Raine & Horne puts family first on National Family Business Day

Three of Mrs Crapp’s four children are involved. Madison works in sales, Abbey, who recently completed a degree at the University of Wollongong, is in administration, and school-aged Saxon Crapp helps with letterbox deliveries. Mr Cochrane’s wife, Emma, and her brother, Josh Adams, also work in the business.

Mrs Crapp says that building a legacy is the appeal of a family business. “We’re building something that’s for the family, and it’s nice they can be a part of it,” she said.

“It’s a privilege to work with your family in a real estate business. It’s a great industry to be involved in, and it’s one that you’re able to have your family work in, and not every industry can do that.”

Mrs Crapp said the shared values of the two family-owned businesses in Berry and Nowra were central to the offices’ relationship with Raine & Horne.

“We feel that we’re aligned with Raine & Horne. We’re a family-owned business, and they’re a family-owned business that practices what it preaches when it comes to family values,” she said.

“All credit to Angus, every time he sees my family, he knows them by name. He’ll even ask David, my husband, how his cricket’s going.”

On National Family Business Day, Mrs Crapp believes celebrating the achievements of family businesses is a must. “It’s not easy to be family and work together in a business, and therefore the success of the family business sector should be celebrated.”

The next generation steps up in Kingaroy

In Kingaroy, a rural town in Queensland’s South Burnett Region, Raine & Horne Kingaroy co-principals Jackie and John Allery work alongside their son Callum, who joined the business during the COVID-19 pandemic after completing a Bachelor of Business. Mr and Mrs Allery have been with Raine & Horne for 22 years. 

Mr Callum Allery began in property management and has since learned different parts of the operation, while also becoming the office’s unofficial technology specialist. He was also among Raine & Horne’s leading agents in 2025 based on the number and value of his sales. 

“Callum started in property management, as a lot of very successful salespeople do,” Mrs Allery said.

The Kingaroy office received the Max Raine Award in 2026, an honour that held particular significance for Jackie and John because they had met several times the former Raine & Horne Chairman who led the group from 1973 until 2010.

“To receive that award was lovely, especially as I first met Max around 2004. I hold winning that award very highly. It was nice to be recognised.”

Mrs Allery said belonging to the Raine & Horne network gave her family business access to support it could not provide alone.

“We can rely on the group to do that work in the background and give us products that set us apart, whether it’s the AI-powered marketing platform Amplify or Drumbeat,” she said.

Exclusive to Raine & Horne, Drumbeat enables offices to publish social media content simultaneously across 13 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

“We wouldn’t be able to build these products on our own that set us above our competition.”

Mrs Allery continued, “For us, being a family business extends to everyone who works in the office. We’re a small team, so our staff really do become part of the family,” she said.

“We’ve had young women work with us for several years, go off on maternity leave and come back, and we’ve always tried to make sure their roles give them the flexibility they need for their families.

“We’ve also had staff reach a point where they’re ready to leave Kingaroy and take the next step in their careers. They’ve come to us and asked what they should do, and we’ve been able to reach out through the wider Raine & Horne group and help them find opportunities with other offices such as Raine & Horne Commercial Brisbane North and Raine & Horne Hervey Bay.”

“That’s a great part of being in a group with a family ethos such as Raine & Horne. Even when someone is ready to move on from our office, we can still help them take that next step, which is something worth celebrating on National Small Business Day.”

Family comes first in the Murraylands

In regional South Australia, Raine & Horne Murraylands Property Consultant Casey DeMichele works alongside principals John and Kim, the uncle and aunt of her husband, Clint, who does not work in the business.

A former journalist, Mrs DeMichele, joined the office named Raine & Horne’s best for the number of sales transactions in 2025 after returning to the Murraylands after a stint as a sports journalist with a television station in Adelaide. She said the family environment and support were especially important as the mother of two young children.

“Having the support of the close-knit De Michele family, the encouragement to try real estate after journalism, and then wanting to do your best for the family are very motivating for me,” said Mrs DeMichele, who coincidentally won an Excellence in Marketing award for Raine & Horne in South Australia in her first year in real estate in 2021 and Rookie of the Year.

“And for me, I’ve got two young kids at the moment, so it’s also having that level of understanding that family does come first with things was very important.”

That support extends to the entire team and has included Kim DeMichele stepping in to care for her employees’ children when other arrangements have fallen through.

“It is really such a warm family environment as a whole for all the staff,” Ms DeMichele said. “A highlight is bringing the kids into the office, when need be, and them going to John for a biscuit is very warm and special.”

“It definitely means a lot to be able to have that kind of support and to know that if your kids are unwell or if things are going wrong at home, that they say it is family first. That’s the most important thing.

“And that’s what makes you want to give more as well because John and Kim are so supportive.”

Mrs DeMichele said family businesses were particularly important in smaller communities such as Murraylands. John DeMichele is a councillor with the Rural City of Murray Bridge and vice-president of the Imperial Netball Club, where Kim also volunteers.

“They do a lot, not just for Raine & Horne and their business, but for the wider community and business sector as well,” she said.

Angus Raine’s top five reasons for owning a family business

1. Faster decisions: Family members tend to speak frankly with each other, so decisions can be made quickly.

2. Being masters of your own destiny: Without external stakeholders, the family can direct the business’ vision, culture and long-term strategy.

3. Flatter management structure – Employees, and in the case of Raine & Horne, offices, often have more direct access to decision-makers, helping the business stay agile and collaborative.

4. A long-term focus free from pressure for short-term results - Family businesses can take a longer-term view when developing strategies rather than concentrating on the next quarter’s results or the share price.

5. Inbuilt succession planning and the opportunity to pass on a legacy: A family business can pass down not only ownership but also its experience, values and business DNA to future generations.