Haven Estate Agents delivering boutique real estate services

Carl English of Haven Estate Agents feels very blessed to live on the Gold Coast which has been his home for over ten years. 

As a place to build and develop his real estate business, Carl has seen the Coast develop significantly in terms of infrastructure and the huge amount of construction occurring over that time.

“It’s doing wonders for the Gold Coast,” Carl says. “The infrastructure built over the last few years for the Commonwealth Games, the light rail system and the redevelopment of the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, I think, is bringing a lot of people to the Gold Coast.

“Tourism is not our only thriving industry anymore. You can live here, have a career and a corporate life if you want to. We now have a well-rounded city and that brings with it investors and confidence in the marketplace.”

Carl established Haven Estate Agents specialising in property management in 2016 after working for a large franchise property group. The lure of doing something a bit different for himself was strong.

“The desire to introduce something that was a boutique specialised offering was there,” Carl says.

“I think the market is warming to boutique solutions, which are perhaps less stale and more personalised. It was a great opportunity to do things the way I think they should be done.” 

In starting his own business, the main thing Carl knew how to do was to build a rent roll. By nurturing some referral-based relationships with wealth management companies, financiers and other real estate businesses he was within two years able to build a base of over 100 properties under management.

“Those relationships helped me build my business really quickly without having to purchase a rent roll,” Carl says. “Naturally, investors will want to sell and we’ve been able to refer back to some sales agents, too.

“It’s also helped with our future growth path as we have branched out into property sales ourselves.” 

A new office with more space has coincided with the business's third birthday recently. This has helped with the expansion of the office and keeping their presence in Bundall, whilst maintaining their boutique status on the Gold Coast. 

Carl uses technology and better business systems to keep ahead of industry trends with everything operating securely in the cloud. It has streamlined Haven’s operations and increased productivity. 

Ezidebit was used in Carl’s previous agency and he didn’t hesitate to choose the payments service from day one in his own business. He finds it very reliable and an increasingly preferred method for rental payments by many in the industry. 

“Many tenants and others in the industry are very familiar with Ezidebit as a third party direct debit and payments solution,” says Carl.

“It’s a trusted brand and we’ve always had very good service from the staff and a great relationship with the company - so naturally we chose Ezidebit for Haven, too.”

A prospective landlord will frequently ask about their collection processes to minimise arrears, and incorporating Ezidebit into their pitches to landlords has helped secure their business for Carl. It’s been even easier having Ezidebit integrated as part of Console, Haven’s property management and trust accounting software provider. Carl now spends so much less time in reconciling payments and other administration functions in managing this side of his business. 

With an eye to the future, Carl can see a time where he may also expand with an office presence in Brisbane. 

“We’ve got quite a few clients who have properties there as well,” Carl says.
“As a boutique business, we try to tailor our services around our clients’ needs and expectations. Whether that’s geographic or managing commercial properties we mould our business to suit.”

And what does Carl like so much about the industry?

“I like the fact that it’s challenging and that I never have the same day twice. I’m dealing with new people and new properties all the time. Even after ten years I’m faced with situations I haven’t been in before and finding solutions is very satisfying. I love the people we get to interact with.”

About Haven Estate Agents
Located in Bundall on the Gold Coast, Haven Estate Agents provides boutique specialised property management and property sales services. Whether you’re an investor, landlord or prospective tenant contact Carl English and his team at Haven Estate Agents for your property needs or for a market appraisal.  Visit: www.havenestateagents.com.au