ds offering attractive pricing, Brisbane and the broader state is facing the most challenging retail leasing market I have witnessed in the course of my career. It’s the ideal time for our specialist team to launch into the market to assist.” To achieve scale and market dominance, Belle Property Retail has secured major funding for a nationwide rollout, which will start with the Brisbane office. The new entity will initially focus on project leasing, shopping centre leasing and property management divisions, with an eye towards launching aggressively into the CBD and fringe retail leasing market. “It is a strategic move to open in Queensland initially because we see a market that lacks a first-class specialist retail agency. We plan to fill that gap with the hands-on, high-end Belle Property approach,” said Hanscomb. The CBD and fringe leasing division will be led by Hanscomb, who has been a Brisbane CBD retail agent for the past 12 years, and who has accounted for 80 per cent of all prime retail leasing deals and retail projects in the city’s CBD. Nick Kelly, one of the state’s prominent institutional retail leasing executives, will be leading the Queensland operation. The state has had intensive infrastructure and development activity, interstate migration and population growth in recent years. “Nick’s leadership is a major asset for the Brisbane team as he is an expert in project leasing and strategic shopping centre leasing, and he has successfully led multiple flagship assets, including Queens Plaza, Brisbane Myer Centre, Canberra Centre, and most recently Castle Towers, one of the largest super-regional shopping centre projects ever undertaken in Australia,” said Hanscomb. “He is also highly rewarded, earning various accolades while working with major Australian Institutions, including Charter Hall, Stockland, Vicinity Centres and most recently QIC.” Hanscomb said the shopping centre team would also include James Harvey, who offers 10 years of experience in retail leasing and a diverse background spanning shopping centre leasing and strategic network planning for some of Australia’s leading food and beverage operators. “Belle Property Retail will also provide first-class retail property management capabilities with Paula Kelly. She brings more than 30 years of experience, having held senior management positions on major retail assets including Queens Plaza, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, Logan Hyperdome and Broadway on the Mall,” said Hanscomb. Lachlan Persley has been recruited from Knight Frank. Lachlan holds five years of industry experience and recently brokered major deals such as Bankwest at 121 Queen Street, JD Sports at 160 Albert Street and General Pants at 179 Elizabeth Street.