As the floodwaters receded in the northern NSW town of Lismore, the major real estate brand has helped one of its offices, and its community, mend the damage.
When flooding rose rapidly in February this year, PRD’s Lismore office, located right next to the Wilsons River, was inundated by the water, which peaked at 14.4 metres.
Since then, the office has worked tirelessly to clean up its office, as well as provide support for its numerous landlords and tenants during such difficult times.
The top priority during the natural disaster was guaranteeing the safety of tenants, according to PRD Lismore principal Robert Horder, with the assistance offered by his staff, even seeing them transport a client from Kyogle to Lismore for life-saving treatment.
“They couldn’t get there, so the nurse rang around and found that we were the managing agents, and I went around and picked them up,” Mr Horder recalled of the event.
“They put him in a helicopter and took him to Lismore. The nurse rang back a couple of days later to thank me, saying he probably got within half an hour of losing his life.”
And the aid they provided didn’t stop there, with weekend hay deliveries also on the agenda, as well as neighbouring PRD Tamworth pitching in to help too.
In support of its Lismore counterpart, PRD Tamworth placed a call out on Facebook asking followers for donations to the flood relief.
Five days later, the Tamworth office was able to facilitate the delivery of 13 tonnes of aid for Lismore and the surrounding flood-affected communities.
“To all the Tamworthians that went home and packed all they could; heard our call, went to the groceries and bought for families that they have never met, you are what makes this town the best regional city in this beautiful country,” PRD Tamworth principal Mark Sleiman said of the generosity.
Several months after the flooding, the PRD Lismore crew is still operating out of the nearby Kyogle office, despite opening a third office space in Casino.
As part of the opening ceremony, PRD presented its Lismore team with donations collected from several other network offices to assist with the restoration of the Lismore-based office.
The brand’s managing director Todd Hadley said this generosity is a true sign of the support that the business prides itself on.
PRD Lismore has expressed its gratitude for the support offered by colleagues during this time of adversity.
“While this has been a difficult and emotional time for us all, we’ve been overwhelmed with tales of kindness, generosity and community spirit,” the statement said.
“We remain dedicated to servicing the Northern Rivers region and to ensuring our clients are looked after now and in the future.”