Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Real Estate Agents

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One Melbourne real estate agent is taking a defibrillator to auctions after one bidder had a heart attack while attempting to buy a Brighton East unit late last year.
Attendee Tom Friedman was bidding on a Binnie St property for a friend who had been “too anxious” to do so herself, according to reports on realestate.com.au, when he  collapsed.
Dane Costello, real estate agent and a local GP performed CPR on the 65-year-old before an ambulance arrived.
They performed CPR until an ambulance came and took Mr Friedman to hospital, where he remained in an induced coma for a week.
Agency director and auctioneer, Nick Johnstone, said his staff had all had CPR training since.
“We’ve also bought a defibrillator and will be taking it to all our auctions,” he said.
“Auctions are obviously a pretty stressful time for the buyers, sellers and agents.”
"I stopped the auction when Mr Friedman went into cardiac arrest and sold the house to another party later that night."
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Mr Friedman’s friend bought another property through the agency soon after.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Defibrillator to be taken to Brighton auctions after heart attack

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The strategic expansion at Di Jones Real Estate continues with the northern suburbs team appointing Heath Dockary and his support team.
Di Jones Real Estate CEO Rob Ward said the appointment of Heath Dockary, Wilson He and Vanessa Short was an important step in further strengthening the company’s growth plans in the Epping, Eastwood and Carlingford markets.
Formerly of McGrath, Dockary has been recognised in the top 25 agents across the McGrath network for several years and in the top 5% of all agents in NSW, Ward said.
In the last year Di Jones Real Estate has recruited nine McGrath staff.
It expanded to the upper north shore in early 2016.
Dockary said he and his staff were excited to be joining the Di Jones team, which started from a single office based in Woollahra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 1992.
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Di Jones secures ninth McGrath agent with Heath Dockary appointment

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Online property agency iBuyNew has appointed Alex Caraco as chief executive officer.
He was a former CEO with Coldwell Banker Australia. iBuyNew founder Mark Mendel, previously CEO, has become head of strategy.
Alex Caraco said we are working hard to expand iBuyNew’s presence with plans to install sales teams in all mainland state capitals as well as on the Gold Coast.
“This month we have boosted our Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne sales teams as we seek to expand our sales volumes,” he said.
“Mark has worked tremendously hard to get iBuyNew to where it is today and it is fantastic that he will be continuing the journey as head of strategy.
"iBuynew would be working closely going forward with some of the nation’s leading development companies.
“We will hit the ground running with our sales and marketing initiatives to assist developers of apartments, townhouses and house and land packages.
“iBuyNew has nearly 5000 properties for sale throughout Australia and is actively seeking new quality projects to add to our vast selection.”
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iBuyNew doubles sales team as Alex Caraco takes CEO reins

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Seemingly with the backing of mortgage broker John Kolenda, the veteran agents who recently quit the McGrath Estate Agency are set to launch as The Agency.
The website countdown clock has it scheduled to open in<a href="https://theagency.com.au/" target="_blank"> nine days</a>. It advises "change is coming."
The partners in the foray are still unconfirmed but likely to be headlined by the departees who turned against the listed ASX McGrath Estate Agent group last year.
Longtime McGrath agents Matt Lahood, Stephen Chen and Ben Collier have all maintained a low profile since their departures last year. Their departures were preceded by weeks of avoiding any confirmation of any departure decision - and in some cases outright denials of any departure. It is widely assumed they will band together in the new outfit.
There were four estate agents initially tipped last October as taking on the new agency - with richly rewarding commissions - but one of the mooted four remains at McGrath.
Also not all associated team members have made the shift with their decisions fracturing the Edgecliff-based agency that dates back to the 1980s.
The non-descript website - the agency.com.au - is owned by Daring Investments with Paul Niradonne traceable as the contact.
Nirradonne is the chief executive officer at Ausnet Financial Services Ltd.
Daring Investments is directed by John Kolenda. There have been no amendments to ownership or shareholdings of any Daring's ASIC documents since 2015 when he changed his address from his then recently sold $10.2 million Vaucluse home to his current $7.3 million Darling Point address. 
Ausnet have run a little-known real estate practice out of Doubleview, Perth since 2006 called The Agency which offer a range of Ausnet financial services. Ausnet has offered finance broking, real estate services, settlement services, property management, project marketing, insurance and financial planning initially to the Western Australian market with an aim to be rolled out nationally. Ausnet’s target is to have 600 sales representatives nationally. 
A Double Bay agency, that traded at The Agency recently rebranded into the expansionary Stone Property Agency group with Daran Baran and Reece Coleman also changing the name of their operating company on December 17 from The Agency Australia Pty Ltd to SDB Pty Ltd. Their decision which was months in the making was <a href="https://www.stonerealestate.com.au/double-bay/our-office/" target="_blank">the first Stone office east of the harbour</a>.
The rebel agency is tipped to open next month on the strip at Bondi Beach.
Local landlord Eduard Litver declined to comment when approached last week by Property Observer.
Ausnet is backed by the retail finance broker, Finsure Group.
Ausnet is close to listing on the Australian Securities Exchange after Namibian Copper Limited raised $5.8 million in a heavily oversubscribed offer last month.
Ausnet is currently in the process of being acquired via reverse takeover by NCO, an ASXlisted gold, silver and base metals exploration company previously focusing on Namibia, Africa. 
Mr Niardone said via late 2016 press release a key reason for the heavily oversubscribed take-up of the offer was the enterprise value of $5.6 million only took into account the $1.1 billion loan book and not the new real estate business model called “The Agency” or the other business units on the referral platform.
“Our valuation was asset backed, no premium on hype," he advised late last year.
"Unlike our peers, Ausnet has built a proven concept over the past 12 months which has delivered record revenue of A$6.5 million in FY2016, up 37 per cent on the previous year,” he added.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Defecting McGrath agents to launch The Agency

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GUEST OBSERVER
An initiative to provide better customer service and help consumers make more informed decisions will been introduced in NSW this week but will unfairly tarnish reputable businesses.
The NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register which is due to come into operation on Wednesday, 24 August 2016 will provide information about businesses that are the subject of 10 or more complaints to NSW Fair Trading in a calendar month. 
The Complaints Register will list businesses under their public and recognisable ‘trading’ or ‘brand’ name which means that franchises or brand co- operatives will be grouped together instead of as the individual businesses they are. 
As a result, the register will simply be full of franchises and groups who, due to the popularity of their brand and their sheer size, will almost always have 10 consumer complaints per month.
While the Real Estate Industry wholeheartedly supports the concept of a complaints register, we believe the NSW consumer watchdog has poorly executed what is essentially a good idea – a complaints register to “out” poor traders. 
NSW Fair Trading has failed consumers in the creation of this initiative and has missed an opportunity to use data in an effective way for the benefit of consumers. 
REINSW has been engaged in discussing better consumer complaint outcomes with our members and the major brands for some time now. To have this register effectively target the major brands is simply unjust and needs to be remedied urgently. 
Small businesses with exemplary records, operating under franchise or co-operative brands, will be impossible to distinguish from those who have been identified as poor traders given all businesses operating under a brand will be grouped together. 
This false and misleading information could be used to discredit businesses who demonstrate responsible business practices and, in their wake, innocent parties could be disadvantaged including consumers, employees and small business owners. 
NSW Fair Trading has been negligent and reckless to apply a product based system to the service industries of NSW, thereby unfairly discrediting good businesses and, as such, is acting as one of the worst discriminators in NSW. 
The consumer will naturally gravitate to the agent that does not appear on the register due to the misleading information provided by NSW Fair Trading. 
The issue could be simply rectified by providing accurate and helpful information to the consumer by treating businesses as individuals rather than trying to lump large groups under one umbrella.
It is not too late to remedy this issue and REINSW calls on Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello to right this wrong and provide consumers with accurate information and to protect small businesses in NSW who may been tarnished unfairly.
John Cunningham is president, REINSW, and can be contacted <a href="https://www.reinsw.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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Real estate franchises tarnished by flawed complaints register

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The McGrath Ltd chief operating officer Geoff Lucas has quit to take a role at the NSW bread maker and café group, Sonoma.
Lucas announced his resignation to staff yesterday that he intends to pursue the business opportunity after being at the estate agency for almost eight years.
He will start with Sonoma as chief operating officer as Sonoma is on an expansion path.
Lucas retains a 4.3 percent shareholding in the recently listed McGrath Group.
He was previously chief executive at Credit Corp, the financial services sector company.
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Geoff Lucas quits McGrath for bread maker

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Real estate agency New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty (NZSIR) is rolling out a nationwide expansion plan.
The new offices at Waiheke Island and Kerikeri take the total to 15 offices, including new-look offices in Matakana and Blenheim.
There is also a major expansion of its head office in Queenstown launching this month and a new Auckland flagship office in Parnell scheduled for later this year.
An office in Takapuna is due to open in November.
It all comes as the specialist agency celebrates 10 years in business, after co-owners Mark Harris and Julian Brown bought the NZ rights to the prestigious global brand and launched it from Queenstown in 2005.
Back then, Harris and Brown were the only agents for NZSIR.
The duo have facilitated some of NZ’s most high-profile property sales, such as Eagles Nest in the Bay of Islands for over $20 million, Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown and individually hold residential sales records in the Southern Lakes region.
There are now more than 100 licensed NZSIR agents and employees.
NZSIR currently has more than $500m worth of property listed and is on track to complete $750m in sales this financial year. The national average sale price is $1.5 million. 
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Sotheby's New Zealand expands to 15 offices

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There was a recent survey that again ranked real estate agents as less trustworthy than politicians. 
Roy Morgan's annual professionals survey placed real estate agents third-lowest - at 10 percent - among the 30 professions rated, only beating advertisers at 9 percent and car salespeople at 4 percent.
Nurses ranked the highest at 92 percent. Ranking slightly higher in ethics and honesty than estate agents, were trade union leaders on 13 percent and Federal MPs getting 17 percent.
The survey results, which I guess are even starker when considering the electorate backlash at the polls last month, come at a time the the NSW government is conducting a review of training in the property industry.
Indeed Rod Stowe, the NSW Fair Trading commissioner, recently got a report that referred to the Roy Morgan results. The report on training in the New South Wales property services industry, which was chaired by Chris Batt, noted the level of trust in agents was much higher in rural NSW, mainly because of the establishment of longer-term relationships.  
According to his department, there were 6455 complaints about property matters in 2014-15. The mismanagement of trust funds becoming one of the significant issues. 
Better Regulation Minister Victor Dominello has noted NSW has among the lowest entry standards in the country.
There has been ongoing debate on the role of government as the prevailing wisdom is that it not the role of a licensing regime to increase real estate professionalism, although that may be a desirable outcome.
It is the role of a licensing regime to protect the public interest.
The recent report noted submissions invariably began by saying that training standards were too low. 
For some, the issue is about the need for more training before people start, but also about the need to improve the quality of training.
The report to Stowe by review chairman, Chris Batt noted a common complaint was about the difficulty in attracting the right people to enter the industry.
His review explored the attributes that make for good estate agents. 
"The key skill appears to be the ability to gain people’s trust and a capacity for hard work."
But Batt's report noted there is a public perception that "selling real estate is a glamorous industry where people drive expensive cars, wear nice clothes and make lots of money." 
The report suggested the reality was often far different and a better understanding would help to "encourage the right people to enter the industry."
Most stakeholders agreed training courses left an inadequate level of knowledge because they were too short. 
There were also concerns of trainers not having currency in industry experience. 
And as assessments were in a simulated environment they not did reflect the real life environment.
The review noted that supervision out in the workplace was either poor or absent.
It even raised concerns about the literacy and numeracy skills of the aspiring agents.
All this translates into detrimental impacts on consumers with poor selling and appraisal skills, which meant that a vendor did not always get the best price or service. 
One real estate trainer recently suggested the industry’s poor perception had remained low for the past dozen or so years years because many agents had learned bad habits from having the industry teach the industry.
Not enough looking at it from the customer’s point of view, he said, pinpointing scripts and dialogues to outsmart clients in sales, along with "the controversial things in the industry like cold canvassing or vendor contributions." 
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Real estate agents less trustworthy than politicians: survey

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Stockdale &amp; Leggo has got expansionary plans with NSW agents and offices being approached by its chief, Peter Thomas.
It has been a major force in Victorian real estate since 1936.
With its strongest presence by far in Victoria, its 90 offices span the CBD, metropolitan areas and regional centres.  
<img src="/images/2016/07/27/Screen%20Shot%202016-07-27%20at%2010.53.26%20AM.png" alt="">
Stockdale &amp; Leggo have expanded beyond Victoria, to have offices in New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland.
It has recently employed Andrew Lane, as its NSW Franchise and Business Development Manager to further grow into NSW beyond its current Albury and Corowa offices.
Andrew, who went to school in the Albury district, has had over 20 years in the industry with the last seven being in similar corporate roles at Raine &amp; Horne and The Professionals.
"His experience and dedication will ensure Stockdale &amp; Leggo NSW offers not only an alternative when thinking about your future, but ensures it becomes your number one choice," Peter Thomas said.
"We’re constantly on the hunt for eager, ambitious operators keen to succeed alongside us," he said.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Stockdale and Leggo want NSW offices

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GUEST OBSERVER
An overhaul of education and training standards for the real estate profession must take place to help prevent illegal activities.
Trust account fraud, misleading and deceptive conduct, underquoting and a lack of knowledge about property and the laws relating to its transaction are simply unacceptable behaviours.
On the surface real estate sales and management appear to be very simple, however it is in reality a very complex and multilayered process that requires a high level of knowledge and diverse skills to carry it out in a professional manner.
Most people would expect that an agent has been properly trained and has the required qualifications to fulfil their obligations. The sad truth is that for the past 10 years the education standards delivery especially in NSW have been watered down and in the interest of increased competition abused by many course providers that are allowed to continue operating.
It actually requires more training to become a barista than a real estate agent.
You would expect an agent to understand how the property they are dealing with was built; its age; what the zoning is; if there are any easements, building or height restrictions; and what special conditions are in the contract, to name just a few issues.
Professional agents can answer all of these questions, but not every agent will be able to because of the low level of training in the industry.
The Real Estate Institute of New South Wales has been fighting for the past 10 years for better training and qualifications, and government cannot ignore the issue any longer.
Inadequate real estate agent training needs to be addressed to achieve better consumer experiences and outcomes. Both the NSW Government and NSW Fair Trading must act on our recommendations for reform.
Professional agents and consumers demand it, and now is the time to deliver it. 
John Cunningham is president of the REINSW and can be contacted <a href="https://www.reinsw.com.au/imis15_prod/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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