Inside the real estate strategy turning Coronis into a national player

The CEO at the helm of Coronis Group, Karuna Mazzocchi, has been lauded for her growing influence in the real estate industry.

Karuna Mazzocchi’s influence as the CEO of property business Coronis Group has transformed the independent operation into a force to be reckoned with.

In under two years at the helm, Mazzocchi has facilitated a new partnership franchise model which has allowed the Coronis Group to meet agents where they are on their career journey and tailor a unique approach for each situation.

The structure allows Mazzocchi to keep putting people first while still evolving the brand and expanding across the country.

“We didn’t want to do what every other brand was doing. We knew we had to be different to disrupt the industry and improve for our clients,” Mazzocchi says.

Since 2023, the model has facilitated the commencement of 15 new real estate enterprises across Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. The approach has helped Coronis Group retain and recruit top talent by allowing them to step into their own business under a franchise model that provides them with ongoing back-end support while they find their feet in business ownership. This includes accounting, marketing, accounts receivable, recruitment and administration assistance.

“By nature, real estate agents are quite entrepreneurial, and we wanted a way to adapt our model and meet them where they are on their journey. This has allowed our top performers to stay within the business or join from other brands,” Mazzocchi says. She has supported several new franchise partners to open their own Coronis office and helped Coronis expand into a national brand. “This completely new value proposition has helped ensure we retain our best people rather than lose them as they outgrow sales and want to start their real estate agency ownership journey. This means that Coronis Group has been able to significantly expand its footprint in a very short time,” Mazzocchi says.

The growth and success achieved in a short space of time has led fellow industry leaders to notice both Mazzocchi and the Coronis Group. So it’s perhaps not surprising that the REA Excellence Awards named her Most Influential Woman in Property in 2024 – a testament to her commitment to ensuring her team has the confidence, competence and support systems to succeed in their respective roles.

The judges commended her promotion of women in the male-dominated property industry, saying “she fosters diversity and empowers women in leadership,” adding that her mission goes beyond her own business, influencing and inspiring other businesses to recognise biases and to hire and promote based on skills.

Early Success

After working in retail, Karuna Mazzocchi joined the end-to-end property business Coronis Group 21 years ago. Her move into real estate was driven by the industries correlation between personal accountability, hard work and success.

While she was a consistent performer and clever negotiator, her true strengths were in people. This skillset saw her open and lead her own Coronis agency aged 25.

“It was a very steep learning curve running a huge amount of people from different backgrounds and in different facets, but it helped me get very comfortable with every aspect of the business and gain a deep understanding of how to help people grow.”

As she continued her career, so did the number of agencies and team members she was in charge of. Prior to becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2017, Mazzocchi was the area leader for seven offices and a team of more than 90 sales specialists, property managers, administrators and support staff. These experiences culminated in her becoming the CEO in 2023 and leading the business in a new direction of growth.

It’s a significant role. She oversees about 400 staff across the company and an executive team of 10. However, her hands- on approach, attention to detail, and deep understanding of customer service have helped elevate several offices under her leadership to achieve strong results and countless personal bests.

“I’m constantly looking at how to help others succeed and achieve their ambitions within the property sector. Whether that’s working with someone in administration, helping an agent open a new office under our franchise model, or speaking with brokers about their goals, the role requires many meetings and problem-solving skills,” she says.

“My goal is to ensure Coronis continues to blaze a trail for the property sector with the partnership and franchise model to ensure our team members create independent and sustainable wealth for themselves, if that’s the direction they want to go.”

Karuna Mazzocchi

Unlike a lot of CEOs, she’s not one to sugarcoat life at the helm. The responsibility means constantly being on her phone, balancing family life and always contemplating how to help her team give their best each day. “No two days are the same, and I’m constantly in my car heading off to a meeting. But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Mazzocchi says.

Who is Coronis Group?

As a trusted name in the real estate industry, Coronis have been helping people find their dream homes and make smart property investment decisions for decades. With a commitment to excellence and unrivalled personal service, the team have worked with tens of thousands of buyers, sellers and landlords to achieve their property goals.

The company started as nothing more than a real estate ‘hole in the wall’ over 40 years ago. A significant component of their business has been their substantial rent roll, with more than 10,000 properties under management. This arm of their business provides a recurring revenue stream which is the perfect counter to the natural ebbs and flows of the property market. Through recognising the immense value of property management, the Coronis Group have built the second largest privately owned rent roll in Australia.

In addition to sales and property management, the Coronis Group also features two registered real estate and finance training organisations, a mortgage brokerage and three conveyancing businesses. These business arms allow their team to provide clients an excellent experience through every stage of their property journey.

Amid a cost of living and housing crisis, the mortgage and finance teams have achieved 53% growth this financial year as more Australians look for specialist assistance in the real estate sector.

Mazzocchi’s influence on the Coronis Group and wider industry isn’t done yet. She reveals that she plans to facilitate better succession planning to ensure businesses thrive when owners move into retirement. She says real estate isn’t about property, it’s about people and making important connections when they are at a transition point in their lives.

“My goal is to ensure Coronis continues to blaze a trail for the property sector with the partnership and franchise model to ensure our team members create independent and sustainable wealth for themselves, if that’s the direction they want to go,” she says.

If you hadn’t heard of the Coronis Group yet, expect Mazzocchi’s leadership to bring their teal logo to your doorstep soon.

For more information, visit coronis.com.au