McGrath Real Estate Agents Opens In Port Macquarie

July 27, 2009 - PRLog -- Leading residential agency, McGrath Estate Agents, announces the opening of its 23rd office, based in Port Macquarie on the NSW North Coast. This office is the second McGrath office for the North Coast following the opening of McGrath Warners Bay in Lake Macquarie just 12 months ago.  

After a long history as a highly successful Sydney-based agency, McGrath has progressively expanded outside its traditional footprint with 25% of its office network now in coastal and country areas of the state.

John McGrath (http://www.johnmcgrathblog.com.au/), Chief Executive of McGrath, said it was the regional areas of NSW that were feeling the biggest impact of McGrath's state-of-the-art business operations.

"Our focus has always been to provide an elite level of customer service, marketing and sales results. We are now taking this service to regional areas where some agents are still taking photos themselves and handing out black and white photocopies of brochures. We're offering professional photography, full colour glossy printed brochures, podcast internet ads, SMS marketing, 8 x 4 signboards with night lights and a database of 30,000 buyers across the state. The reaction from locals to our technology and marketing power has been fantastic."  

Mr. McGrath described Port Macquarie as rapidly coming of age, from its roots as a primarily tourist town by the sea, to a powerhouse regional centre.

It continues to grow at a rapid pace with several new satellite towns, such as Sovereign Hill, popping up as its borders continue to swell due to the rising population. Sovereign Hill will comprise 5,000 new homes and will have its own CBD and post code.

"Port Macquarie is now a major regional centre yet you can still buy a family home for under $300,000 or a beautiful waterfront property for a fraction of what you would pay in Sydney," Mr. McGrath said.

"There's been a lot of development in Port Macquarie over the past 10 years, particularly in the CBD and beach areas where there are now several luxurious residential buildings including The Observatory, The Point, The Sandcastle, Focus and Watermark. Sale prices for apartments in these buildings often exceed $1 million."

Mr. McGrath adds, "Local real estate prices will no doubt rise steadily into the future particularly due to the impact of empty nesters. Port Macquarie is a much loved Australian holiday destination and I'm expecting tens of thousands of retirees to settle in this area over the next decade as the population continues to age."  

Principals Todd Bates and Greg Bates (brothers) have impressive track records in sales with 12 and 14 years industry experience respectively, previously at LJ Hooker and PRD Nationwide.

"We joined McGrath because of its prestigious brand, world-class marketing and internal support systems," Todd Bates said.

"We also believe McGrath's strong presence in Sydney will assist us in sourcing more buyers for our vendors properties, thereby raising sale prices significantly. For Sydneysiders, Port Macquarie is no longer a distant location. Highway access is excellent and the new jet airport provides the option of flying – and it's only a 30 minute trip."

McGrath Port Macquarie will commence operations with six staff, including three salespeople – Todd Bates (Principal), Greg Bates (Principal) and Sharon Ward. Property Management is handled by Terri Tipper. The office will service Port Macquarie CBD and surrounding suburbs such as Shelly Beach, Emerald Downs, Clifton and Hastings, as well as Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills, North Haven and Laurieton in the south; Lake Innes and Wauchope in the west; and North Shore in the north.

The office is located at Suite G1/147 Gordon Street, Port Macquarie. The phone number is (02) 6589 3777.

For more information please contact:
Peter Richards,
Head of Marketing,
McGrath Estate Agents,
http://www.mcgrath.com.au/
Tel: +61 (0)2 9386 3157
Fax: +61 (0)2 9386 3344