Ian Crooks - Resort Brokers Australia

Ian Crooks has just celebrated his 40th year in the real estate industry. It all began back in 1985 when he relocated from New Zealand and set up Resort Brokers Australia. Originally working for a small office from his home, RBA has grown to become an industry-leading nationwide agency.

When Ian brought his family across the Tasman, he also brought the concept of motel leasing. This has undoubtedly changed the face of the motel industry, with over the ownership of over 70% of the motels in Australia being split between an active lessee and a passive freeholder.

Ian and his wife Karin started out as motel operators themselves, owning a small 5 room motel in Lake Taupo during the 1970’s. When the time came to move on, they set up a lease and retained the land and buildings. They came out with the same amount of money that they had used to buy the entire motel, yet still owned the freehold to the motel. The was more than sufficient to pay the mortgage.

Ian’s earlier career had been in the Stock and Station Agents Industry. At the time (we’re now going back to the 1960’s) it was common for farms to be leased. This idea sowed a seed with Ian that later drove him to develop the leasing concept in the motel industry.

From humble beginnings as a one man band driving 2000km a week around Queensland and NSW, Ian has built a business which today expands through the all of Australia’s States and Territories, has a national team of over 30 people and last calendar year (2013) settled 139 hospitality business and property sales.