Thursday 17 Dec 2009
December 1, 2009 – Sydney – Leading residential real estate group, McGrath Estate Agents, today announced the opening of its first office in Queensland – a major strategic move and the realisation of a long-standing dream of Chief Executive and Founder, John McGrath, who is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most innovative and progressive real estate figures.
The office is located in Palm Beach in the southern section of the Gold Coast, about 14km south of Surfers Paradise. Previously an Elders franchise, its Principals David Mills, John Nicholson and Ian Mills, also bring to the McGrath network two other offices located in Tweed Heads on the NSW-QLD border and Ballina/Byron Bay on the NSW Far North Coast.
McGrath’s move into Queensland is part of the company’s ongoing premium franchise roll-out across the country, which began in September 2006 following 18 years of private ownership and operations in Sydney.
“I’ve always wanted to have offices in South East Queensland but we have taken our time to hand-select the highest calibre partners. This is by far one of the most exciting and dynamic property markets in the country and will undoubtedly play an enormous role in housing Australia’s population over the next 20 years. It offers a highly desirable lifestyle and is already attracting a significant migration of Sydney retirees. However, today’s demand for local property is nothing compared to what it will be like in five or ten years’ time. South East Queensland is probably the most popular region in Australia for downsizing baby boomers. It is a critical market and thus an important next step in our expansion.”
Mr. McGrath said Palm Beach was one of the most affordable beachside areas of the Gold Coast and was primed for growth in coming years. “South East Queensland has a similar customer base to Sydney – we’re talking about intelligent, savvy home owners desiring greater service and a broader marketing reach in the sale of their properties, with access to the very best in technology and support systems. They recognise that buyer demographics are changing with a larger proportion of buyers now coming from Sydney.”
McGrath Palm Beach Principal, David Mills, said joining the McGrath network was a natural fit for their own growth plans. “We have been drawn to the McGrath brand as we see it as playing on a whole new level, with our new colleagues among the nation’s leaders in terms of service and record sales.” The Palm Beach sales team will consist of nine, as well as a property management division with over 650 properties under management.
The Palm Beach office was Elders’ No 5 metropolitan sales office this year, with the Ballina office the No 1 non-metro office nationally for the majority of the past 20 years and the Tweed Heads office among the Top 5.
John McGrath himself is considered one of the most progressive real estate figures in Australia with more than 28 years of experience and an impressive track record for innovation. This includes being among the first agents to use professional photography in marketing, the first in Sydney to create a weekly property guide, the McGrath Magazine, which has a circulation of 30,000 readers each week, and among the first to embrace the internet as a marketing tool.
In 2006, McGrath was the first agency in the world to offer a ‘lifestyle search’ on its website at mcgrath.com.au, allowing buyers to search for property matching their lifestyle requirements such as living close to the water or within 10 minutes of the CBD.
In 2007, McGrath partnered with Apple to develop Australia’s first search criteria-based real estate podcast, allowing buyers to request property information matching their criteria to be sent to their iPods.
McGrath Palm Beach will service the Southern Gold Coast region including the suburbs of Tugun, Currumbin, Currumbin Valley, Elanora, Palm Beach, Tallebudgera, Tallebudgera Valley, Burleigh Heads, Varsity Lakes, Reedy Creek and Miami.
The office is at 17 Sixth Avenue, Palm Beach. The phone number is 07 5534 3433.
