One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Lj Hooker

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LJ Hooker has appointed KPMG to help restructure the group via a voluntary administration process.
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LJ Hooker chairman Janusz Hooker has sought out three KPMG accountants as administrators to five known LJ Hooker entities.
The appointments included LJX Pty Ltd which is the shareholder in the Lower North Shore AVNU agency, LJHA (LNS) Pty Ltd, which is not in administration, nor the LJHA (LNS) ultimate holding company, Austral Pty Ltd.
The appointments were made on Thursday.
It comes as LJ Hooker Group's directors reportedly seek to recapitalise the wider business with fresh funds, along with a wish to simplify it's operations and carry less debt.
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The AFR reported the goal of chairman and founding family member (Leslie) Janusz Hooker - who bought back into the family business in 2009 - and former Macquarie dealmaker Bryan Weir was to emerge from the process with a simpler corporate structure.
"Sources close to the group" advised the administration would not impact the real estate agent's core LJ Hooker franchise business, or its employees.
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It was revealed by the AFR Street Talk column on Sunday.
Each of the entities was said to be a holding company - and not operating companies.
The five sit among 40 entities in the wider LJ Hooker Group.
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Documents filed with ASIC show Ryan Eagle, Philip Quinlan and Amanda Coneyworth were appointed administrators to entities including LJHRES which was set up in 2015 and LJHRES HOLDINGS which was set up in 2017.
LJX Labs and LJX Holdings have also had an administrator appointed.
After dumping plans for a $400m stockmarket float, Janusz Hooker, unveiled the LJX Lab in 2017.
The digital research and development vehicle was set to look to foster innovation by identifying, incubating and commercialising products in the prop-tech sector.
AVNU LNS chief performance officer Christine Mikhael resigned her directorship last Thursday from AVNU LNS.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Janusz Hooker calls in KMPG administrators to restructure LJ Hooker

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LJ Hooker today announced its new brand tagline ‘When you know, you know’.
The tagline is a modern evolution of the brand’s well-known tagline from the 1980s ‘nobody does it better’. 
LJ Hooker Chief Operating Officer Ruth Trewhella said extensive research underpinned the philosophy of the new brand tagline, with the capability of leading the company into its century celebrations.  
She said, “we felt it was time to move on from what has been a very effective brand expression on our experience to something that’s far more reflective of what we stand for today, but that’s also consistent with our heritage. 
"Our new brand tagline is an all-encompassing statement that reinforces our customer-first approach to the market. 
“It also represents LJ Hooker’s values and capabilities while allowing our offices to customise it to their local market,” said Mrs Trewhella. 
They have launched their brand new tagline via an outdoor marketing campaign, with digital screens across more than 250+ shopping centres nation-wide.
LJ Hooker Head of Marketing James McGregor said the new creative centres on key customer moments and emotional drivers supported by instinctual decision-making in real estate.
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LJ Hooker reveal new brand tagline

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A foundation director of Stone Real Estate Double Bay, Daniel Baran has departed to join LJ Hooker.
He leaves Reece Coleman and Paul Wigan as the Stone principals.
<a href="https://www.stonerealestate.com.au/stone-double-bay/meet-team/daniel-baran/" target="_blank">Baran's </a>prior office, The Agency, was selected to be the first office in Sydney's east for the new Stone brand from January 2017.
Stone had offices in Dee Why, Lane Cove, Lindfield, Manly, McMahons Point, Mona Vale, Neutral Bay, Seaforth and Turramurra and globally more than 550 member firms of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.
Having lived in the eastern suburbs all his life, Baran is a well-known local real estate agent.
Since starting his career in the mid-80s, he has achieved numerous record-breaking results.
In the 1990s, he was as Nationwide Realty Double Bay during which he took space in the local paper to tell readers that his life as a salesman was like that of a doctor on duty 24 hours a day. 
The ad has a shot of the mobile phone-toting Baran alongside a photo of a doctor in gown, mask and gloves nursing a newborn baby.
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Daniel Baran quits Stone for LJ Hooker

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LJ Hooker Avnu is set to expand into Sydney’s northern districts with the appointment of Ben Mulae and his team of two associates.
His previous agency was First National which had "archaic" systems for marketing, compliance and client reporting, he suggested.
“I’m excited to have joined Avnu, with its cutting-edge platform that now streamlines and automates much of this so that I can really nurture my client relationships and execute on our sales strategies.”
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<div id="google_ads_iframe_/50807330/REB_PremiumNewsTile_800x250_0__container__">The Hunters Hill=based Mulae joined LJ Hooker Avnu with his associate agents Angie Wong and Martika Whitfield.</div>
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He said they have been a team for more than four years.
While they will lead the expansion into the Northern Districts, they advise they will be continuing to service clients in Putney, Gladesville, Ryde, Tennyson Point and surrounding suburbs.
Benjamin has been consistently ranked in the top two percent of First National Real Estate Agents across NSW. 
First National is the largest independent real estate network in Australia.
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LJ Hooker Avnu expand further into Sydney’s northern districts

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LJ Hooker took down the video marketing of a luxury Padstow home after its raunchy marketing trended on Twitter last month.
The video was marketing a newly built home by its agent Sam Nader, who claimed the video had 60,000 views in its first 24 hours.
But it has paid off having sold for $1.72 million prior to this weekend's auction.
The luxury <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-padstow-130990534" target="_blank" title="www.realestate.com.au">Padstow home at 42 Chamberlain Road</a> sold to a 23-year-old first homebuyer.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/5/31/pad%202.jpg" alt="">
The Daily Telegraph reported the buyer saw the home after his brother told him about the property’s video.
It shows a man in a white Jaguar arrive and park in the driveway of the four bedroom, two bathroom home.
The cinematic offering then turned 50 shades of grey film-style as he's met inside by the blond female occupant, then dancing through the property's loungeroom, prowling across the kitchen benchtop, taking a swim, and then settling into bed as they tuned out the lights.
All cut to a thudding dirty dancing R&amp;B beat.
No simple walkthrough that most estate agency videos offer they vendors.
LJ Hooker apologised for the sexy two minute video saying it "missed the mark".
“LJ Hooker Bankstown is always looking for new ways to market our listings; however, this time we missed the mark,” it said in a statement.
“We live and we learn," adding the video had been "taken out of context by some".
Nader had earlier indicated marketed needed something different “in this property market to make it stand out.”
The home in south-western Sydney home replaced a 1950s fibre home following its $875,000 sale in 2016 to the vendor, Adam Ibrahim.
It was produced by the Sydney photography studio Opticool Studios. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/5/31/pad%203.jpg" alt="">
The ultra contemporary home comes with striking marble flooring and chandelier entry.
The rear of of the 550 square metre holding has a "glistening L-shaped saltwater swimming pool".
Padstow's four bedroom median house price has slipped over the past year for $1.1 million to $975,000.
 
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LJ Hooker Padstow sale after raunchy house video trended on Twitter 

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Jason Georges, has become the latest sales agent to join the LJ Hooker Avnu team as it continues to make its mark in the blue chip Lower North Shore. 
LJ Hooker Avnu now claims to have the largest market share in arguably Australia’s most valuable suburb, Mosman.  
Georges was previously with Ray White Willoughby, where he was recognised as one of their top 10 agents in the Sydney region.
Despite slowing market conditions in Sydney, since joining LJ Hooker Avnu Georges has already signed seven listings totalling over $13 million. 
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jason to the team at LJ Hooker Avnu," Christine Mikhael, LJ Hooker Avnu chief performance officer said,” said Mikhael.
“His intimate knowledge of the Willoughby and surrounds second to none and his track record is impressive.”
LJ Hooker Avnu hopes to supercharge its sales agents’ abilities to serve their clients, by creating a technology enhanced full-service agency.
By streamlining much of the administration demands of their day-to-day activities and utilising platforms and tools which create much greater efficiencies, sales agents are freed-up to spend more time on client facing activities.  
“I grew up in the Lower North Shore, so I feel very connected to the area,” Georges said.  
“The area has evolved in that time, and so has real estate. How real estate was transacted 10 years ago, even two years ago, has changed.  
“My clients now want to know what’s happening in their sales journey in real time.”
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LJ Hooker Avnu expand with Jason Georges joining in Willoughby

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The former McGrath agent, Michael Coombs has confirmed to Nine Entertainment that he will join LJ Hooker's Avnu, a little-known, newly launched, technology-based full-service agency operating on the lower North Shore of Sydney.
The move was <a href="/news/what-is-lj-hookers-avnu-the-much-hyped-new-avenue-in-real-estate">foreshadowed last month</a> on Property Observer.
Avnu markets itself as allowing agents and their clients to manage their sales and properties in real time through enhanced digital online software.
Avnu is based in Neutral Bay, on the lower north shore, not far from the Mosman McGrath office which Coombs departed late last year.
Coombs anticipates the current "proptech" revolution in the residential market paved the way for how homes would be sold in the future.
Coombs <a href="/news/michael-coombs-departs-mcgrath">departed McGrath</a> late last year, after two years of speculation on his future amid a fractured franchise operating within the besieged McGrath Group.
LJ Hooker picked the lower north shore - where is has operated since the 1950s - to launch the Avnu brand with its rather odd name.
With fewer than 20 sales since its office launch, Coombs could be expected to possibly turbo-charge the office which has the branding: a new avenue in real estate.
Coombs joined the agency with $100 million in unsold listings.
Avnu took over the gap left by the LJ Hooker flop, <a href="/news/settl-lj-hookers-diy-hybrid-property-sales-platform-to-take-on-disruptors">Settl</a>, a thwarted part of LJ Hooker’s envisaged $100 million digital transformation.
Avnu, run by former Google, Twitter and LinkedIn execs, aims to reshape the homebuyer experience by smoothing the process where there's an estimated 200 steps involved in buying a property, between appraisal and settlement.
It’s a separate entity to the LJ Hooker franchise model and will have its own agents.
There will be a shop front despite its cloud-based technology approach.
With little fanfare, its chairman and local resident L. Janusz Hooker launch the app mid-last year.
“It’s your normal LJ Hooker, but it’s a place where technology is driving the process for both agents and consumers," said the grandson of the company’s founder, Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker.
Jason Chuck, the chief executive of LJ Hooker Avnu, was a former local founder and managing director of eHarmony and Houzz, and before that head of marketing for Google.
Christine Mikhael, the former general manager of sales and training at McGrath LNS, has been the director of sales and performance since March.
Mr Chuck said the LJ Hooker Avnu platform is the first of its kind and offers the "next frontier of customer service in what is a very fragmented industry".
"If someone was to start a real estate agency today, this is the model they would use. It's a clean slate for what is effectively an industry start-up for the next century," Mr Chuck told Nine Entertainment.
Its customers pay the usual industry-based fees for marketing and agent costs.
LJ Hooker Avnu's early recruits include Adrian Bridges.
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"I believe Avnu is a company that is going to pioneer the way real estate is done in over the next few years and I wanted to be apart of it," Coombs told Nine Entertainment.
While he anticipates the agency will be helpful to millennials, Coombs stresses he can still service clients who prefer a traditional method.
Coombs also advised the sales commission at Avnu will be at the standard market rate.
LJ Hooker says the LJ Hooker Avnu company is owned by private shareholders while Coombs will owns shares in its flagship office.
Coombs had previously held equity in the McGrath Mosman franchise but sold it back to the principals around 20 months ago.
He was among the few McGrath agents not to take shares when the McGrath Group floated in late 2015 on the ASX.
When he left school he did landscaping for a while.
The median Mosman sale in the last six months of 2018 was $1.58 million with Ray White indicating today its office secured an office median sale price $2.15 million higher than the market after a $25 million sale.
The three McGrath LNS offices had 350 sales in 2018 with 10 above $10 million.
The McGrath business acquired Laing &amp; Simmons Milsons Point last year, taking total properties under management to 2,600 properties, the largest rent roll on the lower north shore.
The Dean Mackie-led franchise lost its McGrath operations late last year when McGrath Estate Agents provided the stockmarket with an update regarding the April 2019 renewal of its Sydney Lower North Shore franchise office arrangement.
McGrath formally announced it had withdrawn its offer to extend the franchise agreement beyond April.
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“We have a clear plan to rejuvenate our presence in the region," McGrath chief, Geoff Lucas said.
The shareholders were told by Lucas the LNS profitability had "fallen below expectations in recent years.”
The Mackie-led team, who have had the LNS operation since 2005 and have privately disputed the portrayal by Lucas, quickly formalised plans to instead open a Di Jones office this year.
The former Lower North Shore McGrath franchisees Dean Mackie and Piers van Hamburg will do so without David Howe who is retiring from real estate, with a shift into restaurants mooted.
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Michael Coombs confirmed as LJ Hooker Avnu recruit

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One of McGrath's top selling Sydney agents, Michael Coombs is tipped to join LJ Hooker's Avnu, a little-known, newly launched, technology-based full-service agency.
Avnu allows agents and customers to manage their sales and properties in real time through digital online software.
Avnu is based in Neutral Bay, on the lower north shore, not far from the Mosman McGrath office which Coombs departed mid-week.
Coombs has privately acknowledge the current "proptech" revolution in the residential market paved the way for how homes would be sold in the future.
Coombs <a href="/news/michael-coombs-departs-mcgrath">departed McGrath</a> earlier this week.
LJ Hooker picked the lower north shore - where is has operated since the 1950s - to launch the Avnu brand.
With little fanfare, its chairman and local resident L. Janusz Hooker launch the app mid-year.
“It’s your normal LJ Hooker, but it’s a place where technology is driving the process for both agents and consumers," said the grandson of the company’s founder, Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker.
With fewer than 20 sales since its office launch, Coombs could be expected to turbo-charge the office which has the banding: a new avenue in real estate.
One of Avnu's recently listings was an East Killara mid-century design trophy home.
The Harold R. McCauley-designed modernist house was offered through with $1.8 million hopes through LJ Hooker Avnu agent Vanessa Coles, who was previously with Belle Property.
Avnu, run by former Google, Twitter and LinkedIn execs, aims to reshape the homebuyer experience by smoothing the process where there's an estimated 200 steps involved in buying a property, between appraisal and settlement.
It’s a separate entity to the LJ Hooker franchise model and will have its own agents and shop front despite its cloud-based technology approach.
Jason Chuck, the chief executive of LJ Hooker Avnu, was a former local founder and managing director of eHarmony and Houzz, and before that head of marketing for Google.
Ajeya Vempati, former Google Engineering lead, consultant for LinkedIn and Twitter, came on as LJ Hooker Avnu's chief technology officer.
Head of product at LJ Hooker Avnu is James Piskorz.
Christine Mikhael, the former general manager of sales and training at McGrath LNS, has been the director of sales and performance since March. At age 23, Mikhael became the youngest woman in Australia to establish and solely own a real estate agency.
Mr Chuck said the LJ Hooker Avnu platform is the first of its kind and offers the "next frontier of customer service in what is a very fragmented industry".
"If someone was to start a real estate agency today, this is the model they would use. It's a clean slate for what is effectively an industry start-up for the next century," Mr Chuck told Nine Entertainment.
Its customers pay the usual industry-based fees for marketing and agent costs.
Avnu's company registration was preceded by <a href="/news/settl-lj-hookers-diy-hybrid-property-sales-platform-to-take-on-disruptors">Settl</a>, a thwarted part of LJ Hooker’s $100 million digital transformation. 
LJ Hooker Avnu's early recruits include Adrian Bridges who was ranked in Australia's REB Top 100 agents and recorded more than $120 million in sales last year.
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What is LJ Hooker's Avnu? the much hyped new avenue in real estate

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A former LJ Hooker real estate agent with a resumed drug habit has been jailed for five years. 
Ngo will be eligible to apply for parole after he has served at least three years.
The sentencing judge described his financial mismanagement akin to a Ponzi scheme.
Joseph Ngo, 37, also known as Tri Duc Ngo, managed accounts of six LJ Hooker franchises in Melbourne’s south-east, including Glen Waverley and Mount Waverley.
Between January 2015 and March 2016, just over $6 million was misappropriated from trust accounts linked to the six offices.
Ngo used just over $2 million of that on clothing, jewellery and drugs, including ice.
The alarm was only raised in April 2016 when Consumer Affairs Victoria was told that the business’ trust accounts were overdrawn.
In sentencing on Thursday, County Court judge Michael Bourke said Ngo’s behaviour was dishonest, harmful and prolonged.
He ruled Ngo needed to be condemned for what he had done as it breached the trust of the victims and their faith in the property system.
Ngo was addicted to heroin and cannabis earlier in life, the judge said, but despite his attempts at abstinence, he spent $300,000 on ice during his offending. 
After the sale of Ngo's property, the victims were needing to be repaid $2.1 million from the Victorian Property Fund at Victorian tax payer expense.
Judge Bourke ordered that Ngo repay that money while noting the chances of that compensation occurring were remote.
Ngo pleaded guilty to 48 charges under the estate agents act and two summary offences relating to taking a direct interest in the sales of property.
Defence counsel Erol Cinar had argued that Ngo had shown remorse, had no intention to return to real estate and had a severe mental condition, exacerbated by drug use.
Fairfax Media reported Ngo had been convicted in 2001 of armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, as well as heroin trafficking before that.
Judge Bourke said if not for an early guilty plea, Ngo would have been jailed for seven years.
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Former armed robber turned LJ Hooker Glen Waverley agent sentenced to three years jail 

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A former real estate agent who misappropriated more than $6 million from clients to fund his lavish lifestyle has asked a Melbourne judge to spare him from prison.
But Tri Duc Ngo, also known as Joseph Ngo, who has pleaded guilty to misusing $6.49 million from trust account funds of 46 clients linked to six LJ Hooker offices in Melbourne, was advised he should serve some time in jail for his crime.
Ngo co-operated six LJ Hooke branches at Glen Waverley, Box Hill, Burwood, Doncaster, Keysborough and Mount Waverley.
County Court Judge Michael Bourke said Ngo, who was reported to suffer psychosis and a schizoaffective disorder, should serve some time in jail.
He spent some of the money on drugs such as ice.
The court heard at a plea hearing in November that Mr Ngo had splashed stolen cash at high-end jewellery stores including Swarovski and Tiffany &amp; Co.
Six LJ Hooker offices in Melbourne's outer east were closed when Consumer Affairs Victoria was alerted.
Defence lawyer Erol Cinar said the father-of-four should be spared jail because his four-year-old had not yet made lasting memories of his father.
He also argued Ngo was active in his church community.
The court was advised the remorseful Ngo had no intention to return to real estate.
Judge Michael Bourke released Ngo on bail for one day to collect his medications, with plans to remand him in custody on Tuesday before sentencing at a later date.
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The judge declared a lesser punishment would be “disproportionate.”
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"The offending occurred over a protracted period between January 2015 and March 2016," crown prosecutor Robyn Harper.
"The offending occurred over a protracted period between January 2015 and March 2016," she said.
"The scale is massive ... (and) there's been no evidence he's repaid the money."
 
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