Professionals Real Estate 
Buoyed by a rising tide of activity in the Bunbury region of Western Australia, long-established real estate agency DAD Realty has joined the fast-growing Professionals network.
The agency, founded in 2003 by business partners Andrew Spokes and Darryl Helms to complement their former building arm, has been operating as an independent agency for almost two decades in the Bunbury suburb of Australind.
Mr Spokes said the move to join Professionals was in response to a major shift in the market which has benefited from large-scale drivers to the local economy over the past six months.
This includes the commissioning of the Kemerton lithium hydroxide conversion plant near Australind and the expansion of the Talison Lithium mine about 100km to the south-east at Greenbushes. The expansion is designed to meet forecast demand from the plant which is expected to create about 500 jobs during the construction phase.
“We’re in an area that’s growing at a fairly solid pace and, because we haven’t seen a great deal of increase in supply of housing over the past few years, we are experiencing really strong conditions at the moment,” said Mr Spokes.
“The market began the year exceptionally well with the first two months particularly strong. Sales rates were more than three times the average and that’s magnificent considering the phase the market has entered.”
Mr Spokes said by joining the Professionals network, DAD Realty could access the resources and support of one of Australia’s fastest-growing real estate groups.
“With the rapid growth we are experiencing, this will help our business continue to keep pace with the specific needs of the local market.”
Apart from the lithium-led recovery, Bunbury remains a major fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) hub for the WA mining industry, and also for the flourishing tourism sector led by the Margaret Rover wine region to the south.
“When I first started my career in Bunbury almost 30 years ago, this was a city of about 30,000 people, and now it’s heading towards 100,000,” said Mr Spokes.
“We’ve primed our business for the next phase of growth which is well and truly under way.”
Professionals Australind, trading as Professionals DAD Realty, will retain a staff of nine following the changeover. The team handles a full suite of real estate services, including commercial and residential sales and leasing, as well as property management.
The office officially opened on 2 April 2020.
