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REB can reveal a Michael Coombs is teaming up with the former general manager of The Agency Victoria to take on the franchise rights and reins of Atlas Lower North Shore and Atlas Byron Bay.
Michael Coombs and experienced executive Peter Kakos have secured the franchise rights of both offices, which Mr Coombs has described as “the next logical step” following LJ Hooker’s announcement late last year that the Atlas brand would be making a move into the franchising space. He himself was a founding partner of Atlas, which was first established in 2021.
“The business is personally exciting for me, and being backed by such an experienced and innovative company in the LJ Hooker Group made this opportunity a very natural decision,” Mr Coombs shared.
From his position, having Mr Kakos as his business partner and the managing director of both Atlas Lower North Shore and Atlas Byron Bay “made it even more appealing”.
Mr Kakos divulged that he and Mr Coombs, having worked together previously, “have always spoken about creating a business where we can aspire for our team and clients to have meaningful and fulfilling lives, and we look forward to doing just that at Atlas.”
The executive, who has done stints with both companies, said in any business partnership, it’s of “utmost importance” to have a shared vision, complementary skill sets, and “solid values and principles.”
He said of Mr Coombs that “this sentiment strongly aligns us.”
All current agent teams and property managers are set to remain with the offices, with Mr Coombs reflecting on the “high-performance” group, sharing, “for most of us, we’ve been working together for years. We have great camaraderie and a commitment to Atlas. I’m looking forward to creating our future together.”
With a laser focus on growth, there will also be a significant focus on team wellbeing, with a significant investment in mentoring, mindset, health, and fitness to come under Mr Coombs’ and Mr Kakos’ helm.
The pair have expressed confidence that they will be able to grow significantly and still maintain this balance.
Having acknowledged his previous foray into the Byron Bay marketplace, he said that this was because he was referring many of his Sydney clients to the area.
“It’s similar to Atlas’ connection to the LJ Hooker network, where I can refer leads and vice versa.
Mr Kakos has also alluded to future growth plans, sharing that they plan on “adding to the key suburbs we already operate in.”
Weighing in on the news, LJ Hooker Group CEO Christine Mikhael said having had Mr Coombs as an Atlas founding partner and now as a franchise owner with two offices is a sign of the strength and success of the relationship.
“I couldn't think of two more experienced business minds to take these offices forward,” she shared.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to build on Atlas and how we can benefit clients with our global thinking and local expertise.”
For Atlas’ head of network, Nick Georges, it’s a “pivotal moment” for the brand.
“Mike is one of the country’s top agents and he has built a formidable team and culture within the Atlas Lower North Shore and Byron offices.”
“Peter brings a wealth of industry knowledge and will be able to drive office growth as he’s led some of the best-performing agents and brands in the country,” he continued.
Mr Coombs and Mr Kakos join Jarrod Perry as office owners under the Atlas umbrella.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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