Professionals Real Estate 
Leading Adelaide agencies join network
Two of South Australia’s largest LJ Hooker offices have switched to Professionals Real Estate Group, in a move inspired by a post-pandemic business review to set them up for future growth.
The Adelaide-based agencies – LJ Hooker Salisbury in the city’s north and LJ Hooker Fleurieu at Aldinga and Seaford in the south – have operated for decades under the Hooker banner.
Their decision to join Professionals coincided with both agency principals – Daren Morris of the new Professionals Salisbury and John McGarry of Professionals Aldinga Seaford – reviewing their business after a long-run of success in their respective markets.
“COVID has caused us to look at a lot of things differently, including our business, and that has driven my decision to join Professionals,” said Mr McGarry.
“We’ve had a really long-term connection with the Hooker brand, but it just came time for us to look at what we were doing and where we were heading going forward.”
Mr McGarry’s office was started by his father-in-law in 1979, and the rebranding to Professionals will mark the end of its 42-year connection with the Hooker brand. Mr McGarry acquired the office 22 years ago and he concedes he has never looked to change until now.
“I was quite happy where I was at, but it’s only on the back of COVID that we started looking at aspects of our business – and one thing led to another,” said Mr McGarry.
“We’ve been reasonably successful for a long period of time, but under the franchise model you tend to pay for success. We were drawn to the Professionals because of their not-for-profit network structure.”
Mr Morris came to a similar crossroad with his busy agency at Salisbury, which has been a consistent performer for the past 23 years in a market that is driven by first-home buyers and investors.
“We have always had a great deal of market activity in our area in both sales and rentals, no matter what the conditions,” said Mr Morris.
“As one of the top offices in Adelaide for LJ Hooker, we are definitely going out on a high and with a clear vision, and that’s probably the best time to look at any change.
“The biggest issue for me was the franchise model and how relevant that was to our business today. LJ Hooker has been great in getting my business to where it is today, but the franchise model inherently penalises offices that do well.”
Professionals Salisbury, located at 74 Park Terrace in the central business district of Salisbury, has a team of 15 in property sales and management servicing areas as far as Para Hills.
Mr Morris could have opted to become an independent, but he decided a change to Professionals was the best way forward.
“As an independent you will need at least five years to create your own brand and build trust, whereas Professionals is a widely recognised brand.
“The move will definitely help our bottom line, but at the same time it allows me to be more locally focused with our marketing and that will help our vendors get better prices for their homes. This also allows me to support my team and give more back to the community which is something we’re passionate about.”
Professionals Aldinga Seaford, formerly LJ Hooker Fleurieu, will operate from its existing two offices, at 80 Aldinga Beach Road in Aldinga and at 3/1 Main Street in Seaford.
With two offices, Mr McGarry is looking froward to a more localised approach to marketing afforded by the Professionals network.
“I have only good things to say about LJ Hooker from my experience, but from a purely business point of view, as a Professionals office, I can reinvest money from my business back into my local market, into the community through sponsorships and the like,” said Mr McGarry. “That’s hugely important for us to grow the business further.”
Professionals Aldinga Seaford has a team of 12 across its two offices with plans to grow this number further under the Professionals banner.
The Professionals real estate network operates on a lower-cost membership system rather than a franchise, while still providing members with a comprehensive suite of tools and support services for their businesses. Established more than 40 years ago in Queensland, Professionals have expanded Into New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, and now boasts a network that comprises more than 225 offices.
Professionals Aldinga Seaford will officially open on July 12. Professionals Salisbury will begin trading on July 1.
