Spokes family open LJ Hooker franchise in Tamworth

Sam Spokes has gone from being a professional cyclist to pedaling houses, joining forces with parents Alan and Leanne, as well as wife Katelyn, to open the new LJ Hooker on the corner of Peel and Darling streets.

Deputy Mayor Helen Tickle did the honours, cutting the ribbon on Thursday morning.

“Real estate was something that has always been in the back of my mind after I finished cycling, so when the opportunity came up to get the LJ Hooker franchise we jumped at it,” Sam said.

“We are already familiar faces in Tamworth, and not many people know more about sales than Dad (Alan), so he will show us the ropes - if I can absorb half of what he knows I will be doing well.”

Leanne and Katelyn both also have backgrounds in real estate and will be looking after property management while the boys manage sales, with Sam due to be fully licensed within six months.

In 2017, there was an average of 110 houses sold a month in the Tamworth region. That, along with some expected infrastructure booms made it an easy decision for the family to throw their hat in the real estate ring.

“Tamworth has had a bit of a boom lately and I think it will keep going,” Sam said.

“We have always had a nice steady growth here, which is sustainable and a safe investment – you can’t really go wrong wherever you want to buy.” 

While that is great news for locals looking to buy or sell, it is also making the city extremely attractive to city investors looking for a safe and steady return on their investment, particularly when coupled with some recent growth and infrastructure announcements regarding the region.

“We are getting a lot of interest from out-of-town investors,” Sam said.

“People know that the Tamworth market has a very safe infrastructure because we don’t rely on one industry. 

“The new rail hub is bringing 5000 jobs to Tamworth, our sporting infrastructure is booming and there is a lot going on – we won’t ever have a crash because we are a major hub. 

“Everyone wants to be in East, but North Tamworth is really popular at the moment, and there are some nice old houses in the original part of West Tamworth and South at the moment as well.”