Login
iscover
A Victorian network has added two new regional offices in the third quarter of 2021, concentrating on expanding outside of metropolitan centres and adapting to the different needs of their regional teams.
OBrien Real Estate has welcomed its fourth and fifth regional offices into the fold, with new outposts opening in Wangaratta and Wonthaggi, bringing the rapidly growing network to a total of 32 locations.
With many metropolitan dwellers seeking tree changes outside of the city, this is part of a concerted push from OBrien to capitalise on the booming regional markets.
Peter Joyce and his team, who formerly operated a Stockdale & Leggo office, will represent the brand in Wangaratta in Victoria’s north-east.
Mr Joyce cited OBrien’s “learn it all, not know it all” ethos as a key attractor in prompting him to make the switch.
Meanwhile, OBrien Real Estate Judith Wright, which has been operating under the OBrien banner on Phillip Island since 2019, has expanded their venture, acquiring an established rent roll and team to bring the network to Wonthaggi in Gippsland.
According to OBrien, the company has been maintaining focus on their growth strategy despite the curveballs delivered by 2020. In August of last year, they teamed up with regional operator Peter Clark to lead their expansion, an effort that they report has already paid significant dividends and facilitated plans for even further growth.
Mr Clark, an industry veteran of over 20 years who operates out of Warragul and Drouin, intends to continue to push the company’s expansion forward, tackling the issues unique to regional markets with his seasoned expertise.
“The problems agents and agencies face in Regional Victoria are no different to those faced in metropolitan markets. The solutions to those problems, however, are often very different, and that is something that many groups have either failed to recognise or not spent the time to properly address for members,” Mr Clark noted.
According to Mr Clark, many brands suffer by making their resources too “metro-centric,” ignoring the fact that different offices have different needs.
“Our focus is not about trying to rewrite the rules, but simply to recognise that there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to real estate offices across such a vast and varied state, and to ensure that regional members are as resourced and supported as their fellow metro colleagues,” he said.
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.
Newsletter
