Resilience in the rain

Over the course of three weeks, Townsville saw up to two metres of rainfall, an amount almost unimaginable in such a short time. Floodwaters rose, homes were damaged, and communities were left without power and clean water.

For the Ray White Townsville property management team, the sheer scale of the disaster quickly became overwhelming. With 1000 properties under management, more than 20 per cent of them were affected. Tenants were calling in distress, landlords were seeking urgent repairs, and yet the storm itself made action nearly impossible.

"Our plumbers couldn’t fix anything until the rain stopped, leaving 500 outstanding work orders piling up in just over two weeks. The one remaining carpet restoration company, after two others had their own trucks and businesses flooded, was already facing 3000 work orders across the city," said Amanda Carr, asset management team leader at Ray White Townsville.

"Electricians were booked out weeks in advance, forcing us to triage the most urgent cases; families with no power took priority over those with flickering lights."

To make matters worse, their own team wasn’t immune to the devastation.

"Some of our property managers were personally affected, dealing with leaks in their own homes and collapsed fences. Two of them were even evacuated, forced to leave behind everything they owned, yet still showing up to work, committed to supporting their tenants and landlords," Amanda said.

Road closures made it impossible for some staff to reach the office, but they adapted, working remotely where possible, leaning on each other, and focusing on what could be done rather than what was out of their control.

Some tenants were demanding immediate assistance, frustrated by delays and fueled by media fear-mongering. Many believed their homes were unlivable, when in reality, while uncomfortable, they remained structurally sound. "As property managers, we understood their stress, their exhaustion, their need for answers. We did everything we could to provide solutions, even when those solutions took time," Amanda said.

"We reached out to contractors from down south, desperately seeking reinforcements. We managed expectations, prioritising critical repairs while reassuring tenants that we hadn’t forgotten about them."

For new investors, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Some had only just purchased their properties when the storms hit, already facing the daunting prospect of replacing roofs just weeks into ownership.

Despite everything, the team persevered. The rain finally eased, giving everyone a moment to breathe. Work orders continued to be tackled one by one. Power was restored to more homes. Evacuees began returning to assess their properties. The road to recovery would be long, but the strength and dedication of the Ray White Townsville property management team never wavered.

"In times of crisis, resilience isn’t just about surviving the storm - it’s about showing up and doing the best you can with the resources available. That’s exactly what we did. That’s exactly what we’ll continue to do," Amanda said.