19.9 C
Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Byron luxury estate agent goes into liquidation

Latest News

Splendour 2024 cancelled

It's official, Splendour in the Grass 2024 has been cancelled.

Other News

Coveted Wollumbin Art Award open for young and old

Are you an artist in the Northern Rivers? Now is the time to get your art ready and submitted to the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre’s coveted biennial Wollumbin Art Award.

Biz confidence up, says Business NSW

The state's peak body for business says confidence in the sector has increased but cost of living pressures continue to impact customer spending.

Mullum pods

They look so uninviting and dismal. It would not cost a lot to change the name to ‘tiny homes’...

Queer family visibility

Did you know that, statistically, if you’ve met a redhead, you’ve also met a trans person? Over 800 trans and gender diverse people live in the Byron Shire, which includes at least 200 children. They’re often a bit hidden though, so come on down and celebrate with them this Trans Day of Visibility!

Terania blockade film to support Wallum cause

A film about Australia’s first environmental confrontation, which occured at Terania Creek near Nimbin, will screen on Friday, 22 March from 7pm at Brunswick Picture House as a fundraiser for the Save Wallum campaign. 

Casuarina cricketers too strong for Mullumbimby Brunswick in grand final

Mullumbimby Brunswick Cricket Club (MBCC) had a very successful season finishing second on the ladder at the end of the home and away season with 13 wins and 4 losses, but fell short of winning the grand final against the Casuarina Crocs.

Luxury Byron Bay based real estate agent Unique Estates has gone to the wall owing staff wages.

Paul Bibby

Unique Estates was born from a single sale in the Byron Bay hinterland and grew into a prestige property agency with offices across Australia and Asia.

But the empire crumbled into the sea last week when it was announced that the company had gone into liquidation.

Employees at the company’s Byron Bay office were among those who received an email from founder Nicolette Wijngaarden informing them that ‘bank accounts are frozen and there are no funds’.

‘It is with great sadness that I inform you that Unique Estates is going into liquidation today and you are to stop work straight away,’ Ms Winjgaarden said in the email, which was published on the property news website Property Observer.

‘Wages cannot be paid tomorrow.’

‘I am so very sorry it has come to this. Please know I did everything I could to prevent it.’

Unique Estates’ website was shut down within hours of the announcement to staff, and its seven offices across Australia and in Hong Kong quickly emptied.

Ms Wijngaarden did not return The Echo’s calls and the liquidator, McGrath Nicol, has instructed staff not to talk about the company’s collapse. However, The Echo understands staff are shocked and upset by the announcement, which few saw coming.

Property Observer reported that Unique Estates also represented around 32 vendors at the time of the collapse.

Ms Wijngaarden founded Unique Estates in 2009 as a company specialising in luxury, high-end properties.

It began when she decided to help her partner sell his house in the Byron Bay hinterland and realised there was a niche that needed filling.

In the ensuing years, the agency expanded significantly, producing a luxury property publication distributed through Qantas lounges around the world and launching a yacht- and jet-charter business.

While little light has been shed on the reason for the collapse, it is understood that recent changes to foreign-ownership laws were a blow to the business’s bottom line.

Unique Estates was well known for finding rich foreign investors happy to pay top dollar for beautifully situated Australian homes.

Once the federal government introduced restrictions on this type of practice, business for Unique Estates became more challenging.

 


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

We just love him!

If you’re over 50 you might not be a fan of Tom Jones, but you can bet your mum is. If you’re under 40 you might not even know who he is, but your grandmother probably wet her pants at the mere mention of his name.

Peter Garrett gives Bluesfest the nod

If I say the words ‘US Forces give the nod’, I can pretty much guarantee that you will hear the unmistakable voice of Peter Garrett ringing in your ears. Your head may even start to bob up and down a bit. 

Save Wallum finalist in NSW 2024 environment awards

The Save Wallum campaign has been named as a finalist in the Nature Conservation Council of NSW Environment Awards 2024. The award ceremony will be held in Sydney tonight, and Save Wallum spokesperson and ecologist James Barrie will be attending with Tegan Kitt, another founding member of the group.

New report highlights gaps in rural and remote health

The second annual Royal Flying Doctor Service ‘Best for the Bush, Rural and remote Health Base Line’ report has just been released. Presenting the latest data on the health of rural and remote Australians and evidence on service gaps, it identifies issues in urgent need of attention from service providers, funders, partners and policy makers.