HG Christie Company Director & Real Estate Agent Cara Christie is renown as one of the top producing rental specialists in the country as well as a dominant force in Bahamas real estate sales.
Cara uses her entrepreneurial spirit, worldly experience and understanding of the unique Bahamas Luxury Real Estate market to get the best deal for her clients. Today, she talks about her exciting journey back to the family business and what makes her successful as a real estate broker.
Introducing: Cara Christie
Years at HG Christie: 17
Favourite Island: Windermere Island, Eleuthera
Representing: New Providence, Cat Island
What makes you successful as a Bahamas Real Estate Agent?
I find that my travel experience and knowledge of languages (French & Portuguese) are great assets when connecting with clients. At the moment, I have a lot of French and Brazilians clients looking for Bahamian Residency, which they can get through property purchases over $500 000. They really like contemporary beachfront homes, so Ocean Club Estates on Paradise Island is very popular.
What inspired you to go into the family real estate business?
They changed the law in 1997 so that Bahamian women could bring their foreign spouses back to the country. So I came back from Brazil, where I’d been teaching English, with my husband Cairo Rocha who is an Acupuncture & Feng Shui specialist. My brother, CEO John Christie had started working in the family business so I decided to give it a try. I thought my it would be a great way to combine my love of my native islands with my languages (French &Portuguese) and world experience. Of course, it helped that this way the late 90s and the Bahamas Real Estate market was booming!
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is meeting people from all over the world and being able to introduce them to the beauty of the Bahamas as well as helping them with all their relocation needs.
What is your favourite island in The Bahamas?
That’s a tough question but if I had to choose I’d say Windermere Island. It’s a small private island (frequented by the British Royal Family), connected to Eleuthera by a little bridge. It’s just so beautiful and quiet – the long pink sand beach was considered by Jacques Cousteau to be one of the most beautiful in the world.
- Cara (third from left), with family in Brazil.
You have listings in Cat Island and New Providence. Who buys in Cat Island?
Cat Island is perfect for those who really want to be away from the madness of the world. People don’t tend to know, but Cat Island has the highest elevations in The Bahamas, and one of the longest pink sand beaches – 7 Mile Beach – easily as beautiful as popular Harbour Island, with some very well priced beachfront lots.
What’s hot in New Providence?
Private Communities are very popular in the capital. Ocean Club Estates on Paradise Island is hugely popular as well as the longstanding classics of Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay and the latest golf and fitness oriented newcomer – Albany on the southern side of the island.
The next big thing though is, of course, Baha Mar, the 3.5$ billion luxury resort which is opening in early 2015. Baha Mar has some great investment opportunities in its Residences, with 6-8% ROI.
There’s a lot of construction going on. The Cliffs at Cable Beach will be a brand new luxury condo development overlooking the water, opposite Sandy Port. There will be 11 town houses with garages, private pool and an option for solar power.
Old Fort Bay Town Centre is a very exciting development out west with office spaces, great shopping and Venetian West, a private community being developed alongside, with some very affordable properties (starting at 240k).
What’s the state of the Bahamas Real Estate market right now?
Well I don’t want to be too positive because people will start putting the prices up! But I have to say that there are lot of purchases happening. The market is finally seeing an upswing but its still an excellent time to buy with prices at their lowest.
When you’re not selling real estate, what do you enjoy in your spare time?
In my spare time I love to travel to London and New York which are both easily accessed by direct flights from Lyden Pindling International Airport, or I like to relax on Windermere Island Eleuthera where there is complete quiet and an endless pink sand beach.
How do you stay active in the local community?
I am a member of a choir the Highgrove singers that does fundraising for various groups and I am on several community boards including helping with the upcoming Bahamas Financial Service Awards banquet.
HG Christie Ltd., Vice President /Managing Director, John Christie, had this to share about Cara: “Cara’s kind and generous spirit is evident to all who interact with her. It garners respect amongst her peers and loyalty from her clients. She is a quiet yet, strong and skilled, leader within the Bahamian real estate market.”
‘Ask Your Agent’ Featuring Cara Christie – Relocating To The Bahamas HD
Written by David Lee.