Commercial Confidential: All the latest property gossip, news, movements and leasing deals in Queensland

A leading property agency has a new Brisbane boss, while a rival had to fill a hole in its national leadership with some local talent.

A LEADING commercial property agency has a new Brisbane boss, with the promotion of one of its gun operatives.

CBRE has made Chris Butters the new managing director of its Brisbane business.

Chris Butters

The appointment allows former Brisbane managing director Flint Davidson to focus on his leadership responsibilities as CBRE’s national head of Capital Markets — Office — a dual role he has held for the past 12 months.

Butters has been a major part of CBRE’s Advisory & Transaction Services — Office Leasing team over the past seven years and will retain that role.

CBRE senior managing director, Queensland, Bruce Baker said: “Chris is not only an exceptional property professional in his own right, but also one of our strongest business line leaders who instils the values, processes and rigour essential to building and managing successful teams”.

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MEANWHILE, rival JLL have had to make a few adjustments themselves.

Last week one of the “big dogs” in the commercial agency world Simon Rooney announced he was leaving JLL and there’s plenty of speculation of where he will end up.

Sources say Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE are in the box seat to lure Rooney but they will have to pay a fair bit for him to sign on the dotted line.

The Sydney-based shopping centre specialist had 25 years with JLL.

He has brokered deals worth more than $20 million over the past decade and has been the top earner for the agency locally and ranked in its top three in the world.

We hear that over that decade he has generated on average about $15 million a year in fees for JLL.

So with sign on incentives for top flight investment agents in Brisbane close to $1 million, Rooney — who has a large national presence — should attract considerably more.

Meanwhile, JLL has filled the gap with Brisbane locals Jacob Swan and Sam Hatcher to lead the retail business nationally.

Hatcher has moved to Sydney to become JLL’s senior director national Retail Investments while Swan will remain in Brisbane.

He will run the division with Jacob Swan who is remaining in Brisbane.

Jacob Swan and Sam Hatcher

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THERE’s a strong rumour doing rounds that superannuation fund Sunsuper will be looking for new digs

We hear that Sunsuper will soon be taking a 15,000sq m office requirement to the market.

However, the speculation has a few in the office leasing world scratching their heads considering Sunsuper co-owns the Mliton Green office park with AMP where is currently resides. But stranger things have happened.

On a smaller scale but no less interesting is that New Hope Mining is looking to leave is Brookwater digs in Greater Springfield.

They are currently on Magnolia Drive and have a 2000sq m requirement in the Brisbane CBD.

Santos Place in Brisbane.

Still on leasing, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has signed off on a move to Santos Place on Turbot St.

They are at 400 George St but will take up a just over 1100sq m or a full floor in the office tower next door.

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BURGESS Rawson are fast becoming the Bunnings warehouse specialists.

The agency has sold nine of the last 22 Bunnings freehold properties brought to market in Australia and have a brand new warehouse in Kingaroy up for sale

The Kingaroy property, developed by one of Australia’s most experienced builders, Nic De Luca, who has constructed 24 Bunnings stores across Queensland and NSW since 2007 is expected to sell for around $14 million.

It is the first freestanding Bunnings store to be sold on-market in 2019.

Burgess Rawson director Glenn Conridge said the interest has already been very strong.

“No freestanding Bunnings investments have been sold on the market yet in 2019 and, in Queensland specifically, none have sold on-market since the South Mackay freehold traded for $28.5 million in May 2017.

“So the asset is enjoying the full attention of everyone from private family offices to large institutions looking to make a play for it. We expect this to translate to a very strong result for our vendor.”

Interest is expected the be strong for the Kingaroy Bunnings.