description
As Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker said
“Real Estate is not about houses, it’s about people.”
Les Hooker opened the first office of L.J. Hooker on
Maroubra Road, Maroubra Sydney in 1928. In those early
days Les Hooker spent his time much like L.J. Hooker
agents do today – meeting people, talking to them,
developing relationships and gaining trust.
Like many businesses during the Depression years, L.J.
Hooker faced collapse, but like many great
entrepreneurs, Les turned problems into opportunities.
With money at a minimum during those years, Les Hooker
set about developing a state of the art promotional
system to maximise the impact of signboards, giving
birth to the now famous Red and Yellow colours.
Les Hooker was always a great believer in signboards, so
I am sure he would be impressed with the new L.J. Hooker
“Is this Your New Home” boards, which maintain his red
and yellow colour combination.
By the mid-1930’s Les had grown his business and
established a name synonymous with honesty and integrity
in real estate. It was time to take the next step, and
that meant opening the first city office of L.J. Hooker
at 12 O’Connell Street, Sydney in 1935 – not only
becoming a tenant of this prestigious building, but also
it’s managing agent!
Hard work was never an issue with Les and his business
associates – who in those early days were mostly close
friends like Heck Adams, who had worked with him since
Day One. In 1936 the business had expanded into
Kensington, Kingsford and Randwick. By 1938 the company
was in the position to purchase H.L. Cross & Co. and
relocated to the heart of the city on the corner of
Martin Place and Pitt Street – albeit the basement of
that exceptional address! This was an historic time for
the business as Les and his team started to “break into
Sydney”, working late into the night on so many
occasions that their office became known as the “Light
House” in Pitt Street.
After the Depression came the war, leaving Les with just
a skeleton staff, but the business went on. By the end
of the war L.J. Hooker Limited was ready to be floated
on the Stock Exchange. The company was successfully
floated on 1 July 1947, paying dividends of up to 25%.
By 1956 the dividend had risen to 50%.
With the establishment of L.J. Hooker Investment
Corporation Limited in 1958 the company moved into areas
including hotel and leisure, land and building trusts,
pastoral holdings and housing and land subdivision,
however this didn’t distract Les from his roots in
agency real estate. During this time the agency division
progressively grew across Australia, completing the
national network with the opening of an office in Perth
in 1960.
Ever the innovator Les was the first to introduce the
concept of real estate franchising into Australia with
the opening of the company’s first franchise offices in
Bankstown, Miranda and Newport in 1968. We can only
wonder what Les would think of the 700 franchise offices
that bear his name today.
Les Hooker became Sir Leslie Hooker in 1973 for his
services to business and commerce. The following year he
retired as Chairman of the parent Company but remained
on the Board as Founder Chairman until his death in
1976.
Since Sir Leslie’s death the company has gone through
some challenging times, especially when the focus was
taken off the agency business but in the spirit of its
founder, the company has grown by placing its focus
squarely on what we do best – help people reach their
real estate goals.
In 1989 the real estate agency business was purchased by
the Queensland financial institution, SUNCORP (known
today as Suncorp Metway Limited).
1996 was an historic year in the L.J. Hooker story, as
the company reached out internationally, purchasing the
Challenge Realty Group in New Zealand. In 1998 that
group was re-branded L.J. Hooker.
In 2002 L.J. Hooker opened its first offices in
Indonesia - thus strengthening our Asia Pacific network
with L.J. Hooker offices already in Papua New Guinea and
China.
2003 saw growth of the network in New Zealand with the
amalgamation of long established Auckland real estate
Franchise group Olsen & Everson – bringing seven new
offices into the L.J. Hooker network.
In 2004 the company expanded further internationally,
opening up operations in Shanghai in China.
In 2005 the company expanded into the South Pacific with
the opening of L.J. Hooker Fiji, initially based in Suva
but with plans to expand throughout the island nation.
With Fiji seen as an emerging powerhouse in the South
Pacific region the opportunities in both residential and
commercial property and project management are
significant. L.J. Hooker Fiji is the only real estate
operation in Fiji to offer a specialised,
world-standard, locally based and owned commercial and
project marketing service, as well as catering for the
residential market.
Today L.J. Hooker boasts an annual turnover in excess of
$ 25 billion, and is placed 5th in the world in terms of
size.
Some people say you shouldn't look back, but when the
past holds so much from which we can learn, looking back
is part and parcel of going forward - that is why we are
proud to be celebrating over seventy-five years of
service. |
