A new office in the Tablelands marks Albi Homann’s third office under the LJ Hooker banner.
The new LJ Hooker Mareeba office joins its established affiliates LJ Hooker Atherton and LJ Hooker Malanda in servicing buyers across Far North Queensland.
According to a statement from the LJ Hooker Group, it shores up the brand’s profile across the Tablelands’ three biggest townships.
For Homann, it allows his team to provide greater coverage for sellers and investors living and working across the region, especially given the distinct clientele across the markets.
“In Atherton, a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house will comfortably sell between $550,000–$600,000, while the same home in Mareeba would fetch in the low $500,000s,” Homann revealed.
Explaining his decision to open a third outpost, the business owner said “while they’re only 20-minute drive from each other, being on the ground means a lot in regional communities and we’ll be able to provide more immediate and better service to Mareeba sellers and buyers as a result”.
The new agency opening follows a strong period of growth for the business since the leader bought into the network three years ago, now boasting 350 properties under management – a far cry from the 80-strong rent roll he began with.
And as the offices expand even more, he’s confident their service standards “will stay the same”, thanks to the technology and support he has behind them.
With the Mareeba office up and running, it comes just in time for the “annual migration” by southerners to escape Victoria and southern NSW. For Homann, this period represents the peak selling period in the area.
“People fall in love with the area when they visit and often want to buy a piece of it once they return home and do the sums,” he said.
“You can buy a nice home in the high $600,000s and rent it out for $700–$750 per week in a market where there’s a very low vacancy rate.”
He also noted a strong contingent of interstate investors in the area – a lot of which was driven by COVID-19.
“We’re a rural lifestyle where you can combine town and acreage living with some of the best recreational lake activities you could find anywhere in Australia.”
Commending Homann’s ability to add a third office under his belt, LJ Hooker general manager of network Stephen Mutton welcomed the growth, stating: “LJ Hooker Atherton has grown from strength to strength under Albi’s leadership.”
“He’s placed the business in an excellent position for expansion,” he remarked.
“We’re proud to support Albi and scores of other business owners to make their expansion goals a reality.”
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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.