6th December 2019 / Prue Fletcher: Celebrating Our Centenary

The Fletcher Family

What a year! In 2019, Fletchers were proud to celebrate 100 years in business. As a tremendously significant milestone for the company, I've taken the time to reflect on some of the incredible moments we shared with our clients and team.

According to Yale University, the average lifespan of a company is approximately 15 years. Considering this number has decreased by more than 50 years over the last century (down from 67 years in the 1920s), I am in awe of the achievement we have all been so fortunate to play some part in.

Born from humble beginnings in 1919, two young men, Mr Harold Fletcher and Mr Percy Parker, opened their first office at 2 Cotham Road in Kew, which has now grown to an impressive network of more than 20 offices over a century later.

In that time, we've seen the foundations and values established by the Fletcher family in the early days continue to hold strong, which enabled the business to remain relevant over the years, despite the rapidly increasing pace of change.

Fletchers Balwyn North, 1940s

Commencing the year in style, our talented group of marketing visionaries, led by Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah Lowry, and Communications Manager, Beth Oleyar, directed and produced Fletchers first ever brand film and documentary. Working alongside Shon Productions, the films were designed to showcase the history and achievements of the business while reflecting on its family values and community spirit.

In the documentary, Fletchers Executive Chairman, Rob Fletcher, eloquently described the gentlemen­like qualities that have been at the forefront of the business since its inception.
'I'm often asked how it feels to represent a fourth generation real estate family. My answer is always the same. It's about legacy. Continuing to earn the trust that's been a cornerstone of our brand for 100 years'.

Citing another milestone for Fletchers back in 2002, Rob refers to the decision to appoint Bradley Brown as Director & CEO as instrumental in leading the business into the future.

'Under his leadership, Fletchers was awarded The Best Large Agency in Australia by the Real Estate Institute of Australia in 2013. As a result, we continue to set the bar high for ourselves today'.

Our mid-year Centenary Awards Night celebrations were held in honour of this momentous occasion. With almost 400 staff, family, clients, suppliers and industry partners joining us at one of Melbourne's most iconic venues, Melbourne Town Hall, the night was undoubtedly one to never forget.

Hosted by television personality, Tim Campbell, the entire Fletcher family, including our Executive Chairman alumni, Tim Fletcher, were present to witness the remarkable legacy the business had created. I was honoured to be involved in the presentation of Fletchers Centenary Awards, which aimed to recognise and thank fellow colleagues for their ongoing commitment and contribution across all areas of the business.

Nick, Mark, and Rob with long-time client Graeme Jack

As part of the celebrations, we were able to treat our guests to a collection of 'Real Client Stories', which highlighted some of the longstanding relationships between our sales team and their clients.

'We've sold around 8 times with Fletchers over a 17-year period. At the end of the day, we keep going back to Fletchers. We've found them to be really good people that make us feel comfortable and for this reason, we wouldn't go anywhere else' one client remarked.

A beautiful way to capture the successes of our clients and staff, we look forward to continuing to bring more of these stories to you in 2020.

Fletchers Design Night

Our final event on the Centenary calendar and one that will continue to shine in 2020 was Fletchers Design Night Series, hosted in collaboration with our event partner, Mercedes Benz Doncaster. What first began with a small presentation at Fletchers head office has now grown into multiple community events held throughout the year, which has given us the opportunity to collaborate with some wonderful local businesses while giving back to the communities we serve.

Before the curtain closes on what was a remarkable year for the Fletchers group, we would again like to make special mention to our Centenary Partners; Domain, NAB, NEO, Newscorp Australia and Briner for their ongoing support of the Fletchers brand.

A special thanks also goes out to Channel Nine, who kindly sponsored our Brand Film and to our friends at Helloworld Travel Surrey Hills, who have been a big support partnering with us for our $5,000 and $10,000 quarterly travel giveaways.

Finally, to the local communities we serve, our past clients and those we are yet to represent, we say 'Thank You' and hello! It has certainly been a year to celebrate and truly be excited for what the future holds.