OC Real Estate’s rise from a single office in Adelaide to a sprawling network has been driven by an evolution in helping people through their property journey rather than a big‑bang revolution.
It’s an approach that has helped the group win both the Residential Agency of the Year and Property Management Team of the Year awards at the 2025 REA Excellence Awards.
For OC Real Estate executive director and co‑founder Nathan Casserly, the team never set out to revolutionise the real estate industry.
“It’s just been an evolution of how we do real estate, and we feel like we’re doing it on a level that’s a little better than our competition,” he said.
“We still conduct opens, we still follow up calls, and we still negotiate on behalf of our clients, but we are really respectful and focused on customer service.
“We’re still doing what I was doing when I started in the industry 20 years ago, but we’re doing it much, much better.”
Mr Casserly said the awards were recognition of the hard work from the entire OC Real Estate team.
Alex Ouwens and Nathan Casserly started OC Real Estate, previously known as Ouwens Casserly Real Estate, in 2014. Picture: Supplied
“We’re not an organisation that wants to gloat, we’re not doing what we do for the awards,” he said.
“But when you get acknowledged, it gives us some comfort that we must be doing things fairly well.
“I think it’s also great for the South Australian industry as a whole for a local group to be recognised at the national level.”
Founded in 2014 by Mr Casserly and Alex Ouwens, OC Real Estate has grown steadily to eight offices across South Australia, operating as a single, connected business across sales and property management.
Mr Casserly says it's encouraging to see South Australian businesses recognised at the national level. Picture: Supplied
Mr Casserly said that interconnected model was a key differentiator, allowing teams to work together rather than operating as isolated offices competing internally.
“Our offices aren’t siloed,” he said. “They talk to each other, especially around matching buyers with properties and tenants with rentals as people move through different life stages.”
That structure helped clients benefit from the collective knowledge and relationships built across the entire business, he said.
Adelaide is one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. Picture: Brenton Edwards
The group has invested in technology to support their agents and property managers to deliver better service, while continuing to build upon its culture with leadership focused on being present, listening and maintaining high standards.
The Property Management Team of the Year award was particularly meaningful, reflecting a long‑term focus on a sector Mr Casserly believes plays a critical role in the housing system.
“Property management is so important, especially with the pressures we’re seeing in housing,” he said. “To see our team recognised for their work was incredibly rewarding.”
Looking ahead, Mr Casserly expects continued change across the industry, from technology and AI to ongoing consolidation, but remains confident in the role of the agent.
“There will always be a need for people who know their communities and provide real service,” he said.
And for OC Real Estate, the strategy remains unchanged.
“There’s no magic dust, you just keep evolving,” Mr Casserly said.
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