Raine & Horne plans expansion in RI

JAKARTA (JP): Raine & Horne Indonesia, the local franchise holder for Australian property agent Raine & Horne, is planning to open 30 offices across the country this year.

The company's chief executive officer, Djoni Hasjim, said here on Tuesday that 20 Raine & Horne offices would be opened in the country's major cities including Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Medan, and Bali next month.

"And we are expecting to open another 10 franchise offices by the end of this year in Semarang, Surabaya and Yogyakarta," Djoni announced following a seminar on a new marketing system in the real estate industry.

He said the offices would be owned by different companies under franchise agreements with Raine & Horne Indonesia as the master franchisee.

According to Djoni, Raine & Horne Indonesia started operation in February this year after obtaining the franchise from Sydney- based Raine & Horne, Australia's oldest property agency.

He said the Raine & Horne offices would specialize in housing complexes.

As franchisor, Australia's Raine & Horne will provide training for the marketing staff of its franchisees to ensure that their services meet international standards, according to Djoni.

Djoni said the expansion was aimed at broadening Raine & Horne's network in the country in anticipation of the predicted recovery of the country's real estate sector after the implementation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' Free Trade Area (AFTA) in 2002.

"Ahead of AFTA, we are preparing to net foreign investors who come to invest here," he added.

According to Djoni, foreign investors prefer to look for reputable property companies -- mostly foreign companies, to ensure their investments in the country.

Raine & Horne Indonesia targets Rp 1 trillion in sales earnings this year. (03)