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Focused on growing its efforts in Adelaide’s commercial property market, the real estate firm has made three new additions and an internal promotion.
Elevating Max Frohlich to partner, head of capital markets South Australia, the team will also include three new roles, all filled by professionals formerly of Savills.
Chet Al has been appointed partner, head of investment sales, South Australia; Ryan Mills has joined as partner, South Australia, institutional sales; and Chris Clemente serves as sales executive, investment sales.
Frohlich started his career with Knight Frank, returning to the firm two years ago to focus on institutional sales. He has a strong relationship with the three new joiners, who boast a reputation in Adelaide’s property industry as high performing agents.
Al comes to the company with 14 years of experience in commercial property, having worked at McGees prior to Savills, along with other major real estate agencies. Mills has been in the industry for 13 years, having worked at Colliers prior to Savills. Clemente, who also worked at Colliers prior to Savills, has been working in Adelaide’s market for the past five years.
Knight Frank’s managing director for South Australia, Bobbette Scott, expressed her confidence that the three newcomers would thrive in the team led by Frohlich, with a wealth of experience between them to propel their success.
“Their appointments, in addition to Max’s promotion, means Knight Frank now has one of the most senior, dynamic and sophisticated Capital Markets teams in the city,” she said.
“Both Ryan and Max have come from a valuations background, giving them a wider depth of knowledge, while Max also has experience working on the client side, and Chet is well-known for his ability to build exceptionally strong client relationships,” Scott said.
Frohlich reiterated her confidence in the new hires, noting that he had firsthand experience of working with Al and Mills.
“This experience includes Ryan and me initiating a $98 million off-market transaction for a distribution centre in Adelaide’s outer north when I was working at Realmont Property Partners in Sydney, and working with Chet on a $4.35 million multitenanted medical facility deal Chet sold to Leyton Property following my return to Adelaide,” he detailed.
He felt the market was poised to support the new team, with significant momentum already bolstering the city’s commercial prospects.
“In the calendar year to date there has been over $1 billion of office, retail and industrial transactions above $5 million, up more than 95 per cent from around $460 million this time last year, and excluding several significant sales expected to settle imminently.
“While transaction volumes have decelerated substantially at a fund/institutional level, Knight Frank has experienced increased interest from private investors.
“This is not only mandates of active or known local private high-net-worth investors, but a number of alternative groups seeking exposure to real estate in South Australia, including interstate family offices and corporates looking to diversify, with parties still willing to acquire premium assets at yields below current debt costs,” Frohlich noted.
He said the team would be focused on targeting the right audience, qualifying the purchaser’s capital structure, and pitching the asset as a perfect fit for their mandate.
“Strengthened by the new team, our track record, 100 per cent unwavering commitment, technical experience and ability to leverage relationships will ensure Knight Frank’s capital markets team is well-placed to capture more than our fair share of Adelaide’s growing market share,” Frohlich added.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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