The startup that promises to bring back trust in Australian property development

The construction industry is known as traditional, slow-moving and complex. Start-ups are rare, and even rarer it is for them to win heavyweight clients trust immediately. Metis Group is shaking up the status quo in property development.

There is a misconception in the property industry that project managers are best kept in the background.

Glossy sales brochures promote the work of architects, interior designers, developers and builders. But project managers? They are the backbone of a development, overseeing everything from the first sketch to the final handover. They manage programmes, approvals, budgets, and teams, ensuring that multi-million-dollar projects deliver the outcomes clients and buyers expect, particularly those purchasing off-the-plan apartments.

Project managers are imperative for the success of a development. They act as a critical layer of project delivery and quality control in Australia’s increasingly complex construction industry. But to the final buyer they often remain invisible.

“It’s such a pivotal role, and yet we’re always being seen as just another part of the process,” says Jeff Curnow, who is determined to change that perception.

Earlier this year, Curnow and business partner Arian Galanis co-founded and launched Metis Group, a strategic property development advisory firm that promises to put a fresh focus on development and project management as a conduit for excellent craftsmanship and confidence in the quality of Australia’s property industry.

“We bring value for both developers and the end users by being deeply involved throughout the entire development life-cycle,” says Galanis. “We are the consistent thread that ensures quality outcomes.”

It’s an early spring morning in Sydney, Curnow and Galanis have agreed to meet in a courtyard café in the heritage precinct of The Rocks, to talk about their new venture.

The past six months have been busy. The founders took up residence in a loft-style office only steps away from Harbour Bridge and rapidly expanded its team to keep up with an incredibly strong market debut.

Despite only launching in February, by August, the new start-up had already secured $6.7 billion in project value under management across various sectors. High-profile developers, private groups and major corporations alike, have entrusted Metis with some of their most complex and top-tier developments.

The property industry is known as a traditional and slow-moving sector. Start-ups are rare, and even rarer it is for them to win the trust of heavyweight clients.

Among them is the redevelopment of the Intercontinental Hotel site in Double Bay, where Metis is overseeing the transformation of the iconic site for Capitel and Rebel Property Groups, transforming the site into a vibrant lifestyle precinct complete with new high-street retail, dining and leisure precinct, outdoor spaces, hotel and wellness centre, commercial suites and luxury residential residences.

Another high profile appointment is the Fig & Wattle Street development, a $900-million-dollar landmark mixed-use precinct in Pyrmont near Sydney’s new Fish Markets, that Metis Group will manage on behalf of Landream. The project comprises four buildings set across 1.2 hectares and includes 237 apartments, a childcare centre, an indoor recreation centre, and over 16,000 sqm of commercial and retail space.

Metis Group’s impressive market entry can be attributed to two key factors: a strong reputation and a relentless drive to improve the outcome in everything they do.

“It really comes down to passion,” says Arian Galanis. “We care about the project, the end user, and the client. And we put ourselves in each of these positions to achieve the best for everyone.”

The property industry is facing some its toughest conditions in decades. Skilled workers and professional consultants are increasingly scarce, materials costs are soaring and interest rates are high. “The industry is faces challenges, with little indication of improvement” says Curnow.

This climate bodes well for industry professionals who understand how to navigate an increasingly complex environment. In fact, for the Metis Group team it proved the perfect opportunity.

“Trust between developers and customers has declined in recent years,” says Galanis. Metis Group’s mission, he says, is to realign these values in its work. Metis call its mission, ‘Places with Purpose’.

“Amid the challenges, we see opportunities. While others may shy away, we’re confident we’re the right fit because we understand where potential issues lie and proactively position every project for success” says Curnow.

If market conditions set the stage, word of mouth and a strong reputation as trusted partners fuelled its growth. Both founders Jeff Curnow and Arian Galanis had long made a name for themselves as thorough and reliable property professionals.

Curnow, originally an architect, has built a stellar career as a senior director specialising in project and development management. Galanis built a distinguished development career working with leading boutique and ASX-listed developers, including Mirvac and GPT Group.

From the Metis Group office, Curnow considers one of the toughest in his career: the Opera Residences.

The luxury development made front-page news in 2016 as Australia’s most expensive apartments development. Yet with high expectations from the client, off-the-plan buyers and approvals needed from near 20 authorities, it was a painstaking process.

Curnow led the team that delivered the project and it became a symbol for his work ethic.

When he met Arian Galanis as part of another engagement, he was encouraged that they had a very similar attitude to getting a job done. Despite the 16-year age gap, both felt a kinship that kept them gravitating towards each other for six years, before they started Metis, a name meaning wisdom and good counsel.

“There was a really strong care factor in what we did,” says Curnow. “We shared the same philosophy: take accountability, roll up your sleeves, and get things done.”

Galanis nods: “We’d challenge every detail from the big picture to the smallest details. We always had the end users in mind and wanted to deliver the best outcome for both our clients and future occupants.”

“We can’t help ourselves,” adds Curnow. “It’s in our nature.”

Their attitude of scrutinising every project parameter, including tasks outside of their direct remit, has earned them kudos from their developer and builder partners.

In one instance they identified a significant miscalculation of required parking spaces by the developer in the project approval, which could have made the entire development unfeasible if they hadn’t proactively intervened. In another case, they provided a more efficient configuration for an architects approved building scheme, saving millions in costs and increasing the amount of sellable area.

Metis’s promise to its clients is to consistently deliver greater value to projects than the cost of its fees.

In the wider property industry, time pressures and project fatigue can create a different dynamic – one, where each individual within a project team increasingly feels responsible only for their specific task.

The problem is that oversights can lead to missed opportunities or small errors that tend to go unnoticed and could compound over time if nobody takes stock. This is where the Metis Group style of project and development management comes in.

“We are the consistent thread over the entire life-cycle of a project,” says Galanis. The founders call it the ‘Metis Method’, and it already creates a pull in the industry.

This hands-on, all-encompassing management style has earned the firm a growing reputation for excellence.

“What we realised is that the right attitude attracts attitude, and people attract people,” says Galanis.

He finds industry peers, other expert consultants and junior staff are already drawn to “the way we work”. He’s confident in their ability to grow their team, client base, and deliver more places that are liveable and high quality.

Looking ahead, Metis plans to extend the consultancy into property development. Galanis and Curnow are actively looking for their first development to deliver the first ‘Metis Made’ project. But, as always, their focus remains on accountability and delivering exceptional results for both clients and residents.

For more information visit www.metisgroup.au