Our Founders.
Through the experience of handling in excess of 1200 Sales & Leasing Transactions now your opportunity presents to benefit from the knowledge of Mark Wizel & Lewis Tong in a bespoke and tailored advisory offering.
Mark Wizel
Mark Wizel holds over 15 years of experience in the Australian property industry, previously heading CBRE as the National Sales Director where he was involved in large-scale asset disposal projects and proved his strengths in marketing, process building, sales and leasing.
Mark’s sales prowess can be traced back to the age of 13 where he would assist his father in selling Australian sheepskin products in the draughty stalls of Melbourne’s Queen Victoria market. Exposed to a diverse range of shoppers from a young age, he was able to build up his sales toolkit to withstand all sorts of customers – ultimately this helped shape his skillset today.
Fast forward several years and Mark launched a formidable commercial property career off the back of the Global Financial Crisis, seeking mentorship from property greats and finding opportunities in a market of high uncertainty under the green umbrella of CBRE. In the seven years between 2012 to 2019, he assembled and trained an agency team that would go on to dominate the commercial property market across nearly every asset class. At its peak, the team exceeded revenue growth ten-fold from $2.4mil to $29.6m in 2017 across 200 transactions with a clearance rate of 90% – the green machine at CBRE transacted over $20bn in sales over the seven-year period.
It is with much pleasure that Mark launched Wizel Property Group in 2020 – a company focused on advisory, investment and development opportunities across the Asia-Pacific commercial and residential property markets. It is without doubt that his personal and team success was born of hard work, unwavering dedication and a reputation that demands excellence. These core values are ingrained in the culture of the business led by him and will provide confidence to all associates that engage and work with Wizel Property Group.
2019 – REA Agent of the Year Award
2015 – REIV Agent of the Year Award
2010 – REIV Commercial Salesperson of the Year Award
Lewis Tong
Lewis was born in Hong Kong and immigrated with his family to Australia in the mid-80s. During the 90s his family established an import/export trading business in Australia and a small retail business where he first got his exposure to property.
In 2006, Lewis joined CBRE as a commercial property valuer in industrial, office, retail, and development sites and in 2009 moved into Commercial property transactions where he specialised in transacting commercial property with Asian Capital. He was made National Director of the Australian Asian Desk in 2018 across Australia and managed a team of 30 people.
2018 – Lewis is recognised by the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) as the Commercial Agent of the Year.
Our Advisory Team.
James Doherty
In the late 90s, at the age of 12, James immigrated with his family to Melbourne from South Africa.
Having just experienced his parents’ process of selling their family home in South Africa and then embarking with his family in the process of securing their new home in Melbourne, James quickly observed a significant difference and admiration for the way that Real Estate was handled in Australia. Undoubtedly, these moments fuelled a young interest and future passion for real estate.
Fast forward to 2009, and James had the opportunity to turn an early interest in real estate into the start of a passionate career. Over the next 13 years, James forged a specialist career in the sales and leasing of commercial real estate in Melbourne’s city fringe. During his time in the agency, James would facilitate over a thousand sales and leasing transactions.
A true end-to-end passion for all things real estate has also seen James develop a profile throughout Melbourne as a passionate and trusted auctioneer. Since 2008, James has called hundreds of public auctions in both the commercial and residential sectors, as well as being a multi-finalist of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria Senior Auctioneers competitions.
Since joining Wizel Property Group & Pearl River Group in October 2022, James has worked successfully within The Proxima Fund and Advise Transact to secure a number of highly successful commercial real estate investment projects for its capital partners.
Working with Advise Transact, James has developed a strong ability to deliver outstanding results through a strategic skillset of property sourcing, purchase negotiations, capital works delivery, lease negotiations, divestment management and financial management of his managed investment projects.
Jun Tan
Jun holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from Monash University, providing a strong foundation in both legal and financial domains.
He began his career with Advise Transact as an intern in July 2022, before joining full-time as an Analyst upon graduation in July 2023. Over the past two years, Jun has supported commercial property transactions across acquisitions, divestments, and leasing, working closely with directors on transactions involving office, retail, and development sites across metropolitan and regional markets. Jun was promoted to Advisory Associate in 2026.
His role spans property analysis, market research, financial modelling, and the preparation of tailored advice to support client decision-making. Jun is actively involved across the full transaction process, from strategy development and campaign management through to settlement.
Prior to joining Advise Transact, Jun gained experience in consulting and corporate advisory through roles that strengthened his analytical, research, and problem-solving skills. These capabilities continue to underpin his work on complex property transactions.
Jun’s professional background reflects a strong work ethic, adaptability, and commitment to delivering commercially sound, data-informed advice. With his combined legal, financial, and property expertise, he continues to create value for clients in a dynamic market environment.
Claire Hains - Specialist Contractor
With over 15 years of experience in the commercial property market, Claire has held senior valuation and advisory positions at JLL and M3 Property.
She has been an Associate Member (CPV) of the Australian Property Institute for nearly 15 years and has expertise in both the Victorian and South Australian markets. While Claire is highly skilled in the development sector, her experience spans all asset classes, serving a diverse client base including private investors, owner-occupiers, developers, government entities and financial institutions.
A passionate real estate professional, Claire is known for her personable and approachable nature when working with clients.
Tony Rafaniello
Over 25 year’s experience in the design, development and operation of large-scale, high-volume property infrastructure.
Founding senior executive of Crown Melbourne. During 16 years with Crown held various operational and project positions including Project Director–Design & Development, and Chief Operating Officer.
Design Director for City of Dreams Macau–A US$2billion integrated casino-hotel-entertainment complex.
General Manager of Chadstone as it undertook a $580million transition into an integrated retail-leisure commercial complex, with revenues exceeding $2billion.
Development of design briefs to ensure the infrastructure is designed to leverage the underlying business strategy; objectives are clear; design time and cost are minimised; assets can be efficiently operated and maintained.
Project management of design consultant teams including architects, service engineers, structural engineers, urban planners, and transport consultants. Extensive operational experience at senior executive level across a diverse range of operational departments.
Global perspective having worked in the United States, Hong Kong, Macau and Canada.
Education
• Master of Property (Distinction) RMIT
• Master of Business Administration (Distinction) Melbourne University
• Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Hons), Monash University
Areas of Expertise
• Master planning, design, and development of large-scale property infrastructure
• Operational leadership of high-volume property-intensive businesses
• Land assembly and planning
Paul Lachal – Specialist Contractor
With over 40 years of experience in the commercial real estate sector, Paul has held senior leadership roles across development, investment management, and advisory, including Director positions at Deloitte Australia and Knight Frank.
Paul is a licensed real estate agent with extensive expertise across all commercial asset classes, including retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use developments. Having founded and led his own development and consultancy businesses, he brings a highly commercial, end-to-end understanding of property from acquisition and feasibility through to delivery, leasing, and divestment. His experience spans working with private investors, family offices, institutional groups, and advisory firms, consistently driving value through strategic investment and asset management.
His role spans investment strategy, acquisition and disposition management, development feasibility, and active asset management. Paul works closely with stakeholders across the full lifecycle of property transactions, including sourcing opportunities, managing due diligence, negotiating terms, and overseeing delivery and performance optimisation. His ability to align commercial objectives with practical execution has been a consistent driver of strong outcomes for clients.
Prior to his current consulting work, Paul founded and led Elan Property Group, where he was responsible for shaping investment strategies, managing development projects, and delivering leasing and advisory services across a broad client base. He has also worked extensively with high-value private portfolios and family offices, managing acquisitions, divestments, and long-term investment strategies across assets exceeding $1 billion in value.
Paul’s professional background reflects deep market knowledge, strong commercial acumen, and a highly relationship-driven approach. With decades of experience across all facets of commercial property, he continues to provide clear, strategic advice that enables clients to maximise value and navigate complex property decisions with confidence.
News & Media.
Federal Budget Could Trigger Major Investment Shift from Residential into Commercial Property
May 26, 2026
YouTube: Market Insights EP53: Mark Wizel chats with Urban.com.au CEO Mike Bird
September 3, 2024
Podcasts
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