June 18, 2026

“WE’RE LOCAL ALL THE WAY” Foundations built on community at Raine & Horne Ayr

The Raine & Horne Ayr team at Burdekin Growers Race Day. Photos supplied

For Carla Healy, principal of Raine & Horne Ayr, a community can only thrive when locals support locals. That philosophy is at the centre of everything the local real estate stalwart does.

At the helm since 2024, Ms Healy has made a point of supporting local events. She calls it a duty to the community that has given her and her business so much.

“It’s always been a philosophy of mine,” she said.

“We rely on the community. All businesses rely on the community to support us, so if we can give back any way we can—whether big or small—we're happy to do so.”

Most recently, the business stood as a major sponsor of Burdekin Growers Race Day—a local favourite event that Carla said “attracts everyone.”

Principal Carla Healy (left) and Rose Papadimitriou (right) at this year’s Masquerade Gala Event. Photos supplied

The business also sponsors the Karrie Webb Junior Masters golfing event, Burdekin Singers, and Student Balls, investing in the next generation of locals.

She said it was incumbent upon local businesses to keep the region ticking.

“We have to keep our community going, and the only way to keep our community going is locals supporting locals,” she said.

“All of our Christmas parties and events are held locally, we source from local businesses, local tradies, everything. Sourcing out of town is our last resort.

“We’re local all the way.”

Ms Healy said that Raine & Horne's engagement with the community goes beyond mere monetary support. She called it a “philosophy” that governs everything her and her staff do, citing a recent incident with a tenant as a prime example.

“We had a little incident the other day with one of our tenants … just an elderly man by himself. We had to attend his property yesterday and my senior rental manager, out of the kindness of her heart, helped him (with things beyond her real estate agent duties),” she recalled.

“He wanted to repay her with some flowers but couldn’t get through to the florist, so I took it upon myself to organise the flowers and pay for them. I didn’t want him to pay for them because I just appreciated the phone call to say that a staff member had done a brilliant job.  

“He was forever grateful. It’s the little things that make it worthwhile.”

For Ms Healy, it is those small, consistent actions that define the business’s role locally.

“To make everything work in a community, everybody’s got to be involved. It’s all about give and take, and the more that you can give, the community does see the benefits of it all.”

“We've always been givers more so than takers.”