Sweet Symphony with Sunshine Beach Real Estate
John Caruso meets a team of passionate locals who are finely attuned to the power of listening and working together.
Understanding Pip Covell’s love of dance and music, I know she’d appreciate the following quote from H E Luccock: “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it”, which emphasises the importance of collaboration. As Sunshine Beach Real Estate Principal, Pip may be the conductor but at her boutique real estate office in Sunshine Beach is an orchestra of passionate locals who are making their presence felt in the 4567 postcode. In her downtime, you may see Kathy Wise scooting about on her Vespa with her pooch Griffin perched on the back.
“I was working in real estate in Toowoomba for about eight years as a buyer’s advocate, working in property development and interior design, taking a very holistic approach with the clients I dealt with,” Kathy says. “People and property are what I love and achieving results for the vendor and the buyer is the most exciting part of the job – making sure both parties are happy with the outcome.”
Call it country charm or rural authenticity, Kathy believes that being genuinely service based is the key to her success.
“The easiest part of my job is meeting people, and because I’m solutions focused, I don’t dwell on challenges too long,” Kathy says with a smile. “Sunshine Beach is a special place. Kids ride their bikes, you can walk to the local shop to get a bottle of milk, and the locals all say hello.
“I’m biased though when it comes to talking about the area because I live and work here.
“There’s a sense of community that doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
Rob Spencer, another member of the Sunshine Beach Real Estate team, agrees.
“It’s a small peninsular with limited land surrounded by Noosa National Park and the Coral Sea, and this creates a village-like atmosphere and a sense of belonging,” he says.
With an intimate knowledge of the Sunshine Beach property market and its various idiosyncrasies, Rob has more than 20 years’ experience successfully selling in the area.
“There’s a psychology behind all the personalities and understanding our clients’ motivations when negotiating a deal and the happiness that stems from a successful outcome,” he says. “I love that about my job – and our proximity to the ocean! I’ve spent many years in Surf Lifesaving in Australia and New Zealand and met wonderful people and made many good friends.
“Sunshine Beach Real Estate sponsors the local Surf Club, and it’s great to see them wearing our logo on the beach.”
Caitlyn McConnell was born on the Sunshine Coast and attended Sunshine Beach State High School. Starting in property management in 2009, she has seen it all, moving into holiday property management, business development and then eventually sales.
“I’ve worked in every facet of the business, working close with Pip, and that’s provided a great background and training,” she says. “There isn’t anyone in the area that Pip doesn’t know, and there wouldn’t be a property in Sunshine that she’s not familiar with.
“She can give you the complete history, including ownership and any renovations that have occurred on any property across the area.
“Achieving results for the vendor when selling their biggest asset and helping buyers get into their next home; all of that is so rewarding.
“Staying in touch with clients even after the dust has settled on a sale is important too and that often means return business with me listing and selling multiple properties for the same people.”
For Pip, sharing knowledge and information collaboratively is how they get the deals done.
“We’ll sit and brainstorm to help one another to ensure that we always achieve the best result for our clients,” Pip says. “Doing a deal is like putting a puzzle together.
Okay, so you won’t find the team at Sunshine Beach Real Estate tuning a Stradivarius or beating their own drum, but they are the conductors of their own symphony, harmonising their skills and expertise to create a melody of success in the Sunshine Beach property market – and that’s music to the ears of lots of homeowners.
