The first McGrath Estate Agents franchise office in Melbourne is in beachside St Kilda as the Sydney-born brand attempts to capture a slice of the notoriously big brand-averse Melbourne market, where boutique local agencies reign.

McGrath has taken over the Hodges St Kilda business operated by Josh Stirling, Shane Goldfarb and Michael Townsend, who have operated in St Kilda for the last 6 years. They will lead a team of 23.

Chief Executive John McGrath described Melbourne as "one of the most exciting and dynamic property markets in Australia, and an important next step" for his firm, which listed on the ASX as McGrath Limited (ASX:MEA) earlier this month.

McGrath has been planning the move into the Melbourne market for some time, and is in the process of opening a further three offices in Melbourne early in 2016. McGrath currently has 78 offices across the east coast of Australia.

"Expanding our focus to Melbourne is a natural progression for us as we believe that it is arguably one of the best real estate markets in the world, an urbane international city that sits alongside London and New York," said McGrath. "In terms of size it is second only to Sydney, and we believe it presents a wonderful opportunity for our company to bring a very high level of customer service and a broader marketing reach to an already very savvy consumer."

Stirling said McGrath's outstanding reputation as an industry leader, and the firm's superior training and support are what attracted him to the move.

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McGrath establishing solid presence in Melbourne