Cohen Handler and Calibre Real Estate rank high in Smart50 Awards
Cohen Handler and Calibre Real Estate have taken out top awards in the Smart Company’s 2014 Smart50 ranking, a yearly awards event for the fastest growing businesses.
Buyer’s agency Cohen Handler ranked fifth, with $2.9 million revenue and 152% growth, a stellar result after being created in 2010 by young founders Ben Handler, 30, and Simon Cohen, 29.
Now with 27 employees, Handler told Smart Company that the uncertainty of challenges keeps the adrenalin running 24/7, and said that they tapped into the underserviced buyers’ market – where they saw consumers lacking representation in real estate transactions.
The next step for the New South Wales based company is to get to an aggressive scale on a national level, looking to undertake high level B2B partnerships and leverage off Australia-wide leads and customers.
Meanwhile, ranked 37th, Brisbane-based real estate agency Calibre Real Estate secured more than $2.2 million of revenue, reporting 63.29% growth. Founded in 2009, the husband and wife team in their early 30s, Alice and Justin Hagen, have built a company with 26 employees. Alice handles the property management side, while Justin handles the sales.
While Brisbane’s market has been volatile, the company has come close to doubling its revenue since their appearance in last year’s Smart50.
Just last year, Calibre opened a marketing office in China, and have plans to further extend internationally, said Justin Hagen.
“Our short-term objective is to expand further into the overseas and interstate market wanting to invest in Queensland properties,” he told Smart Company.
“Our vision is to have eight offices throughout south-east Queensland within three to five years by retaining part ownership of each office.”
They also use value-add techniques, including their own interior design and home staging business.
The Hagens also plan to offer value-added incentives to customers, including launching their own interior design and home staging businesses.
Smart Company is a sister publication to Property Observer in the Private Media suite of publications.