Ray White Bendigo wants to build a third storey at its Queen Street headquarters when it becomes the biggest real estate agency in the city.
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The revamp is part of plans for a newly revealed merger with the Bendigo team currently under Barry Plant's brand.
The City of Greater Bendigo could start poring over the plans 27 Queen Street as soon as this week, Ray White Bendigo managing director Rory Somerville said.
"We could have opted to move out of town but that takes people out, and then all of a sudden they are not buying the pie or spending money at the shop on their lunch break," he said.
"We want to keep people in the CBD. We need that to have a vibrant city centre."
Mr Somerville said the building revamp would deliver "one of the best, state-of-the-art real estate facilities in Bendigo".
Ray White Bendigo would need the council's permission before it sent in the construction crews.
Merger of two groups has begun
They would also pave the way to bring 45 newly united staff onto one site.
Bendigo's Ray White and Barry Plant operations want to merge by mid-April in a move that will give the new group the biggest rental book in Bendigo.
"I think we are two really strong businesses in the market and by coming together we have increased market share," Mr Somerville said.
"Having the largest agency in Bendigo allows us to have what we think will be the best environment for our people, the best offering for our clients, the best trainers coming to our offices.
"There's so many benefits off the back of size."
The group will handle property management as well as residential and commercial sales, self storage and a media team.
"We'll have one of the biggest teams, the biggest book in Bendigo, backed by one of Australia's biggest brands, effectively, in Ray White," Mr Somerville said.
No redundancies are expected, he said. Landlords signed with both operations would not see changes to the people managing their properties.
"We'll be training the Barry Plant team on our systems and likewise, there are some great things they are doing that we want to learn," Mr Somerville said.
"So over the next 45 days we will work through the best of both teams' operations and bring the best of each together."
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
