Next Gen Now: Developers Bucking Industry Norms

The next generation of Australian property developers is reshaping how the industry operates, prioritising social media marketing, strategic partnerships and leftfield approaches over traditional development models. Speaking at Urbanity-25 on the Gold Coast on July 31, four next-generation developers outlined their vision for an industry built on collaboration and digital-first strategies. Urbanity is The Urban Developer’s annual flagship conference, held at The Star. Social media has become a cornerstone for these developers and for some 30 to 40 per cent of buyers are coming through social channels. Graya co-founder Andrew Gray was an early adopter of social media, pioneering the platform when most builders lacked any social media presence. “We targeted social media as a selling tool probably five to seven years ago,” Gray said. “Back then, there weren’t any builders that even had Instagram, so we thought this would be a good tool for our projects in the future.” Gray’s strategy focuses on building trust with off-the-plan buyers who need confidence in developers’ ability to deliver projects. “We’ve had quite a few sales straight off the socials,” Gray said. His company maintains in-house social media staff and videographers for content creation, which gives them control of their brand and communications while enabling rapid delivery. Jack Henderson from Henderson Advocacy has a different take on effective social media strategy. Henderson owns a 360-degree wealth creation firm that has now expanded from buyer’s advocacy into construction. ▲ Adam Di Marco ( The Urban Developer ), Andrew Gray (Graya), Erin Holland (Golconda Property Group), Natalie Lewis (Brique Projects) and Jack Henderson (Henderson Advocacy) on screen during the panel discussion. “A lot of the time there’s no strategy behind it—I just post things and sometimes regret it,” Henderson says. Henderson acknowledged his willingness to raise his head above the parapet with sometimes controversial content, and said while this was often criticised, it drove engagement. “The downside of social media is that negative headlines do much better than positive ones, so you’re encouraged to create more controversial content,” Henderson said. It’s working. His personal channel reaches 10 to 12 million people each month on Meta social platforms. His raw, phone-shot content often outperforms professionally produced material and he believes this “authenticity” drives engagement in saturated markets. “It’s really the only thing that separates my business from the 5000 businesses in my space,” he said. ▲ A rendering of Golconda’s Beju Residences on the southern Gold Coast, which were completed in December of 2023. Erin Holland from Golconda Property Group has developed a sophisticated brand partnership strategy that reduces development costs while building market presence. Her partnerships with major brands generate both revenue and material savings. “We’ve managed to save quite a lot of money on our development through partnerships with people willing to get involved,” Holland said. Her company was able to arrange kitchen fitouts, carpets, tiles and floorboards at cost or reduced rates in exchange for marketing exposure across four townhouses. Holland’s background as a trained opera singer seeking Broadway opportunities taught her the value of every dollar, skills she now applies to development financing and partnership negotiations. Her husband, Australian cricketer Ben Cutting, began his property career in 2009 as part of Cricket Australia’s program for players to upskill or pursue opportunities outside cricket due to the uncertain nature of sporting careers. For Holland, property development was initially a learned love that grew as her own career became more established. Their company’s Tallebudgera Creek townhouse development finished last year and set an off-the-plan sales record at the time. Natalie Lewis from Brique Projects launched her development company during the pandemic after spending 10 years working for other developers. ▲ A rendering of the Burleigh Street project by Brique. Her company specialises in smaller-scale developments that emphasise quality over quantity, targeting the luxury market without reaching ultra-luxury price points Her first project involved eight townhouses in Burleigh, followed by five townhouses under construction in Palm Beach and six with council approval in Burleigh. Lewis faced significant challenges when her builder became insolvent on her inaugural project, coinciding with the birth of her first child. Without a construction licence, she took on daily project management responsibilities alongside a site supervisor. “I had to find another builder to help get me through to completion,” Lewis said. “I had to go back and negotiate with purchasers who had been on the journey for three years at that point.” Cost escalation remains a universal challenge as project sizes increase. Gray addressed this by focusing on A-grade sites where premium pricing can offset higher construction costs, while builder shortages continue affecting project timelines across the industry. “As the size of our projects increased, so did the cost of building,” Gray said. “And there’s such a shortage of builders. A lot of good projects are sitting there ready to go, but there’s no one to build them.” ▲ The James Street, Brisbane site Graya has acquired in a $20-million-plus deal. Graya has been somewhat insulated from builder shortages due to its in-house capabilities, but Gray acknowledged this advantage may not last indefinitely. “Looking toward the Olympics, we’re definitely wary there’s going to be a labour shortage, so these issues will probably be around for the foreseeable future,” Gray said. Andrew and brother Rob said their upcoming James Street project would “blow people’s minds” and feature retail and office levels with food and beverage facilities on the rooftop. Henderson is focused on asset management and maintenance schemes for existing projects but is also addressing warranty concerns while scaling operations across multiple states. “One of my biggest challenges, especially on the construction side, is that we’re growing faster than the industry bodies want you to grow,” Henderson says. “We’re starting 10 to 15 projects a month, and we have constraints around builder’s warranty.” Despite the early setbacks, Lewis has built a solid foundation for growth. She said that Brique Projects was fortunate to avoid funding constraints that plague many developers, allowing the company to focus on expansion. “We’re just chipping away at beautiful villa developments in beautiful locations and really having fun doing it,” Lewis says. Holland emphasised the importance of measured growth and strategic partnerships in building sustainable development businesses. “We’re baby developers just starting out, so we want to partner with people we can learn from and build the business slowly and surely,” Holland says.

Next Gen Now: Developers Bucking Industry Norms

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