Mark Wizel and Simon Rooney in collaborative $75 million plus listings stoush

Mark Wizel and Simon Rooney in collaborative $75 million plus listings stoush
Jonathan ChancellorDecember 7, 2020

CBRE's hiring of one of the country’s top-billing agents, Simon Rooney, from rival JLL, has caused turmoil in its Melbourne office.

CBRE has reportedly drafted rules that ensures Rooney gets the trophy listings priced at more than $75 million in any of its state offices.

"This is apparently causing the biggest stir in Melbourne," a Nine Entertainment website has reported, in a highly unusual gossipy foray into the world of commercial property sales.

"The team led by indefatigable upstart Mark Wizel has been barred from competing for listings valued over $75 million," the article in The Age suggested.

The website advised "fireworks inside CBRE’s offices" had been expected ever since the CBRE announced it had secured one of the country’s top-billing agents, Simon Rooney, from JLL.

It added Rooney was unchallenged when inside JLL. 

He started at CBRE on August 1, after offers from rival groups, including Cushman & Wakefield, becoming executive managing director, retail investments at CBRE.

Wizel's title was CBRE's National Director of Retail Investments. Wizel (top) claims to be "a household name" in his linked profile.

Rooney's last listing as JLL’s Head of Retail Investments was being exclusively appointed on behalf of the Dexus Wholesale Property Fund (DWPF) to sell a 100% freehold interest in Beenleigh Marketplace in Brisbane.

Rooney left Jones Lang LaSalle after a 25-year stint in which he dominated the retail property sector brokering $20 billion in property deals over the past decade.

He was a top earner for JLL locally and ranked in its top three globally.

Wizel reportedly didn’t respond to calls from Nine Entertainment and a CBRE head office spokeswoman advised he was working "collaboratively" with the rest of retail team, including Wizel.

As rivals the two have worked together on listings in the past including the landmark Brand Smart Premium Outlet Centre in Nunawading.

Meanwhile residential developer ID Land is has listed the Truganina Central Shopping Centre development site in Melbourne’s west through CBRE’s Justin Dowers, Mark Wizel and Kevin Tong.

It is being marketed as representing the first Melbourne metropolitan shopping centre site offering for 2019.

The 2.2ha master planned site is earmarked for a full-line Coles supermarket and a range of specialty shops with commercial facilities, providing a total lettable area of 7,390 sqm. 

Jonathan Chancellor

Jonathan Chancellor is one of Australia's most respected property journalists, having been at the top of the game since the early 1980s. Jonathan co-founded the property industry website Property Observer and has written for national and international publications.

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