Twelve months in the making, Ray White has established its Downsizing division and agent accreditation program, led by Adam Downes.

They have developed a one stop shop to assist people thinking of selling the family home to move to a village or aged care. Working on the basis that they may need to be supporting the client for up to 12 months before a transaction, they have invested in a detailed training course of select agents who are ‘empathetic’ to the potentially long journey.

The course leads to being awarded an accreditation as a ‘downsizing expert’. With 10,000 staff across 800 Australian offices, they expect only 350 agents be selected to execute the accreditation – which then has to be maintained.

Leads will only be made available to these accredited agents.

One cornerstone is an obligation free appraisal of the family home well in advance of its possible sale to allow the family to know its value and create options and with no sales pressure.

The second cornerstone is Ray White’s ‘concierge’ services to support moving house. They have over 80 staff working full time in this service in Brisbane. From the simple like disconnections of services to handymen to prepare a home for sale. They can do it all.

The initiative has been driven personally by Ray White Chairman Brian White (pictured). He emphasises that Ray White is a family business: “No one understands the value of a family home better than a family, and there’s no family in real estate as deeply connected as the Ray White family, operating now for four generations”.

Last year Ernst & Young announced Ray White as their Global Family Business Leader 2016. They are now ranked 42 in the Top 50 Global Family Business Index.

Launched in SE QLD this month, their ‘downsizing’ service has three operators engaging so far.