Alex Fitzgerald

Director of Developments

• Alex is the daughter of John and currently sits as JLF’s Director of Developments.
• Joining the business in 2012 she has since worked within multiple departments of the business. Notably, between 2016 and 2023 Alex negotiated 2,000+ blocks of land across Melbourne and diversified the company into the South Australian market for the first time in its history from 2017. Today, Adelaide is a key market JLF operate within.
• Today Alex overseas JLF’s larger development portfolio delivering 300+ blocks of land per annum alongside other special development projects.
• Alex Chairs the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Melbourne whilst also sitting on their National Executive Committee focusing on key mission priorities across housing attainability, decarbonisation and resilience across the real estate sector.
• Dovetailing JLF’s Toogoolawa Schools Mission, Alex sits on the board of Magic Moments Foundation, a NFP that runs Youth Empowerment initiatives and focuses on essential food hampers for those experiencing food and housing insecurity.

Mitchell Scale

Acquisitions Manager Queensland

• 1 year with the JLF Corporation and 2 years’ experience in the Property Industry
• Mitch holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Real Estate and Property Development
• Mitch is tasked with sourcing land in high growth areas throughout Queensland, which provide sound investment opportunities for our clients; this involves analyzing market data, feasibility assessment,negotiation, and managing stakeholder relationships.
• Mitch is a passionate surfer, a keen AFL fan and is currently teaching himself guitar.
• Mitch is based at our Head Office at The Gold Coast and can be contacted via phone and email

Dora McBain

Chief Financial Controller

• JLF CFO Dora McBain, like many of the team at JLF has invested in several properties through Custodian. And she can understand why their customers are so loyal and keep coming back for more.
• “We make sure that we communicate with our clients, especially when they need it most, the pandemic was one of those times” she said.
• “It’s not just set and forget, we are constantly trying to be there for our clients guiding them with their investment journey, making sense of all the noise provided by the media in particular.”
• After starting out as Group Accountant with JLF in 1997, Dora said she was always looking for different ways to challenge herself and learn something new.
• She completed her Accounting degree at Monash University in Melbourne before making a move to the Gold Coast when she was 26 years old.
• “I decided to do something different from what I was doing in Melbourne and take a little bit of a risk with John because I had always been interested in property and it was something that I wanted to learn,” she said.
• “Back then the office was in Southport and there were only six of us. In that first year we settled 25 properties, back when the average land sale was circa $60,000.
• “I was lucky enough to be part of the development of the Custodian brand and launching the business, setting up offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane.
• “It’s like I just blinked and then 26 years flew past. It’s been a great experience to work with John to build the business to what it is today and leave a legacy for the next generation: John’s nephew James and his daughter Alex.”
• That decision to take her first Gold Coast job with a property company was a real ‘sliding doors moment’ for Dora, reinforcing her belief that if you always do the right thing for the right reasons the universe will always have your back.
• “Don’t get me wrong, there have been many tough times,” she said.
• “There has been stress and sleepless nights, particularly in 2000 when the GST was introduced and in 2007 when the Global Financial Crisis hit, but that’s what we are here for, to weather the storm and help guide our clients through those tough times.”

James Fitzgerald

Managing Director

• 11 years with JLF Group of companies
• James holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and Commerce – Majoring in Accounting
• James is the nephew of CEO, John Fitzgerald and has at times worked in and run the Research, Acquisitions, Construction, Invest loan and Sales divisions of the business.
• At just 30 years of age he has bought, sold and developed more than 2,000 properties and spent more than 20,000 hours of his time helping to build and implement strategies for Custodian clients.
• James is the chairman of Toogoolawa Schools Ltd, a not for profit school for youth at risk that was started in 1991.
• James starts the day with an hour of exercise; he loves Netflix TV series and has a sweet tooth.
• James is based at our Head Office on the Gold Coast and can be contacted via phone and email.

John Fitzgerald

CEO

John Fitzgerald is one of the most renowned and respected Australian property investment experts with over 40 years’ experience in residential and commercial real estate, property development and property investment.

He is also a self-made man. After completing high school at 17 years of age, John hitchhiked from Melbourne to the Gold Coast with only $200 in his pocket. He started working in real estate and quickly mastered the art of building wealth with a sustainable strategy that simply works. By 25, he owned over $1 million in net property assets.

He has used the same wealth-building strategy to develop a multi-million dollar business,sharing his knowledge and skills with everyday Australians.

He wrote a book called the 7 Steps to Wealth – now in its 8th edition – highlighting the strategy and simplifying what seems so complicated to most of us, showing all Australians that they can, in fact, build a wealth of their own.

John has personally bought, sold and developed over 20,000 properties and has an extensive residential and commercial investment portfolio.

John doesn’t just invest in land, he also invests in people. He is the chairman and founding benefactor of Toogoolawa Children’s Home Ltd, which has fostered over 1,600youth at risk or wards of the state. He also established and runs a unique school for boys who have learning and behavior problems that make them no longer welcome in mainstream schools.

The reason why John does what he does is simply that school.