L.J. Hooker Carves Out Expansion Plans For India

March 30, 2007	(3 votes, average: 3 out of 5)  Loading ...
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LJ Hooker, the Australian real-estate company, which opened its outlet in Koramangala, Bangalore inaugurated its first franchise store with much fanfare is all set to make a spectacular entry into the Indian real estate market.

Established in 1928 by Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker, it has achieved unqualified success in creating its international network that spreads across a host of countries in South-East Asia that includes Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and China. The Group has more than 730 franchises in Australia and Asia.

LJ Hooker is bringing to the Indian real estate operations its international network franchising model called the ‘L.J. Hooker franchise model’ backed by a strong software support and internet-based operation.

This model has won the company the prestigious `Australian and New Zealand Franchiser of the Year Award.’

The company aims to offer a comprehensive, reliable and efficient value-added service to the customer who wants to buy, sell and rent or needs to be advised on property matters. Its bouquet of services includes a rent-management program and a portfolio management scheme apart from consultancy services.

“Apart from finding a tenant for vacant commercial/residential space, we undertake property management activities like collecting rent on behalf of a landlord, paying his taxes for him, renewing leases, carrying out maintenance work on the property among others,” said Mr. Ramneek Bakshi, Principal Franchise, L J Hooker, India.

“At L.J. Hooker we want to capture a customer through all phases associated with buying, selling, renting and leasing a property including financing, conveyancing, insurance, relocating and utility connections,” said Warren McCarthy who heads the worldwide L J Hooker Group. “It’s a one-stop shop with pre-and-post-deal services ensuring customers that `nobody does it better,” he explained.

The move indicates Mr. Warren McCarthy’s strategic foresight in placing India in his global plan of expansion. On his choice of the city, he agrees that he zeroed in on Bangalore as it has highly networked and technology oriented individuals looking for a “reliable and transparent experience” that the model favours.

He also insists that the concept of real estate franchising requires a paradigm shift, as it were in mindset to grasp its broad nature and value additions.

There is a great deal of focus on training and education for franchisees as they become a part of a community that allows them to interact, learn and share their experiences. Franchise owners can get a better perspective of business, marketing and professional real estate management.

The company has a vision for itself, which is to create stores of L J Hooker in virtually every neighbourhood of a city so that persons living abroad wanting to buy or sell properties back home can operate from the nearby L J Hooker stores and network with the stores in their home town to do the job.

The move augurs well for the Indian real estate market.

News Published Under:   L J Hooker |