Clarke & Humel

What Clarke & Humel does

Clarke & Humel is a privately held, boutique real estate agency headquartered in Manly, Sydney, serving Sydney's Northern Beaches region of New South Wales, Australia. Founded and led by principals Michael Clarke and Cherie Humel, the firm operates a full-service property platform spanning residential sales, prestige property transactions, off-market ("Secret Properties") access, rental management, commercial property services, and market appraisals. Its client base is segmented across high-net-worth prestige buyers and sellers, general residential market participants, landlords, and tenants in premium suburbs including Manly, Freshwater, Curl Curl, North Manly, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Fairlight, and Queenscliff.

The business model is sales-led and commission-based. Primary revenue is generated through transaction fees on individual property sales (rates negotiated per listing, not publicly disclosed), supplemented by recurring property management fees from landlord services and ancillary services such as Property Concierge advisory. Free market appraisals function as a lead-generation mechanism to secure listing mandates. The go-to-market relies on a team of named field agents executing auction campaigns, private treaty listings, open homes, and personal referrals. Notable agent-level performance includes Garry Greco (over $500M in lifetime sales), James Eyden (800+ sales, 91% auction clearance rate, suburb record of $14.4M for North Curl Curl in February 2024), and Mike Dunn (close to $1B in sales). The firm was named Australia's No.1 Metropolitan Real Estate Agency at the REB Awards in both 2016 and 2017.

The technology stack is conventional and undifferentiated: a content-managed website with property search, video and virtual tour embeds, property alert email registration, a client portal for landlords and tenants, and social sharing across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, no AI or machine learning capability, no mobile application, and no public API. Clarke & Humel has no institutional investment, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public listing — ownership is founder-controlled. There is no evidence of geographic expansion beyond the Northern Beaches, no M&A activity, and no external funding rounds.

Name

Clarke & Humel

Legal name

Clarke & Humel

Website

https://clarkeandhumel.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clarke & Humel is a privately held, boutique real estate agency in Manly, Sydney, serving buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants across Sydney's Northern Beaches through residential sales, prestige and off-market property transactions, rentals, and property management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Agency Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Buyer Representation Services (BPAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Investment Property Brokerage (SFR/Small Multifamily) (BPAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Residential real estate
• Property management
• Prestige properties
• Real estate agency
• Property leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Manly Vale

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Sales Commission: The agency earns commission on property sales, typically a percentage of the sale price, paid by vendors upon successful transaction completion.
2. Property Management / Rental Commission: Ongoing property management services for landlords, charging fees for tenant placement and ongoing management of rental properties.
3. Market Appraisal Services: Free market appraisals provided to potential sellers as a lead-generation tool for listing mandates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Clarke & Humel is a Northern Beaches real estate agency that sells, buys, rents, and manages residential properties across Sydney's Northern Beaches, with a dedicated Prestige Properties division for high-end homes and an exclusive off-market Secret Properties database. The firm also provides commercial property sales and leasing, a Property Concierge advisory service, and ongoing residential property management for landlords and tenants.

Product overview

Clarke & Humel is a Northern Beaches real estate agency offering a comprehensive suite of property services centered on residential sales, purchases, and rentals. The core offering includes traditional property sales and buying services, supplemented by prestige property division and an exclusive secret/off-market properties database for registered clients. Additional services encompass property concierge advisory, market appraisals, rental management, and commercial property services. The agency operates across Sydney's Northern Beaches region with a team-based approach to client service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Sales Full-service residential property sales including listing, marketing, negotiation, and transaction management for properties across Sydney's Northern Beaches region.
• Buying Services Buyer representation service providing access to standard listings, prestige properties, and the exclusive off-market Secret Properties database for registered clients.
• Prestige Properties Luxury real estate division handling high-end property sales requiring tailored marketing campaigns for exceptional homes in premium Northern Beaches suburbs.
• Property Management Ongoing rental management services for landlords, including tenant placement, rent collection, property maintenance coordination, and rental appraisals for residential properties in the Northern Beaches.
• Commercial Property Services Commercial real estate services covering both leasing and sales of commercial properties in Northern Beaches precincts.
• Property Concierge Premium advisory service providing personalized property guidance to clients throughout the buying or selling process on the Northern Beaches.
• Secret Properties (Off-Market Access) Exclusive off-market property access service giving registered clients early visibility of Northern Beaches listings not publicly advertised.

Quantifiable outcome

• James Eyden maintains a 91% auction clearance rate, significantly above Sydney's approximately 60% average.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• LJ Hooker: Long-established Australian real estate franchise network with multiple Northern Beaches offices. Overlaps with Clarke & Humel across residential sales, rentals, and property management, but at a national scale rather than boutique.
• Raine & Horne: Historic Australian real estate brand with Sydney coverage including the Northern Beaches. Comparable full-service offering (sales, rentals, property management) but broader geographic and operational footprint than Clarke & Humel.
• Ray White: Largest residential real estate group in Australasia with substantial Northern Beaches presence. Competes for both prestige and general residential listings, offers full sales/property management services, and operates at much greater scale than Clarke & Humel.
• First National Real Estate: Australian cooperative real estate network with members operating across Sydney suburbs including the Northern Beaches. Competes for general residential sales, rentals, and management at a multi-office scale.

Direct peers

• McGrath Estate Agents: One of Australia's most recognized prestige-focused real estate agencies with strong Sydney presence including the Northern Beaches. Competes directly with Clarke & Humel for high-end residential listings and off-market buyer mandates in Sydney's affluent coastal suburbs.
• Richardson & Wrench: Established Sydney-focused real estate network with Northern Beaches offices. Directly comparable boutique-style agency competing in the same coastal submarkets for residential sales, prestige listings, and rental management.
• Belle Property: Australian boutique-style real estate brand with premium positioning and a network of locally-owned offices across Sydney. Comparable on prestige-segment focus, agent-led model, and Northern Beaches / Sydney metropolitan footprint.
• Sotheby's International Realty: Global luxury real estate brand with affiliates serving prestige Sydney markets. Comparable on high-end residential focus, premium buyer network, and white-glove service positioning that overlaps with Clarke & Humel's prestige division.
• Cunninghams Property: Long-standing Northern Beaches-focused independent real estate agency based in Manly. Directly comparable local competitor sharing the same Manly headquarters precinct, customer base, and beachside prestige submarket.

Regional players

• Avalon Property Management / Northern Beaches local independents: Northern Beaches-based independent agencies operating in adjacent or overlapping coastal submarkets. Comparable on local-knowledge-led sales and rental management, but geographically narrower than Clarke & Humel's broader Northern Beaches footprint.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clarkeandhumel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clarke & Humel