In profile: Knight Frank's retail investment sales executive, Andrew Palmer

In profile: Knight Frank's retail investment sales executive, Andrew Palmer
Jessie RichardsonDecember 7, 2020

Agent: Andrew Palmer

Company: Knight Frank

Position: Retail investment sales executive

Office location: Sydney

How long have you been in the industry?

I’ve been in the property industry for five years. I firstly worked at a valuation firm before moving into commercial sales in the Sydney CBD and then moved into retail investment sales.

What’s happening in the area you specialise in?

The retail sales sector is extremely busy at the moment. Firstly, there has been increased activity in bulky goods and warehouse style retailing such as COSCO, IKEA, Masters and Bunnings. There has also been a large emphasis on investment into non-discretionary, retail anchored centres due to the strong long-term performance of this asset class.

There has also been significant capital investment from offshore groups, who continue to see Australia as a safe haven. Grocery retailing is also becoming increasingly competitive with new store concepts rapidly developing.

Describe the most interesting property you have sold?

80-82 Pitt Street, owned by QBE Insurance, was the most interesting property I have sold.

Originally constructed in 1940, the landmark 15 level art deco building has been the Sydney headquarters of QBE (or its predecessors) since 1946, and maintenance had  been undertaken on an, “as needs basis”. Situated in the heart of the Sydney CBD, we sold to the property to a private Hong Kong investor for $46.5 million.

What are the ingredients to being successful in your job?

I believe to be successful you need to have the drive to achieve results, persistence and passion. Being approachable and genuine is also key in an industry where trust is paramount – I’m very focused on building this trust with all my clients.

What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most?

There are two main aspects of my role which I really enjoy.

Firstly, I enjoy meeting the challenges and hurdles to achieve a successful sale through thinking outside the box to solve problems.

Also, property is my passion so being able to work on different properties all over NSW allows me to constantly learn and develop my knowledge of retail property.

Where would you invest a spare $750,000?

A small scale retail development such a child care centre.

Which football team do you support?

West Tigers in the NRL and the Waratahs in the Super Rugby

What’s your favourite app or techno gadget?

My iPhone – there’s an app for just about everything and it certainly keeps me organised!

How do you use social media?

I use LinkedIn mainly to stay in touch with industry associates and clients.

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