For the employees at Hedland Property Shop, the business has aways been more like a family.
Sadly, its original owner and director, Jim Henneberry, passed away in August, but the team has vowed to continue his legacy and nurture the inclusive, supportive and productive workplace environment he created.
Director Leah Taylor now owns and directs the all-female agency and credits Jim, a former REIWA President, in instilling the team with strong foundations, positive values, and a passion for helping clients.
Jim loved people and the community in which they lived, Mrs Taylor said.
He had all the time in the world for people, no matter who you were or what you did. He also had a passion for creating relationships and networking the right people together to make amazing things happen.
He believed education was also crucial to achieve his vision. Jim invested countless amounts of time and money to educate his staff, telling them to aim high, as the Hedland Property Shop has no ceiling.
Family was equally important, and Jim encouraged a flexible, family-friendly workplace even ensuring there was space to bring children into work if they were sick.
We all know real estate can be quite a competitive culture. Not for Jim, Mrs Taylor said.
He created a dynamic team-family environment where we worked, learned, and relied upon one another. We supported one another through our studies, career growth, and our forever growing families.
A true REIWA ambassador
Jim will be remembered as a true REIWA ambassador who was extremely well respected by everyone he worked with in the WA real estate industry.
In 2006, he received both Life membership of REIWA, as well as the Kevin Sullivan Memorial Award, which recognises a particularly outstanding contribution by an individual to the WA real estate profession over an extended period.
REIWA President Damian Collins said Jim was a highly regarded REIWA President, who took on some tough challenges during his tenure.
Jim was a regular at Past President gatherings and he was always upbeat and positive despite his health challenges, Mr Collins said.
I know we will all miss Jim, but his legacy will continue through the team at Hedland Property Shop.
In the face of this heavy loss, the team mourns a teacher, mentor, and friend. Though despite this, the future of the agency looks bright. Mrs Taylor is keen to continue Jims legacy, whilst expanding their team, growing the business into new channels/places/markets/spheres, and refreshing the brand.
It is a pleasure to come to work every day and see all the woman here look just as happy to be at work as I am, Mrs Taylor said.
We are all each others biggest supporters and I feel that reflects in the work that we do. Once you become a client of Hedland Property Shop you will feel heard, valued, looked after, and confident that your investment is in the right hands.
