AVID Property Group (AVID) has appointed highly experienced property specialists to join its growing Sydney-based team, who will be responsible for driving the developer’s new luxury apartment project in Surry Hills, The Rathbone.

Stephen Carroll, previously at PDS Group, joins AVID as its Apartment Development Manager, after having managed $815-million worth of significant projects across Australia.

Former development advisor and property consultant Nathan Atkins – previously at Charter Keck Cramer – also joins AVID as an Assistant Development Manager.

Mr Carroll said it was AVID’s excellent reputation and emergence into the development of apartments that made the move attractive.

“It’s great to be part of such a fantastic team and to be focusing on AVID’s new apartment projects – I’m looking forward to progressing our new luxury development in Surry Hills,” Mr Carroll said.

Mr Carroll said The Rathbone, which has creatively made use of a derelict – albeit prime – site, was a perfect example of making the most of the market and being rewarded – with owner-occupiers flocking to express interest in the new development.

“Today’s apartment buyers demand quality, access to great amenities and accessibility, with The Rathbone the perfect example of this in Sydney,” he said.

“A lot of the buyers and enquiries for The Rathbone so far have been from owner-occupiers from Sydney, all saying they are looking for a high-end quality product close to the heart of City, while still part of a thriving community.”

Bringing an intimate knowledge of the Sydney market to the team, Nathan Atkins was previously involved with Crown Resort’s premium $900 million apartment development, One Barangaroo, and has provided strategic direction to the New South Wales government to address housing supply and demand concerns.

Noting a significant shift in the property market, Mr Atkins said developers, more than ever, needed to create distinguishable products to stay relevant and attractive to buyers.

“It is quite clear that the Sydney market has passed its peak and we have now entered a new market that has many challenges, particularly for apartments,” Mr Atkins said.

“With this though, comes an opportunity – forcing developers to differentiate their product offering and become more innovative to stay competitive in the market place, attracting more local owneroccupiers.

“AVID is constantly looking for new sites across the eastern seaboard, particularly land subdivision and medium density sites, and I am really looking forward to seeing some of these projects come to life over the coming years,” he said.

The Rathbone project was approved by the City of Sydney in July 2018 and marks AVID’s debut into the Sydney apartment market. Construction is set to commence in the coming months and will complete in 2020.

For more information on AVID’s new luxury terrace-style development in Surry Hills, visit www.rathbone.com.au.