Nobody Does it Better
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Proprietary | |
Industry | Real Estate |
Founded | 1928, Maroubra, New South Wales |
Founder | Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker |
Headquarters | Alexandria, New South Wales |
Area served
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Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, China and Hong Kong |
Key people
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L. Janusz Hooker (Chairman) |
Products | Franchising Real Estate solutions |
Services |
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Owner | Each LJ Hooker office is independently owned and managed by its franchisees |
Website |
LJ Hooker is an Australian Real Estate franchise with an extensive franchise network across Australia. Its iconic red and yellow signage and slogan “Nobody does it better” are widely known. LJ Hooker was founded in 1928 by Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker and after a separation of some 20 years the company returned to family hands in 2009.
The first LJ Hooker office was opened in Maroubra, New South Wales in 1928. Following the Depression the company expanded and opened offices in Sydney, Kensington, Kingsford and Randwick. In 1947 the company was floated on the Sydney Stock Exchange. In 1949 the company expanded into hotel brokerage. In 1950 the tenth office was opened in Crows Nest and in 1951 the Manly office was opened. LJ Hooker’s expansion continued and by 1953 the agency was the largest real estate agency in Australia. In 1955 Hooker Rex was established for the development of new homes. In 1959 the Hooker Finance company was established. In the same year the first real estate investment trust in Australia was established. By 1965 Hooker Rex had 51 developed estates in four Australian states.
In 1963 Hooker House was opened in Sydney. Hooker Project offices were opened in Melbourne in 1966, Brisbane in 1967, Perth in 1968 and Townsville and Canberra in 1969. Hooker Projects developed motels, shopping centres, nursing homes and factories. In 1969 Hooker Home Units was established which specialised in building home units and town houses. By 1970 LJ Hooker residential and commercial divisions were not only the largest sales and management agents in the country but also the largest home developers.
Sir Leslie Joseph Hooker died in 1976 and ten years later the company and the family separated which continued until 2009 when L Janusz Hooker, Sir Leslie’s grandson, formed a consortium and bought the company back.