worked from here ever since,” Terry said. 

“By that stage, I had built a very loyal client base and the shopfront exposure was not so important. I also noticed that people look for real estate quite differently to when I first got started. They are more inclined to go online to find properties nowadays.”

‘It’s exciting to see other people come to recognise what we have known for 40 years ... what a fantastic place Nambour is’

“Nambour has been a fantastic place to do business, and at the moment it is a real hotspot for both business and real estate,” he said.

Toni agreed. “We’ve found that a lot of people from regional Queensland and Brisbane are interested in property here. It’s also attractive to first home buyers because it’s still very affordable and they get great value for money,” she said. 

“Blocks are larger and leafier and I think people can see it’s a wonderful place to raise a family. Everything you could want is right here.”

Toni was educated in Nambour and worked as a hairdresser in town and then spent 15 years running a gift shop at Sunshine Plaza with her mum, Ursula. “When we wound up ‘The Very Thing’ at the Plaza 11 years ago, I went on to work with Dad,” Toni said. “I have been so lucky to be able to work with both of my parents.”

The agency offers rental property management services and has a rent roll that Toni describes as ‘busy, but not overwhelming’. 

“That is why we are able to take very good care of our landlords and tenants,” Toni said. 

“Relationships are absolutely critical in this business, and it is gratifying that our business is overwhelmingly repeat, referral and long term. 

“There are properties we’ve been managing for over a decade and, in some cases, still have the original tenants in them. We have even sold properties to past tenants, and vice versa. Having these kinds of relationships is probably the best thing about this business. When you treat everyone with respect, you can’t go too far wrong.”

The team at Terry Hinds Real Estate extend this ethos to the contractors who maintain properties, and engage only local tradesmen. 

“Dad always said that supporting locals is really important,” Toni said.  

This year they took on trainee Zach Prosser, who completed Year 12 at Nambour State College last year. “Zach’s finishing  a Complete Property Traineeship with us and we are very much enjoying having such an accomplished and driven young man on our team,” said Toni.

Toni said the real estate market in Nambour was very tight. “I have around 100 buyers for every property that comes on the market, and there is enormous pressure on the rental market as well,” Toni said. “It makes life interesting because it is very effectively driving property prices up. It is exciting to see the growth in our town as other people come to recognise what we have known for 40 years; and that is, what a fantastic place Nambour is.”

• Terry Hinds Real Estate 73 Hillcrest Ave, Nambour, Phone 5441 4616.