RE/MAX Australia/NZ gets new owners in management buy-out

The global real estate franchisor RE/MAX has sold its regional RE/MAX Australia master franchise to the local management group headed by a group led by the region’s managing director, Michael Davoren (pictured below).

Davoren has been joined by co-owners Keith Walker, the current RE/MAX Australia franchise director, and Chris Chapman, the current RE/MAX New Zealand regional director.

The trio will also take over ownership of the RE/MAX New Zealand master franchise.

“This is the right team at the right time to take RE/MAX to the next level of success in Australia,” RE/MAX LLC president Vinnie Tracey said.

With three decades of real estate experience, Davoren became the region’s managing director in October 2011, having served as president of both The Real Estate institute of Australia (REIA) and The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ).

The new RE/MAX Australia region will continue to be managed from its headquarters in Milton, Queensland, and will include six states and the Northern Territory.  RE/MAX Western Australia, a separate region, is headquartered in Perth and is owned and operated by Geoff Baldwin, a long-time local real estate professional.

"Our new ownership team and entire regional staff is committed to bringing a new energy and excitement to our work, and providing our brokers, agents and customers with the world class service that RE/MAX is famous for,” Davoren said. 

RE/MAX came to Australia in 1996 and has 61 offices with 511 real estate professionals. Thirteen RE/MAX Australia agents are among the organisation’s global elite, named to the International Top 100 list.

In 2011, the global.remax.com website was launched, providing nearly 700,000 international listings in over 65 countries.