Hockingstuart becomes Belle Poperty

In what has become Australia’s largest known consolidation of agencies, Melbourne real estate heavyweight Hockingstuart has merged with Sydney-based agency Belle Property. The two companies began joint operation in late 2019, with 21 Hockingstuart offices now operating under the Belle Property brand, including their Albert Park and South Melbourne agencies. While the Hockingstuart brand will continue to operate in several locations across Victoria, director of Belle Property Sandringham Jenny Dwyer said the decision to operate under the Belle Property brand in the Bayside and inner Melbourne region would offer great opportunities for local clients. “Belle Property has a national reach of more than 120 offices across the eastern seaboard of Australia. Plus, international connections through Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, which is a global property platform,” Ms Dwyer said. “This means we are now uniquely positioned to use this extensive network to sell homes for more – not to mention connecting buyers to property all over the country and abroad.” The merger marks Belle Property’s induction as one of only three truly national agencies alongside Ray White and LJ Hooker. Despite combining more than 40 Victorian offices and 600 employees, no redundancies are expected. Belle Property and Hockingstuart CEO, Peter Hanscomb, said the Bayside area was a lifestyle market with unique opportunities for buyers and sellers and aligns strongly with the premium brand of Belle Property. “We know the experienced teams in Albert Park, Brighton, Sandringham, St Kilda, Bentleigh and Caulfield will continue to service the community with dedication and professionalism to achieve superior results,” Mr Hanscomb said. Belle Property was founded in 2000 in alignment with Belle lifestyle magazine, then re-launched in 2007 which saw the agency grow to more than 80 offices operating across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Speaking with The Australian Financial Review last year, Mr Hanscomb said Belle Property’s migration to Victoria was inevitable. “We have had our sights on Victoria, but as a mature and sophisticated market, we needed to ensure we aligned with the right brand. Hockingstuart are a well-respected agency with a long tradition in the core premium markets in Victoria, and it’s a brand of astounding innovation with many ‘firsts’ under its belt,” Mr Hanscomb said. As part of the merger, and in conjunction with existing partner and lifestyle publisher Sitchu, Hockingstuart and Belle Property have also launched a refreshed property magazine, Sitchu Living. “Sitchu Living is a lifestyle-focused property magazine that includes editorial content as well as property listings from across Belle Property, Hockingstuart and Luxury Portfolio – our network’s international property partner. Sitchu Living is a unique way to advertise property and promote local suburbs and businesses,” he said. The Albert Park, Brighton, Sandringham, St Kilda, Bentleigh and Caulfield offices will all remain under the leadership of their longstanding directors. Their respective teams of agents and property managers remain unchanged • For more information: belleproperty.com.au