Ray White Double Bay founders Craig Pontey and Michael Finger sell out to Elliott Placks

The founding directors of Ray White Double Bay, Craig Pontey and Michael Finger have sold their shareholdings to Elliott Placks, but are not going far.

The property veterans are staying on at the estate agency as sales agents and mentors to the 30-strong sales force.

The Ray White Double Bay office sold more than $930 million in property last year, being the number one office in Ray White’s Australian network for the last seven years.

(Pictured above Craig Pontey, Elliott Placks and Michael Finger.)

Pontey said this was a very natural succession plan which the trio had all been working towards for some time.

“This is a very stylish transition and the time is right.

"We both know Elliott will take the business that we started in 1988 to new levels," Pontey said.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald - 1988

Finger said it’s “business as usual” for their clients.

“Craig and I are just stepping back from the day to day management of the business and I’m looking forward to helping mentor the agents." 

Elliott Placks is now the managing director of Ray White Double Bay.

Placks has been at Ray White Double Bay for the last 15 years and as a director for the last seven years.

“I’m proud of the achievements this incredible team has received and their continuous drive for high performance and I’m thrilled to be at the helm,” Placks said.

The 37-year-old ambitious leader said his team was unified through collaboration, authenticity, elite habits and immovable ethics and values.

Michael Krimotat is its director of property management and Daniel Pym, the director of its loan division.

Pontey and Finger joined ERA Ray White from AH Taylor Nationwide in April 1988, with it reported in the local paper, The Eastern Herald's Hobnobbing column.

Their first listing at the new agency was the 1885 Randwick home Peckham on Cowper Street for the furniture retailers Graham and Helen Bailey from Bailey & McBride.

It hasn't sold since its mid-1988 sale at $1.31 million.

The veteran pair started together at AH Taylor Real Estate in 1978 as property managers when Finger hired Pontey.

Their Ray White Double Bay co-founder Trevor Leach sold out of the partnership around six year ago.

AH Taylor, which briefly held the Century 21 franchise, dates back to 1926.