National real estate group The Agency has continued its expansion in Queensland, launching an office in Rockhampton.
Top agents in Rockhampton and Yeppoon such as Todd Brandon, Wes Smuts, Adam Cook, Anna McPherson, Katrina Schneider, Damion Ramsay and their teams are the latest agents to join The Agency.
The Agency has expanded into six states and territories in the past six years.
The Agency Chief Executive Officer Geoff Lucas confirmed the move into Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast was to raise the stakes in the beef capital and surrounding areas, and make further gains toward a national stronghold.
“Our northernmost move into Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast means our East Coast network strengthens from the Beef Capital down to The Apple Isle in Tasmania,” Mr Lucas said.
“It’s our objective to have a stronger local presence not only in our capital cities, but also in our regional powerhouses, to better service our clients at the local and national level.”
The new office follows the appointment of former REA Group executive Steve Carroll as the general manager of sales for Queensland and top agent Craig Caughlan joining The Agency on the Gold Coast.
Mr Lucas noted there had been strong net migration to Queensland in the past two years and that was likely to continue.
“Since the pandemic, we have seen interest in Queensland accelerate at a rate that has never been seen before with people from Victoria and New South Wales looking for lifestyle change opportunities or to be closer to friends and family,” he said.
The gross regional product (GRP) in the Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton Region was estimated to be $7.066 billion in 2020-21, an increase of 3.8 per cent from the previous year.
“The Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton’s thriving economy feed well into our network that already services the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Toowoomba,” Mr Lucas said.
“Rockhampton was the next logical step for The Agency and we were excited when the opportunity arose to enter the marketplace.”
Rockhampton’s Principal Agent Todd Brandon said after 15 years successfully servicing the local area, he was looking for the right partner to take his services to the next level and believed joining The Agency’s national network would help facilitate that.
Having achieved $126 million in listings in 2022 already, the sales teams will bring across 10 sales agents and support staff to The Agency, where they will further build on their achievements.
“We saw the benefits of this unique structure which allows us to be part of a national network at the local level,” Mr Brandon said.
“Joining The Agency means we can further our reach and operate across the entire region. Clients can buy or sell their homes, or have us take care of their investment property, from anywhere within the region, or anywhere across Australia for that matter.
“I’m excited by this opportunity to provide our clients with the same outstanding customer service, yet with the added benefits of having all of their property needs met, in any location, across Australia, all under the one national, premium brand.”
Advance Rockhampton Executive Manager Greg Bowden welcomed The Agency’s investment in the region and said having the national brand in the local market demonstrated Rockhampton’s economic position and market strength.
“It continues to prove that regional Queensland and especially Central Queensland has the capacity to be one of the main economic drivers for Australia’s economy,” he said.
“Rockhampton is certainly on the country’s radar, and is positioned well to continue making its mark as an economic heavyweight.”
