Today is my last day at Beach & Bay Realty. I wanted to take a few moments to say a heartfelt goodbye. I got so lucky 4 years ago when Beach & Bay took me in as an 18 year old, fresh out of highschool. I’ve LOVED working here and have nothing but praise for Kylie, Natalie, Henk, Nadine, Misa and Kirstie (my second family). I have learned so much working in real estate with a company made up of people who enjoy their jobs, work really hard and encourage you to dream big.

Working with a boss like Kylie Emans has been inspiring. Firstly, because she’s a successful business woman. And secondly, because she’s someone who strikes the perfect balance between dedication to her career and enjoying the rest of life. Her love of travel has had a huge influence on my vacations and I’m sure most 22 year olds can’t say they’ve been to 4 continents and 12 countries during their work holidays.

Not only this, Beach & Bay has taught me that regardless of how big your company is, you can make a difference. Since I’ve worked here we have raised almost $40,000 for various projects – including building a classroom in Ghana, Worlds Greatest Shave, raising money for Tenelie Pawley, Swags for Homeless and kicking booze for Dry July.  Everyone can make an impact on the world around them. There’s no excuse!

Bye Bye!

"Sure Rachael, you can be a bald receptionist"

A classroom built in 2008

Kylie Emans - Boss, Mentor, Friend!

The ever smiling Merv (middle), may he rest in peace.

I’ve also grown to appreciate the idea of quality vs quantity. Being a small independent agency we may not be the biggest or have the most listings, but we work really hard on the ones we have.  I am so grateful to get the opportunity to work on marketing the Sammut Developments Drift Apartments. Standing in the penthouse apartment and admiring the incredible architecture and view of the ocean will be a highlight!

The agents at Beach & Bay work together and so I’ve discovered the joys of teamwork. It’s not a cut-throat competitive environment, rather coming to work is one place I know no matter what, I will be supported. How lucky am I to have that so early in my life! It’s certainly set the bar high for any future work situations.

I have enjoyed working with families from the Sutherland Shire and being a part of their buying and selling experience. I have met some amazing locals who have had an impact on my life. A shout-out must go to Merv who visited the office on a weekly basis. We sadly lost Merv last year and I still double-take whenever a grey haired man walks by.

Finally, working on the I Love Cronulla project with the team has also been a wonderful experience, as I’ve gotten to know my community both online and offline. It’s also taught me – when it comes to business (and life) to do things differently, and to take the entire focus off the dollar. Sure, I Love Cronulla doesn’t make us any money as a real estate company, but it keeps us connected with the area and we get to know the locals. No complaints here! A HUGE thank you to everyone who has gotten involved, who comments, who provides feedback and suggestions, you’ve been terrific! I am moving to The Inner West so from now I’ll be checking the site as a visitor for tips!

So goodbye team, goodbye blog, and goodbye Cronulla. It’s been great!

There is no denying that we now live in a digital world.

I’m writing this on my Iphone while catching the train (I looked up the timetable on app Tripview). After finishing this blog I will browse online news and chat with my friend in Canada via skype (again, on my mobile). After the conversation (which costs me nothing), I may even update my Facebook status telling my wider network how much I miss this person! And this is all in the space of an hour!

As a Communications student, social media manager at Beach & Bay and…average Gen Y twenty-something, it still baffles me when I see some real estate agencies afraid to embrace online technology. The World Wide Web makes distance much smaller and client bases much larger. Having an online presence is completely changing the way we can now market and sell real estate, and if you ask us here at Beach & Bay, we think it’s wonderful! One example of a new form of technology is the individual property website. They make sense really; your home has a fixed physical address, so why shouldn’t it have an online one too? Now that almost everyone in the world is embracing Facebook (seriously, if Facebook was a country it would be the 3^rd largest) and creating an online version of themselves, why then, shouldn’t your most valuable asset have its own landing page?

Individual property websites are fantastic tools for buyers and sellers alike. The links can be easily shared among friends and family and a wealth of information is provided to help decision makers assess if the property is right for them. Sure, a website may never replace seeing a property in the flesh and getting a “feel” for it sensually, but it’s the second best step! Also, there are other ways to re-create that emotional experience for the buyer – through videos, interactive floor plans and of course, good old fashioned real estate copy.

We currently have two waterfront properties which both have individual property websites. The listing prices are quite different and so the budget for marketing determined what kind of website we chose.

www.lillipilliwaterfront.com.au showcases a breathtaking waterfront in Randell Avenue Lilli Pilli and so is more exclusive. With a username and password (U: view, P: waterfront), clients can enter the details and explore the architecturally designed property from the comfort of their own homes. The interactive floorplan allows people to navigate around the rooms, clicking on the arrows and seeing the room as if they were standing at that spot. The video combines gorgeous location shots with music and takes buyers on a journey around the house. We dare you to watch it and claim you wouldn’t want to live there!

www.southcoastwaterfront.com.au showcases 84 Loralyn Ave, St Georges Basin, which is a perfect holiday home or artists retreat for those within a smaller price range. This is a more basic website and includes the details, photos and a printable floorplan. Our agency is located over 2 hours away from this property but this is not a huge issue when you utilise the technology at hand! Sending this website to inter-state buyers who might want to buy an investment property is so easy!

If you have any questions about marketing your property, please feel free to contact us. Our individual property websites are created in-house by our very talented web designer Michael Cerny.

Also; our Managing Director Kylie Emans is currently in New York attending the Inman Real Estate Conference so I’m sure we will have hundreds more marketing ideas very shortly!

The Beach & Bay Realty office will be closed from Thursday 22nd December until Monday 9th January 2012 which means our beloved facebook page I Love Cronulla won’t be regularly updated. Iphone paparazzi Kylie Emans will most likely post the occasional photo and status – but we would LOVE it if you, the Cronulla community would help us keep I Love Cronulla running. If you know of any up & coming events, local news or stories – please feel free to share on the wall. Recommend restaurants, shops and businesses to each other. Rave about the best beaches in town, things to do or places to see.  Keep the conversation going!

Love the I Love Cronulla team.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & BE SAFE OVER THE SILLY SEASON

Kylie, Rachael & Kirstie

Throughout 2011 we decided to support Swags for Homeless, a not-for-profit organisation that provides durable swag backpack beds to rough sleepers.
Gaining international recognition for the fantastic design, the charity also recently won the 2011 Human Rights Award!

We are so proud to be affiliated with this wonderful cause and are very excited to see that Channel 10 has just partnered with the organisation. Throughout 2012, The Ten Network will be making and showing Swags for Homeless television commercials. Check out the first Christmas edition below!

The Sutherland Shire Relay for Life is an annual event that draws thousands of locals together, raising money for the Cancer Council NSW. Fun-filled and very family friendly, the community spirit of our area shines through each and every participant. Teams ‘compete’ for 24 hours, running, walking or skipping their laps. Live entertainment, food stalls, costumes and the treasured Cancer Survivors walk make this a memorable event. If your team registers before the 31st of December, you could win a delicious deli hamper from HAM – Harry & Mario have proudly donated. Registrations prior to April 2012 are $15 per person.

Save the date: 5th May 2012
Sylvania Althetic Track, Belgrave Sylvania

With the start of summer I thought it might be a good time to post about the NSW Governments ‘Dark Side of Tanning’ campaign. Only yesterday I found myself laying by the pool soaking up some sun. Sure I was wearing sunscreen, but I still hoped to come away with a little colour. Despite knowing the dangers, I’m still silly enough to think a tan looks healthy. After reading articles on this website, I’ll be sticking to fake-tan from now on!

Fun Facts about Tanning

• Tanning is skin cells in trauma, trying to protect themselves from cancer
• One damaged skin cell can start a melanoma growing
• Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world for both males and females – more than twice those in other countries

 Protecting yourself in The Sutherland Shire

-          Choose shaded beaches such as Darook Park or Blackwoods. Park your towel under a tree! If you head down to Wanda or Elouera Beach, try and take an umbrella.

-          If your children compete in team sports or exercise outdoors, make sure they are loaded up with sunscreen

-          When bush-walking around the Royal National Park wear protective clothing, sunglasses and a hat!

Despite the picture perfect gorgeousness of Bundeena, living in paradise does have its drawbacks. With limited access to a variety of shops, healthcare facilities, the ongoing issue with Ambulance support and of course, the dreaded 7pm ferry cut-off! Living in the sleepy community town for 10 years I often found myself sprinting down the street, desperate to make the last ferry which slinks it’s way across the Port Hacking to Cronulla (or ‘the mainland’ as we called it) at 7pm. As a kid I couldn’t care less. Why would I WANT to leave Bundeena? All I cared about was climbing trees in ‘The Natio’ or jumping off the wharf with my fellow wharf rats. Evenings were spent applying aloe-vera to sunburned skin and hanging out with friends in their back-sheds. But as the years went by I yearned to join civilisation. I wanted to be able to have dinner with school friends and not have to sleep on their floor. Alas, it was not meant to be. And so I moved out at age 18.

In June this year, the Bundeena& Maianbar Chamber of Commerce trialled a night time ferry – to take residents and tourists from Cronulla to Bundeena at 10:30pm and from Bundeena to Cronulla at 11pm. Tickets were $10 and 130 tickets were sold!

This coming Saturday, the 3rd of December – the night ferry is back once more! If it proves a success, they plan to run one at the start of each season. It’s a great opportunity for Bundos to get their Cronulla fix, see a movie, attend a party or eat at a restaurant on the other side of the water. With taxi’s costing $60 and upwards this is a bargain! Plus the drive through the Royal National Park can be dangerous on any given day, add alcohol to the mix and you have a lethal combination. If you plan on having a few drinks, this night time ferry is perfect!

Bundeena/Cronulla Night-time Ferry Details:
Saturday 3rd December
$10 – intoxicated patrons will be refused a ride
Cronulla 10:30pm
Bundeena 11:00pm
Marnie Sigal, 0419254981.

Beach & Bay Realty would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who came along to Sting Bar Cronulla on Saturday the 19th November. We packed out the venue and had a blast raising money for Swags for Homeless in the process. For the full photo set see HERE.

Education, training or experience? Self taught, with a little experience picked up from videography work through school (Inaburra School).

Advice for budding photographers? Practice what you like – If you like landscapes go after them. Photography is an art form - make your own style.

Favourite spots in the Shire to shoot? Anywhere with large expanses of water – Sunrises over the ocean at Cronulla, Como, Georges River and Port Hacking River.

Finish this sentence ‘I love Cronulla because…’ I Love Cronulla because its rarely the same, I get something unique each time I venture down there.

If time and money was no issue – where in the world would you dream of photographing? I’d like to go to the South Island of New Zealand – the high snow topped mountains dropping off into mirror like rivers…..

To see more from Scott Atherton Photography click HERE.

In February this year, Beach & Bay Realty decided to support Swags for Homeless after seeing a feature on SBS. Swags For Homeless was established by Tony Clark, a Melbourne man who wanted to provide homeless people in Australia (and eventually the world) with a more dignified and safer temporary bed.

Tony developed The Backpack Bed, a durable, weather resistant foldaway swag which is distributed by 100 charities to homeless people throughout the country.  3000 beds have been given to rough sleepers in the last 12 months, making a huge difference to their lives. The swag has been commended for it’s innovative design, leading to international aid requests from countries such as the USA and China.

Not only has Tony and his team been recognised by the media for their amazing work; The Australian Human Rights Commission has listed Swags For Homeless as a 2011 candidate for their Human Rights Award. This is given to organisations with a proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights.

On top of this; The Backpack Bed has been praised internationally by the design industry. It was the first Australian product (and first charity ever) to win a ‘Best of the Best’ International Red Dot Award in 2011. 4433 products from 60 countries competed in these awards and previous winners have included Rolls Royce and Apple! Next time you are in Germany, be sure to check it out on display at the Red Dot Design Museum.

Nationally; The Backpack Bed has been recognised by the Australian International Design Awards with a Gold Logo Design Award and Sydney Powerhouse has acquired the product for its permanent collection.

We are so proud to be involved with this fantastic charity; who continually strive for greater rights for homeless people. To celebrate Christmas, 10 years in business, and to raise some money for Swags for Homeless – this Saturday, Beach & Bay Realty will be hosting a party at Sting Bar Cronulla. Tickets are $50 and include food and entertainment. Proceeds will be donated to the charity. To purchase tickets, please call into the office prior to the event. We hope to see you there!

 Office Details :1/64 Croydon Street, Cronulla – Saturday 19th November @ Sting Bar from 6pm

Some Scary Homeless Details; taken from Swags.org.au

• There are over 104,600 homeless in Australia.

•  Over 16,000 of these homeless literally sleep on the streets (this is roughly equal to the entire population of Cronulla)

•  People become homeless for a number of reasons. Family violence, rape, relationship breakdowns, mental illness, addictions, financial problems, evictions – just to name a few

•  Many homeless are men with kids

•  44% of homeless are single women over 25