A match made in heaven
RE/MAX Cairns will next week open the doors to its new permanent home – a former wedding chapel at Whitfield.
In a unique move, the real estate agency and its 28 staff members are now to be based at the Heavey Cres building after spending about seven years at 330 Sheridan St.
Part of the property will be used as an office space, while the chapel itself is to become an auction venue.
“When we moved to Sheridan St in 2010, we took on a tenancy of about 50sq m,” said RE/MAX Cairns principal Tony Williamson.
But the agency grew rapidly and he began eyeing off options for a new home.
RE/MAX Cairns secured the building, set on a 1340sq m block, late last year.
Mr Williamson said it was rare for real estate businesses to own their own premises – let alone a suburban venue once used to facilitate Japanese weddings. “About two years ago we starting getting serious about finding our own premises – there are plenty of commercial buildings available in Cairns at the moment,” he said.
“I did make quite a few approaches to the owner of 330 Sheridan St, but they were unsuccessful so it became clear we have to move.”
Mr Williamson said RE/ MAX was on-track to start trading from its new Whitfield premises on Tuesday next week.
He was excited by the move and said it reaffirmed his agency’s confidence in the Cairns property market.
“We have had about nine years of a buyer’s market, but I have worked through two real estate booms in Cairns and believe we are on the cusp of another,” Mr Williamson said.
“What drove previous booms was tourism and development.
“Tourism is now doing very well and, with cranes in the sky, development is starting to come back as well.”