Launch of Branchise Model
By Brad Caldwell-Eyles | 19-11-15
Published in Elite Agent Magazine
Written by Brad Caldwell-Eyles (Principal & Co-Founder of 1ST CITY Hasemer + Caldwell.Eyles)
The highly respected agency operating in Sydney’s eastern suburbs first traded as First City Realty in 1998. The business was successfully run by Julian Hasemer from Jersey Rd, Woollahra and essentially focused upon sales of luxury apartment developments. In 2009 Julian joined forces with former Raine & Horne high-achiever, Brad Caldwell-Eyles, to create 1ST CITY Hasemer + Caldwell.Eyles trading from Transvaal Ave, Double Bay. The new partnership quickly grew in terms of volume of sales; breadth of properties represented (now encompassing houses, established apartments, development sites and new strata residences) and staff numbers. According to the major data sources – 1ST CITY Hasemer + Caldwell.Eyles established its’ position in the top 10% of all agencies across Sydney’s east.
A second office was opened in Transvaal Ave to accommodate an off-plan development display suite and the expanding commercial and property management departments.
After a year of planning; consultation and recruitment – a new look brand for the 1ST CITY Group and a comprehensive, dynamic and responsive web site have been launched to coincide with the announcement of 1ST CITY’s first “Branchise” office. This new office has opened upon the corner of Holdsworth St and Jersey Rd, Woollahra (above the famous Flat White Cafe and across the street from the historic Lord Dudley Hotel) and will be named 1ST CITY Anderson + Doak. The new 1ST CITY partners and Woollahra/Paddington principals are John Anderson (formerly of Di Jones) and Simon Doak (formerly of McGrath). Both Anderson and Doak enjoy tremendous reputations as genuine performers with years of success in the Woollahra/Paddington locale (and beyond). Julian Hasemer conveyed “we are tremendously proud of our brand. We maintain an enviable level of respect as trusted professionals both within the industry and most importantly across the buying and selling market at large”. Brad Caldwell-Eyles added “our new look is sharp and our website is certainly worth the months of effort and expense. It is intended to become a ‘go to’ site for all property consumers and yet remains dynamic in terms of ongoing evolution”.
The new 1ST CITY “Branchise” model is designed to attract performing agents who are currently stuck in “professional limbo”. Caldwell-Eyles outlined “there are excellent agents operating without equity in their current agency arrangements. They are unsure of how to make the next move. To open their own office means a protracted period of pipeline downtime associated with set up logistics – not to mention the high level of expense. Once running – their new brand may take some time to gain traction and they need to also attend to the ongoing administration and compliance of the fledgling business. In the case of John and Simon – firstly they fit the 1ST CITY culture and both write excellent and ‘clean’ business. We have virtually handed them a turn-key new office and then our administration department operates the bulk of their back-end systems including property management. John and Simon and their team are able to hit the ground running and commence listing and selling from Day 1. All the while – we remain their business partners in 1ST CITY Anderson + Doak.
We leverage from their reputations and experience and they benefit from having terrific equity; reduced exposure to set up costs; vastly more efficient operational procedures and management support – all under our quality brand”. Hasemer continued “we have already secured the first partner for our next “Branchise” and are actively seeking further approaches from successful agents looking to take that next step in their careers and gain equity in their own office. Over the next two years, we will look to focus on opening new “Branchises” in quality locations within a 15km radius of Double Bay. We will thereafter expand our scope of reach. Due to our central administration hub and cloud technology, each new office can operate at vastly improved efficiency via reduced duplication of rolls and smooth and tested systems. Simply put – overheads for each office are kept low”. Hasemer and Caldwell-Eyles agreed that their first 6 years as partners have been outstanding.
One of their main criteria for new equity partners is ‘cultural fit’ to ensure each future partnership arrangement can be as successful as their own. “Julian and I have worked really hard and, we believe, smart. We are launching this next phase of our business from terrific foundations and are extremely excited with all the future has in stall for us and the 1ST CITY team”, said Caldwell-Eyles.
Written by Brad Caldwell-Eyles (Principal & Co-Founder of 1ST CITY Hasemer + Caldwell.Eyles)
The highly respected agency operating in Sydney’s eastern suburbs first traded as First City Realty in 1998. The business was successfully run by Julian Hasemer from Jersey Rd, Woollahra and essentially focused upon sales of luxury apartment developments. In 2009 Julian joined forces with former Raine & Horne high-achiever, Brad Caldwell-Eyles, to create 1ST CITY Hasemer + Caldwell.Eyles trading from Transvaal Ave, Double Bay. The new partnership quickly grew in terms of volume of sales; breadth of properties represented (now encompassing houses, established apartments, development sites and new strata residences) and staff numbers. According to the major data sources – 1ST CITY Hasemer + Caldwell.Eyles established its’ position in the top 10% of all agencies across Sydney’s east.
A second office was opened in Transvaal Ave to accommodate an off-plan development display suite and the expanding commercial and property management departments.
After a year of planning; consultation and recruitment – a new look brand for the 1ST CITY Group and a comprehensive, dynamic and responsive web site have been launched to coincide with the announcement of 1ST CITY’s first “Branchise” office. This new office has opened upon the corner of Holdsworth St and Jersey Rd, Woollahra (above the famous Flat White Cafe and across the street from the historic Lord Dudley Hotel) and will be named 1ST CITY Anderson + Doak. The new 1ST CITY partners and Woollahra/Paddington principals are John Anderson (formerly of Di Jones) and Simon Doak (formerly of McGrath). Both Anderson and Doak enjoy tremendous reputations as genuine performers with years of success in the Woollahra/Paddington locale (and beyond). Julian Hasemer conveyed “we are tremendously proud of our brand. We maintain an enviable level of respect as trusted professionals both within the industry and most importantly across the buying and selling market at large”. Brad Caldwell-Eyles added “our new look is sharp and our website is certainly worth the months of effort and expense. It is intended to become a ‘go to’ site for all property consumers and yet remains dynamic in terms of ongoing evolution”.
The new 1ST CITY “Branchise” model is designed to attract performing agents who are currently stuck in “professional limbo”. Caldwell-Eyles outlined “there are excellent agents operating without equity in their current agency arrangements. They are unsure of how to make the next move. To open their own office means a protracted period of pipeline downtime associated with set up logistics – not to mention the high level of expense. Once running – their new brand may take some time to gain traction and they need to also attend to the ongoing administration and compliance of the fledgling business. In the case of John and Simon – firstly they fit the 1ST CITY culture and both write excellent and ‘clean’ business. We have virtually handed them a turn-key new office and then our administration department operates the bulk of their back-end systems including property management. John and Simon and their team are able to hit the ground running and commence listing and selling from Day 1. All the while – we remain their business partners in 1ST CITY Anderson + Doak.
We leverage from their reputations and experience and they benefit from having terrific equity; reduced exposure to set up costs; vastly more efficient operational procedures and management support – all under our quality brand”. Hasemer continued “we have already secured the first partner for our next “Branchise” and are actively seeking further approaches from successful agents looking to take that next step in their careers and gain equity in their own office. Over the next two years, we will look to focus on opening new “Branchises” in quality locations within a 15km radius of Double Bay. We will thereafter expand our scope of reach. Due to our central administration hub and cloud technology, each new office can operate at vastly improved efficiency via reduced duplication of rolls and smooth and tested systems. Simply put – overheads for each office are kept low”. Hasemer and Caldwell-Eyles agreed that their first 6 years as partners have been outstanding.
One of their main criteria for new equity partners is ‘cultural fit’ to ensure each future partnership arrangement can be as successful as their own. “Julian and I have worked really hard and, we believe, smart. We are launching this next phase of our business from terrific foundations and are extremely excited with all the future has in stall for us and the 1ST CITY team”, said Caldwell-Eyles.