Raine & Horne Appoints Catalina Tobar as Head of Digital Marketing

Ms Tobar has a strong background in marketing technology, including using artificial intelligence (AI). For the past two years, Ms Tobar has worked in the Australian real estate market, further developing her industry experience.

Prior to this, Ms Tobar, who holds a global degree in business and is fluent in German, Spanish, and English, was employed at an Australian artificial intelligence company.

Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne Group, said, “We are delighted that Catalina is leading our digital marketing strategy.

“Digital marketing is redefining the way that properties are promoted and sold both in Australia and globally, and with our ecosystem of technology-first, headed by the cutting-edge social media marketing platform, Amplify, Raine & Horne proudly stands as a formidable leader in this rapidly evolving space.”

Amplify is a best-of-breed digital/AI tool that has revolutionised the way the super brand markets property across social media sites and search engines, including Facebook, Instagram, and Google, targeting audiences based on their online profile and behaviours, attracting more buyers and increasing exposure.

Raine & Horne has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the realm of SEO, firmly establishing its website as the highest-ranking for a real estate brand in Australia*.

Mr Raine said, “Notably, our website stands out as the sole real estate brand among the top eight ranked websites, a list that is dominated by the property portals, a result that emphasises our unique and specialised approach to SEO and the success of Amplify.”

Raine & Horne’s SEO dominance is also underpinned by the fact it holds the most 1st page rankings of all real estate brands, showcasing its market-leading visibility in search engine results.

Moreover, the brand experienced an astounding surge in SEO success, boasting the largest increase in 1st-page rankings among all real estate brands year-to-date.

“Catalina’s appointment will further enhance Raine & Horne’s digital marketing and SEO capabilities and allow our offices to better leverage our existing suite of digital tools, including Amplify,” Mr Raine continued.

“This will help to cement Raine & Horne’s position as an industry leader, build brand awareness, enhance the customer experience and drive appraisals to our offices.”

Digital marketing provides additional reach and conversion potential

Ms Tobar said “Digital marketing plays a crucial role for real estate companies and agents. When leveraged effectively, it allows real estate professionals to reach and convert their leads effectively, build strong relationships with their customers, and gain a competitive advantage in the industry.”

Raine & Horne was among the first property groups in Australia to embrace digital marketing, and the Group continues to enjoy a strong digital presence.

Ms Tobar said, “Raine & Horne’s ability to adapt to new technologies and embrace best-of-breed initiatives that deliver greater opportunities for the network and provide an enhanced experience for the customer is very impressive.

“The company’s recent 140th anniversary further strengthens one of Raine & Horne’s competitive advantages, and it’s their ability to evolve and adapt to new consumer trends, to the industry and evolving technologies.

“We want to position ourselves as the brand of choice for real estate consumers in New Zealand, and we plan to achieve this goal with a strategy that leans heavily on digital marketing.”

Ms Tobar, who will be working closely with Raine & Horne’s recently appointed National Head of Marketing, Michael Carroll[i], said she is passionate about strengthening and leveraging brand equity in the digital space.

“Brand equity is rooted in customer experience and perception, so it’s about delivering the right message, to the right audience, at the right time.”

According to Ms Tobar, a robust digital strategy is essential for effective brand building. “It's a matter of having a strong organic and paid digital strategy in place that allows you to improve brand visibility, credibility, customer engagement, convert leads and ultimately increase customer loyalty.

“By leveraging social media effectively agents and offices can further increase the competitive edge they have in their local market.

“I’m excited to work with the Raine & Horne network to further increase their competitive advantage in the digital marketing landscape and continue to position themselves as industry leaders, both in Australia and New Zealand.”