LJ Hooker office rises from the rubble on Tweed Coast

Principal Rhiannon Bald was in the process of purchasing LJ Hooker Kingscliff when the cyclone struck, reducing the walls to rubble and collapsing the roof.

She said that when she arrived at the office, she saw the extent of the devastation.

“We’ve had other storms, flooding rain and countless weather events along the Tweed Coast, but we had never experienced anything that truly impacted our office,” Bald said.

“We lost everything – computers, TVs, paperwork, furniture, personal belongings and years’ worth of office equipment.”

“I remember standing there completely distraught and heartbroken.”

18 months on, Bald said she saw a silver lining in the devastation, allowing her to redesign the space from scratch.

During the restoration, some staff continued operating from the building’s ground floor, while others moved to nearby leased premises.

“We did our best to keep it business as usual, so our clients continued to feel supported. There were certainly a few surprised faces when people walked into the office and found eight of us working from one tiny room,” she said.

“We faced endless delays, constant noise and many days when it was difficult to think, but despite everything happening around us, the team continued to achieve incredible results.”

LJ Hooker head of network Australia Chris Keating said Bald and the office showed unwavering resilience in the wake of the disaster.

“When Rhiannon took over the business, she would never have expected Mother Nature to be one of her biggest challenges,” Keating said.

“In very difficult circumstances, they continued to show up for their customers, support one another and maintain a high standard of service.”