Press Release

April 4, 2010

REOL HAS CHOSEN THE ROCKET FOR THEIR BASE LOCATION

A Gold Coast City property figure whose Burleigh agency has earned industry plaudits is poised to roll out a chain of franchise offices and has chosen CBDRobina's first office tower, The Rocket, as his base.

Michael Mahon, whose REOL agency was last year named a national winner in the Small Business Champion awards, has taken a five-year lease with options on a 195 square metre space in the building, CBDRobina's premier corporate address.

The space, on level nine of the $110 million, 16-level tower, is undergoing fitout and will serve as the national headquarters of Mr Mahon's newly established franchisor REOL International.

REOL International is at present in discussions for the opening of a number of franchise offices and has Coolangatta and Robina firmly in its sights.

Mr Mahon's expansion plans also include the establishment of an office at Palm Beach that he will operate in his own right.

The office, at 10 Fifth Avenue is undergoing fitout and is scheduled to open on April 27 with seven staff, a team that is expected to expand to 15 by year's end.

REOL is a relative newcomer to the Gold Coast City property market.

Launched in 2005 and housed in premises at the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade, the agency was voted best on the Gold Coast the following year by Gold Coast Bulletin readers. 

The office quickly gained a reputation for innovative marketing and in 2007 moved to larger offices at 10 West Street where it now employs 26 staff.

REOL was listed by BRW in 2008 and 2009 among its Top 100 Fast Starters Australiawide.

Mr Mahon said most of his founding staff remained with the agency whose success was due to a business model that takes advantage of modern technology and includes innovative remuneration and training components.

"Our positioning is now such we are engineering an expansion strategy that will see numerous REOL-branded offices launched within the next 12 months with accelerated growth planned beyond that," he said.

Mr Mahon said  the REOL business model was underpinned by 'a suite of innovations' including support technology developed inhouse, a staff recruitment and retention program, a training and development program, and high-impact, cost-effective marketing that included an inhouse publication and a production crew for television advertising and property video-tours.

"Our franchise business model imposes no territory constraints and our tools help our franchisees and their staff to achieve optimal results," he said.

Mr Mahon said he had chosen the franchise path because of the strengths of the REOL business model, the reputation of the brand and the opportunity franchising offered for continued growth.

"Our franchise model is quite different to that offered by other real estate industry franchisors and has considerable appeal to established operators, and new industry entrants," he said.

"We are experiencing an enthusiastic response from real estate professionals looking to partner with the REOL brand.''

Mr Mahon said he had chosen The Rocket for the REOL International head office due to the outstanding quality of the building and its central Gold Coast City location.

"These attributes stood out as providing a strong alignment with our vision, the quality and reputation of the REOL brand and our plans for growth," he said.

The office will house REOL TV, training, human resources and recruitment, franchisee liaison and corporate management personnel.

It will house 12 staff and is scheduled to open in mid-May.

Hylton Slater, General Manager of Robina Projects Australia which developed The Rocket, said REOL International's decision to make the tower its headquarters was `a resounding endorsement of the building's outstanding attributes from a businessman with an impressive business model, a grand vision and the commitment to make it happen'. 

"RPA's vision in developing The Rocket was to bring into existence an office building second to none on the Gold Coast in a CBD location whose attributes in terms of access and ambience were unparalleled," he said.

"REOL International's decision to make the tower its headquarters, is a clear  indication that we have achieved our aim, as have been the decisions of all other businesses that have chosen to call The Rocket home.''

The Rocket fronts Lake Lido at the corner of Laver Drive and Robina Town Centre Drive.

It provides 11,000 square metres of office space above an 1800 square metre retail precinct and has basement parking for more than 400 vehicles.  

With The Wharf, two eight-level buildings sharing 73 apartments and five ground-level commercial spaces, it forms a new CBDRobina waterfront lifestyle precinct.

The Wharf's commercial spaces are designed for enterprises servicing the needs of businesses in The Rocket and other CBDRobina office buildings.

The Rocket's office spaces range from 90 square metres to whole floorplates of 790 square metres, while its retail precinct spaces range from 88 square metres to 265 square metres.

The Rocket and The Wharf's commercial spaces are being marketed by Marcus Weld, of Robina Marketing Australia.

"The Rocket has been a standout feature of the Robina skyline since its completion at the end of December and continues to generate outstanding inquiry," said Mr Weld.

"Its iconic lines and presentation complement a prime waterfront location and appealing workspaces, most of which offer panoramic views of the city and the hinterland.

"Negotiations are in progress with a number of parties for tenancies in the tower, whose future as CBDRobina's premier corporate address continues to unfold.''  

Download article as it appeared in Gold Coast Bulletin