Erle Levey
For more than 40 years there has been a real estate agency in the heart of Sunshine Beach.
Starting as Brian Watson Real Estate and then changing to Sunshine Beach Real Estate when the keys were handed to Pip Covell, the agency with the hole-in-the-wall front door at the centre of Duke St has been synonymous with residential property, holiday or permanent rentals.
All of that changed last week when the agency was moved – about 40 metres closer to the beach and up on deck level at Shop 5, 48-54 Duke St.
Brian Watson started selling real estate in 1979 and established the Duke St office in 1988.
Pip Covell started selling for Brian at Christmas time that year, and took over the business in 1999.
The change to Sunshine Beach Real Estate was made a couple of years later.
“We’d been in that home for 35 years,” Pip said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in Sunshine Beach who has been in business as long as I have.
“This is a rebirth for us. Renewed energy.
“All the team have said it’s a cleansing. There’s glass, there’s trees, there’s light, there’s sunshine.
“We loved where we were but it’s not until you move and settle into something new that you realise how good it can feel.
“When you make that decision to move it’s traumatic. Change is traumatic. Yet everybody has been engaged with this.
“Most in my team have been here a long time. We’ve got new members joining the team and they lift and change the energy in the office.
“There’s a team of about nine to 10 – permanent and holiday rentals, residential property sales.
“We can look after all the property needs of our clients.
“Who gets the chance to re-energise their business at this stage in their career?”
Sunshine has the beach, the village, schools, recreational areas and the national park.
Pip has seen some great runs of property through the years and different generations come through as families transition.
Sunshine Beach is one of the most vibrant property markets in Australia as well as offering lifestyle.
There has been an extreme lift in property since Covid, Pip said. Yet Sunrise, Peregian and Marcus Beaches have all caught up.
”I love living here,” Pip said. “We are always looking at ways to make things better, how can we improve on what we’re doing, what can we change to move forward with current times?
“We want people to feel that when they walk in here it is like no other real estate office.
“It’s my second home.
“Di Henshall has done a wonderful job with the interior design. It’s an inviting atmosphere.
“This is our patch. We know the people here, the people in the community. We know the people in the village.
“We live here, we work here, we play here … that has always been my ethos.
“We build relationships.”
