Justin Clarke leaves McGees Property Group after move than three decades

After more than three decades with McGees Property Group Justin Clarke has resigned from the company as two other major commercial agencies in Brisbane announced changes at the top.

Justin Clarke who has left the top job at McGees Property.

Justin Clarke, who has been with McGees Property for more than 30 years, is leaving the company, marking the third change at the top of a commercial property agency in Brisbane over the last couple of months.

Mr Clarke, who had headed the Brisbane agency and was also national chairman of the company, will leave the 133-year-old company and devote his time to Exceed Capital, the boutique fund management company he co-founded with Vaughan Hayne in 2016.

He is currently head of advisory at the McGees.

Brad Sheppard was appointed managing director of McGees Brisbane in 2022, and head of agency Gavin Moore was elected national chairman in August to replace James Juers – who had been at the helm for six years since Mr Clarke stepped down in 2019.

Other heads of agencies changes in the last couple eof months in Brisbane were Tom Barr replacing Michael McCullagh as managing director RWC Queensland and Justin Bond taking over from Dominic Long as Knight Frank partner and managing director.

The new managing director RWC Queensland Tom Barr.

Mr Clarke said his focus was now to work with Mr Hayne.

“We’re both passionate, experienced people who’ve managed to not just acquire good property and co-invest but improve returns for our investors through our management practices,” he said.

Formerly Isles Love and Co, McGees was founded in 1889 and has a national footprint.

Mr Clarke joined McGees in 1994, rising to the position of national chairman.

He said it was a privilege and honour to have led McGees and to be a custodian of one of Brisbane’s iconic companies.

“But after 30 years it is time for others to take the reins,” he said.

“We are often referred to as the best breeding ground for property professionals, and you have to admire the amount of talent we have produced.”

Exceed Capital has almost $300m of assets under management and property trusts in North

Lakes, Goonellabah, South Grafton, Robina, and Townsville.

Mr Bond joined Knight Frank in 2007 as an assistant valuer and has become one of the business’s most successful sales agents, having negotiated approximately $6bn in transactions across the country on behalf of national and international clients.

He will also continue to lead Knight Frank’s Queensland Capital Markets business and Mr Long returns to his home state of Victoria to take on the role of Knight Frank partner, managing director, Victoria.

“Brisbane’s commercial property market continues to offer abundant opportunities, driven by ongoing population growth and significant public and private sector infrastructure projects,” Mr Bond said.

“Many investors are viewing Brisbane as Australia’s top city for growth. I anticipate Brisbane will be a very different city when it’s time to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and I am looking forward to being part of its evolution.”

Mr Barr joined RWC Queensland in 2019, having spent the 17 years prior working in investment sales and office leasing roles with global commercial real estate agencies JLL, Colliers, and Savills.

RWC said Mr Barr’s core focus and competency was in investment sales and development site sales.

He has developed strong relationships with key private and institutional groups at a local, national and international level.

Mr McCullagh has started his own business McCullagh Property Group.

Originally published as Justin Clarke leaves McGees Property Group after move than three decades