About The Council
Your Council
The Council of LJ Hooker Franchise Owners was formed in 1990 following the acquisition of the LJ Hooker business by Suncorp. Council’s prime purpose is to represent the rights and interests of LJ Hooker Franchise Owners.
LJ Hooker is unique in that the Franchisor welcomes and encourages ideas and feedback from every Franchise Owner. Through the Council, you have a serious voice in all areas of operation, through our direct access to executive management and by having two Council members sitting on the LJ Hooker Fundraising Board.
Elected Committee Members
The business of Council is managed by an elected committee of twelve Franchise Owners who give up their time to represent either a geographical area or specialty franchises. Geographic areas represented are Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, Southern NSW & ACT, Metropolitan NSW, Northern NSW, Southern Qld, North Qld/NT and since 2010, New Zealand. Specialty groups specifically represented are Commercial and Ancillary Services (home loans, business brokering and conveyancing).
Committee members are elected by their peers for a two year term. A President and Vice President are elected each year by the committee members. Two committee members of Council, usually the President and Vice President, also sit on the Board of LJ Hooker Franchising Limited.
Origins of Council
The origins of Council go back to 1989, during the liquidation of George Herscu’s Hooker Corporation businesses, including LJ Hooker. At that time, a number of Franchise Owners initiated a ‘solidarity group’ to protect the interests of Franchise Owners during this period.
Subsequently the group formed Oakmay Pty Ltd as a Franchisee-owned vehicle to tender for the purchase of LJ Hooker. The sale process was through a public tender organised by the provisional liquidator, John Harkness of KPMG. Oakmay was one of 102 entities that expressed interest in purchasing LJ Hooker and became one of 32 preferred tenderers.
Ultimately, the provisional liquidator selected Suncorp Insurance & Finance to be the final tenderer, leaving the Oakmay group disappointed but still determined to protect the interests of Franchise Owners.
This was achieved by negotiating two Deeds of Settlement with Suncorp, the terms of which included the formal recognition by Suncorp of a Franchise Owners Council and associated protective measures such as two LJ Hooker Board representatives nominated by the Council.
The Council was then formed in 1990 with Ron Wilson, who had been a leader of the Oakmay group, as the first President.
Council key objectives are to:
1. Promote the image and standing of the LJ Hooker name in the community.
2. Assist in the improvement of the standards applicable to the conduct of the LJ Hooker Real Estate agency franchise.
3. Promote and advance the collective rights and interests of the LJ Hooker Real Estate Agency member Franchise Owners.
4. Promote and encourage cooperation and the flow of information between the Franchise Owners, and between the Franchise Owners and Franchisor.
5. Act as the representative of the member Franchise Owners in their dealings with the Franchisor for the purpose of making representations to initiating and conducting negotiations with the Franchisor in respect of ongoing alterations, amendments and additions to the Business Operations Manual.
6. Consult where necessary with the Franchisor in respect of any proposed changes to the contents of the Franchise Agreement.
7. Coordinate the annual appointment of two of the Council Committee as Directors of the national operating company of the Franchisor, the Board of LJ Hooker Franchising Limited.
8. Mediate in disputes between Franchise Owners through adjudication committees established by the Governing Body of the Council of LJ Hooker Franchise Owners Inc.