As ResortBrokers Managing Director since 2019, and previously as National Sales Manager from 2011, Trudy Crooks is the driving force behind ResortBrokers’ ongoing success and expansion.
Trudy has spearheaded the growth of the family company, started by her father Ian in 1985, from six to more than 30 brokers across every state and territory resulting in an exponential increase in sales turnover. She travels extensively to mentor and support her sales team across Australia’s diverse and dynamic accommodation markets.
Trudy is widely regarded as one of the top leaders in the accommodation property sector, and her expertise, energy and enthusiasm is well recognised throughout the industry.
The seeds of Trudy’s passion for the sector were planted early. She started her career with ResortBrokers straight out of school, initially working in administration before turning to sales. Trudy sold her first motel, the Windmill Motor Inn in Coffs Harbour, aged 20.
Eager to expand her industry experience, Trudy spent almost a decade in London working for Foxtons, the city’s leading real estate agency. Trudy won repeated top sales awards, was quickly promoted to branch manager running a team of 14 agents and went on to manage the agency’s prestigious Mayfair office setting a company record of £1 million in fees within her first month.
With ResortBrokers, Trudy has settled sales of accommodation properties and businesses with a combined value of approximately $700 million.
As ResortBrokers Managing Director, Trudy continues to act personally on major transactions nationwide. Her notable career sales include:
- Art Series Hotel portfolio: This 2017 off-market transaction saw Mantra Group purchase the celebrated Art Series Hotel brand from Deague Group for $52.5 million, the first ever sale of an entire hotel brand anywhere in Australia.
- City Edge Apartment Hotels franchise: Another off-market entire brand sale that saw Choice Hotels Asia-Pac acquire City Edge’s five Melbourne hotels in 2023.
- FV by Peppers: Australia’s largest ever management rights transaction, which she achieved in 2017 with the sale of Gurner’s Brisbane high-rise FV for $28 million to Mantra Group.
- Oaks Darwin Elan Hotel: This 2015 sale for $57 million resulted from an expressions of interest campaign that received several high-quality bids, three from overseas hotel groups, with SGX-listed Minor Hotels (owner of the Oaks brand) emerging as the successful buyer.
- Barkley Homestead: The 2021 sale of the Northern Territory’s Barkly Homestead for $14 million to a cash buyer at a 7x multiplier holds the record for a roadhouse sale anywhere in the country.
Trudy heads ResortBrokers Hotels Division, which focuses on assisting major hotel operators such as Quest, Accor, Mantra and Minor International expand their footprint in Australia.
She is a much sought-after speaker on Australia’s accommodation property sector at major industry events, including Asia Pacific Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE), Australian Property Institute (API), The Urban Developer, The Accommodation Conference (AccomCon), Accor Pacific Franchise Conference, Quest Business Franchise Conference and the Best Western Franchise Conference.
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