Who Is Chris Rolls?

Chris Rolls – Managing Director – Rental Express

At just 34 years of age Chris Rolls has had a remarkable career in small business over the last 10 years. While studying sports marketing at university, Chris started his first business a corporate sports clothing company called SCODY Performance Wear. Specialising in the manufacturing of performance swimwear and cycling apparel, the business grew rapidly to become one of the largest suppliers in the industry and still operates today.

Chris sold his interest in SCODY in 1999 and started First Class Accounts a bookkeeping and accounting franchise business specialising in small business accounts. Once again the business grew rapidly, becoming the largest bookkeeping services franchisor in Australia with over 1300 franchises working out of most major cities across Australia. Chris sold his interest in First Class Accounts in 2002.

While running First Class Accounts Chris started his third business this time in the real estate industry in 2001 after purchasing Harcourts Paddington Real Estate for $6000. Chris in just 8 years has grown the business to be one of Queensland’s largest real estate businesses. It took just 2 years in the industry for the Harcourts Property Centre to be ranked in the top five Harcourts offices in Queensland.

In 2004 Chris became a licensed auctioneer and has rapidly become one of Queensland’s most sought after auctioneers. In 2004 having called just 5 auctions Chris won the inaugural Harcourts Australia Auctioneer of the Year competition, and in 2005 in his first attempt, Chris won the Real Estate Institute of Queensland Auctioneer of the Year award. In 2006 Chris represented Queensland at Australasian Auctioneer of the Year Competition held in New Zealand, ranking him as one of the best Real Estate Auctioneers in Australia and New Zealand.

In 2006 Chris sold the Harcourts Property Centre real estate sales business to concentrate solely on property management. The property management division of the real estate business was renamed Rental Express. Rental Express is now the largest privately owned residential property management business in Queensland with over $1.5 billion worth of real estate under management across 234 suburbs operating from four locations. Each year Rental Express conducts over 9000 property inspections and accommodates around 6000 tenants.

Chris is an expert columnist for the national publication Your Investment Property Magazine, and is the auctioneer of choice for Brisbane’s largest annual charity ball, The Brisbane BMW Gala Ball. He is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and events around Australia and is available for comment on the property market, small business and entrepreneurialism.