The MW Group celebrates 17 years of growth in 2023, and as one of Australia’s leading property consultancies, one core goal has underpinned this success.
When it comes to property investment, there’s not much that Damian Collins, Founder of the MW Group, hasn’t seen.
A chartered accountant by trade, Damian later left the profession to pursue a personal path, and eventually a life-long career, in property investment and development.
He explains, “My father was a real estate agent, and I saw that a lot of high-net-worth investors had significant wealth in real estate. That sparked my interest.”
Addressing a gap in the market
With skin in the game, Damian rapidly honed his personal investment skills. He also realised early on that there was very little support available to property investors.
“I was surprised at how little representation buyers had,” he notes. “There were – and still are – plenty of agents selling property. But they don’t necessarily sell the best investment to each buyer.”
Recognising a gap in the market, Damian launched residential property investment advisory and one half of the MW Group, Momentum Wealth, in 2006. From the outset, Momentum has pursued a clear goal – to give investors the benefit of a holistic service, where all their property investment needs are met under one roof.
“This is something that’s very close to my heart,” Damian notes. “When property buyers get good advice, they make the right decisions that can set them up for life.”
Momentum started out with mortgage broking, buyer’s agents, and residential property management. However, it wasn’t long before they expanded further, launching their property development division in 2012 to give clients fresh opportunities for enhanced returns.
Expanding into funds management
Damian and his team have always understood that an investor’s needs tend to change over time. As we head towards retirement, the regular income generated by commercial property can be especially attractive.
As Damian puts it, “Residential property is a great place to start, but commercial is typically where you want to end.”
This made the Group’s move into syndicated commercial property investment a logical next step, one that was achieved in 2015 with the acquisition of Mair Property Funds, subsequently rebranded to Westbridge Funds Management. Since 2016, large-scale syndicated residential development projects have also been available to investors.
While MW Group clients have been enjoying success in their personal property journeys, behind the scenes, Damian and his team have notched up impressive results of their own.
Today, Momentum Wealth’s clients have the backing of a 60-strong, award-winning team of property and finance specialists, with over 3,500 investors having grown their personal wealth with Momentum’s support.
Meanwhile, in the space of just six years, Westbridge Funds Management has recorded a fourfold increase in funds under management, with an asset pool currently valued at over $850 million.
Importantly, the business has attracted a skilled and loyal team. The Group’s latest ‘employee net promoter score’ (eNPS), which measures employee engagement, was +70, which Damian describes as “a testament to the strength of our team and the positive workplace we seek to promote”.
Damian himself is a respected authority on residential and commercial real estate, and a leading advocate for WA’s property market. He has been closely involved with the Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA) for 12 years, including serving as President for four years from 2018-2022, and to this day retains a role on the REIWA Board.
An investor-first approach
As the MW Group celebrates 17 years of success, the passage of time hasn’t dimmed the team’s passion for helping investors.
“We’re continuing to find the best property investment opportunities for our clients,” Damian says. “I think there are some unloved sectors that have been oversold. For example, the office market. Only about 5% of our portfolio at Westbridge is in this space. We are watching and waiting for good opportunities.”
Damian is proud of the Group’s achievements. But he is not resting on his laurels.
“A big part of success in property occurs after the purchase,” he notes. “And that’s where we really add value for our clients.”
Regular property management reviews explore opportunities for enhanced returns. Momentum’s finance team regularly review the cost and loan structure for each investor to ensure it continues to serve the client’s objectives.
Momentum’s buyer’s agents and development team collaborate to keep clients informed on changes to zoning, property trends and the broader market. This allows each client to stay connected to their property, and make long-term decisions about how they hold, sell, or develop their investment.
And at Westbridge, the team benefits from the expertise of in-house commercial property managers and project management specialists, who help to maximise the ongoing performance of the assets across their funds.
Damian sums it up, saying, “Investors are the number one reason we are in business. Our goal is to get each client excellent returns, and we work hard every day to ensure we deliver.”
