REA Billy Mitchell from Century 21 speaks on 2023 property outlook

The face behind a growing Gympie real estate empire has shared his insight on the property market as he opens a new branch in Maryborough.

Gympie’s Century 21 Platinum Agents has expanded to Maryborough, opening its third Wide Bay branch.

Former publican and now Century 21 principal and director Billy Mitchell joined with business owners Suzanne and Troy Rogers from One Realty Maryborough to rebrand and open the new Century 21 office.

The new branch will hold its grand opening on February 4, 2023.

Mr Mitchell said he heard through a mutual friend the business would potentially be for sale and he jumped at the opportunity to expand to the Fraser Coast.

“It seemed to be the logical step to move up to Maryborough,” he said.

“I think it complements our Gympie and Tin Can Bay office really well.”

Troy Rogers from One Realty and Billy Mitchell from Century 21 shake hands as they join forces for a new office in Maryborough.

Mr Mitchell said the business now extended from Pomona to Biggenden, Childers to Rainbow Beach and the greater Gympie and Maryborough regions.

As the region continues to grow through upcoming highway, infrastructure and renewable energy projects, and with its proximity to the Sunshine Coast, Mr Mitchell said Wide Bay was “very well placed” and he was genuinely excited for what’s to come in 2023.

“If you’re judging our market on 2020, 2023 is on fire,” he said.

The number of sales had decreased by 61.82 per cent for residential homes between 2021 and 2022, he said. Century 21 had sold 385 homes in the final quarter of 2021 and 147 in the final quarter of 2022.

The average sale price had decreased by six per cent between the end of 20221 and the end of 2022 in Gympie, Maryborough and the Cooloola Coast, Mr Mitchell said.

Billy Mitchell from Century 21 Gympie and The Cooloola Coast in 2023.

“Gympie was always in a good place and was a hotspot for investors pre-Covid, so once Covid hit a lot more people had a bit more money in their pocket and nowhere to spend it.

“That creates some competition and that sent the prices up,” he said.

Being in the industry since 2011 and having run the business for eight years now, Mr Mitchell said it had “its ups and downs” but he felt blessed to surround himself with a “top quality” team and do what he loves.

“My greatest success is the success in others on our team now,” he said.

“I’d just like to continue that journey of really helping people out on their property journey.”

Mr Mitchell said he felt grateful for the acknowledgement in winning People’s Choice at the Gympie Business Awards 2022 on top of being nominated five times for the Real Estate Institute of Queensland awards.

“To be acknowledged by the Gympie greater region but then again with the state, nationally for that matter, is awesome,” he said.