WHAT WE DO
We understand that the essence of a community is more than the sum of its functional parts. This, coupled with our unparalleled expertise in the Western Sydney locale, forms the foundation of what we strive to achieve and underlies our ability to create exceptional communities.
We have a history of significant developments in Western Sydney, and a large part of our success to date has been that we go the extra mile to ensure we not only build developments we’re proud of; but that the community which inhabits them can be proud to call home too.
We’re driven, authentic, passionate, relatable and most importantly – dedicated to making a difference to a locale we care deeply about. This is evidenced by our pipeline of projects worth approximately $400 million, all of which will continue to support the area’s rapid expansion and service the booming metropolis that is Sydney’s Western CBD.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Since 2004, First Point has been at the forefront of the property market – actively sourcing and developing retail, residential, commercial and medical projects.
Its robust track record working closely with government agencies, major national corporations, established SMEs, (home) owners and investors alike are at the core of its continual commitment to provide positive impactful commercial and community spaces.
First Point doesn’t just build somewhere to sleep, shop, work or heal. It goes the extra mile to bring to life spaces that people are proud to call home, and where communities can flourish.
With a pipeline of projects worth approximately $400 million and decades of expertise in Western Sydney, First Point is dedicated to making a significant difference to a locale it cares deeply about.
WHY FIRST POINT
- Market leader in master-planned communities
- Long history and proven success in Western Sydney
- Strong experience working on government projects including purpose builds
- Robust track record of working closely with federal, state and local government (including Penrith and Blacktown Councils) to achieve commercial and social outcomes
- Demonstrated understanding of and reputation for celebrating, fostering and championing community at the heart of every project
In 10, 20 or 50 years time you can still drive past and see something you’re proud of. I want to show my children and be able to say ‘look what I built’. 
Near enough is never good enough – it’s always about doing things the very best way. For our clients, that translates to ‘the devil is in the detail’.
OUR TEAM
MARK HOVEY
For more than 25 years, Mark has been building impressive experience in private and commercial property development and construction, working with respected members of the Sydney property community, and complementing his practical experience with high-end qualifications and memberships of key industry bodies.
Commencing his professional career in commercial and retail leasing, he is experienced in commercial property management and has honed a desirable and unique set of skills in project management and property development.
Spending almost a decade as an in-house client-side project development manager for a commercial developer, he provided end-to-end services on diverse projects including luxury townhouse developments, purpose-built office buildings for the Commonwealth Government, neighbourhood shopping centres, free-standing supermarkets, shopping centre refurbishments and commercial fit-outs.
It’s this training that has proven invaluable during his more recent work in property development. Personally and professionally, Mark is deeply passionate about property. He is acutely aware of retail developments’ impact on community and is committed to establishing developments that become a focal point and fundamental part of the locale in which they sit.
With a Bachelors Degree in Economics and a Masters of Project Management (both from the University of NSW) Mark also has an Associate Diploma in Business (Valuation), is a Member of the Australian Property Institute as a Certified Property Practitioner (CPP) and Certified Development Practitioner (CDP), and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as the Australian Institute of Project Management. He is also a licensed real estate agent and auctioneer.
Mark Hovey
Seeing a community embrace a vision you’ve been working on for 10 years is a terrific feeling.
DEBORAH LANDES
Deborah’s entrepreneurial and passionate approach to property, underpinned by her strong commercial acumen has established her as a key player in today’s property industry. She is an outcomes focused, dynamic professional with more than 25 years commercial experience in positively impacting profitability by implementing successful business growth strategies, skills she brings to every project she and her team undertake.
These skills have never been more evident than in her stewardship of the sales and marketing function of Thornton Central. In just three short years, Deborah together with her team has been responsible for the sale of in excess of $305 million dollars worth of key real estate; at each turn, identifying the need for clear sales and marketing tactics and strategies and engaging the right organisations whether they be branding and marketing agencies or the appropriate sales teams to support the activity.
With a knack for understanding the true value of the marketing and sales functions of a development project, and a clear direction for providing solution-focused housing and a community environment, she has been able to create a pipeline of residential buyers for the Thornton Central development; in the process selling a total of 546 apartments – all pre sold prior to stage settlement.
Deborah’s skills lie in an understanding of deal structures and financials, and she has comprehensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, negotiation, due diligence, financial analysis and capital raising. She has worked extensively within the property sector, enabling organisations to identify development opportunities and implement growth strategies.
A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Women on Boards, her extensive senior networks span a broad spectrum of sectors including property, banking, finance, international distribution marketing and recruitment.
Deborah Landes
At the beginning of any project we need to consider - what will give this place it’s heartbeat? What are we trying to create? What will it look like, how will it feel?
WHAT MAKES US TICK
When Mark Hovey was growing up, he was surrounded by doctors, lawyers, accountants and stockbrokers. It struck him that whilst they were all respectable careers, he wanted something tangible, something he could drive past in 10, 20 or 50 years and say ‘I built that’.
It’s safe to say that sort of intuition is in his blood. When Sam (Mark’s grandfather) first came to Australia in 1926, he settled in Orange - the centre of the railway network in NSW. He worked hard and at the age of 80 - realising he wasn’t destined to live forever - took a 14 year old Mark Hovey under his wing to help him run a small property portfolio. It didn’t stay small for long. 35 years on, property is still all he’s ever wanted to do, and the lessons that Sam taught him - to buy well, build strong and create opportunity - are still at the epicentre of every project he undertakes.
Over at the Landes household, Deborah was honing her craft since before she even knew she was doing it. With a father who worked in property for more than 40 years, breakfast, lunch and dinner was spent discussing business, more specifically property, around the table, and her opinions (and everyone else’s) were always encouraged.
Property became a part of the fabric of who she is, and across her professional and personal life, key decisions about properties bought, leased and sold have always been made with all the facts in front of her and the tenacity to achieve a balance of the right price with the right outcomes – a sentiment she still demonstrates today.
Having built a career in sales and service, finance and business, she has experience in management consulting, board activity and now as an Executive Director of the First Point Property Group. It’s fair to say she’s come full circle, picking up a hell of an education along the way.
My grandfather taught me you’re so much more than a landlord. At 84 years old, he would still get up on a ladder and clean the gutter for a tenant. I’ve been running the business in the same way for 25 years now, and I like to think I’ve done him
proud.