Top of the Props: A real estate crown jewel

Iwan Sunito, founder and CEO of Australia’s Crown Group. (Photos: Crown Group)

Once a struggling architect, Iwan Sunito is today the founder and CEO of Crown Group, Australia’s leading luxury property developer. We speak to the Surabaya-born, Borneo-raised Australian citizen about his journey thus far.

by Cheryl Marie Tay

“Dad, can I come home?”

Those were the words uttered by a young Iwan Sunito during a phone call home during his early years in Sydney.

He had moved there in 1984, at the age of 18, to pursue a degree in architecture at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) and Master of Construction Management. But, lacking connections and opportunities, he was having trouble getting ahead in the Australian property industry.

Despite this, his father replied: “No, stay there; you’re doing well!” A disheartened Sunito responded: “Come on, Dad — this is not doing well. I can’t even buy a decent car!”

His father was resolute, and he remained in Sydney.

Today, the 50-year-old sits across from me in an office in The CapitaGreen and says, “I’m glad I kept at it, and got better and better at what I wanted to do.”

Laying the foundation

Sunito’s involvement in the real estate business stems from his great love of architecture. In fact, it seems he could not wait to get started as a professional architect, taking on small jobs and projects while he was still studying.

“I wanted to get into the architecture (business). For five-and-a-half years, I pursued an architectural degree at UNSW, and while I was doing that, I was also designing houses: garages, fences, bathrooms…any small jobs I could get my hands on. But in Year 5, I started renovating large houses.”

He adds with a chuckle: “It gave me more professional mileage because I started doing these jobs while I was still learning, and I realised I didn’t know much. I did my own bathroom and ended up forgetting to install waterproofing!”

Apart from learning on the job, chalking up relevant experience sooner than most earned him people’s trust, and allowed him to become a chartered architect immediately after he had obtained his Master’s degree.

He reveals that “most people have to work in the industry for four to five years before they can apply for this status, but I applied straight away after getting my Master’s.” His application was approved, but not without considerable scepticism from others.

“Many people questioned me; they didn’t think I had enough experience. But the truth is that I did.”

Though things were generally going well up until this point, Sunito’s architecture firm, Joshua International Architects, began to stagnate. “I didn’t have the network needed to get big jobs, and I couldn’t expand my architecture team as quickly as I wanted to, so I had to find another option.”

A developing interest

That option turned out to be property development.

He explains: “I love architecture, but I thought it would be better if I started my own development company so I could design my own properties. I’m sure (being an architect) would have been fine, but I would have had to do what others wanted. This way, I get to be more creative and work towards my own vision.”

And so, in 1996, he founded Crown Group together with a business partner, engineer Paul Sathio.

As CEO (Development) and founder, he has played an active role in the company, taking charge of assessing, selecting and buying sites, liaising with architects, obtaining official building approval, handling construction documentation, and overseeing design, acquisition, development, banking, sales and marketing.

The company’s portfolio includes hotel, retail, office and residential properties, and has a team of 140 people. Its construction department is handled by CEO (Construction) and co-founder Paul Sathio, and it has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali, Singapore and Los Angeles.

Crowning glory

When asked to describe what sets him and his company apart from others in the industry, he says: “One of the strengths of Crown Group, right from the beginning, is a great partnership. I’m good at design, one of my business partners is very good at marketing, and the other business partner is good at building.

“We had this great combination of design, sales and marketing, and construction. It was almost like divine appointment that we all had skills that did not compete with one another, but completed (the company). This is what has made Crown Group strong, even till today.”

The group’s emphasis on not outsourcing is also credited for making it unique in that regard: “We design, build and sell everything; we do not rely on others to do this. We can choose the best of the best people to deliver what we need, and that gives us an edge.”

The company has endured leaner times, and after the financial crises it has seen itself through, Sunito strongly believes sustainable growth is vital.

“We don’t try to grow for the sake of growing; it has to be sustainable. We have overcome several financial crises: the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the 2004 recession in New South Wales, and the 2008 global financial crisis. We grew stronger from there, and it showed that being sustainable is more important than pushing growth for the sake of growing.”

Instead of aggressively pursuing growth, Sunito prefers to focus on perfecting his product.

“Our design has to lead (the way). When people enter any of our buildings, they are embarking on a journey; they discover things along the way, and there is an element of surprise, a sense of exploration as they wander about. That’s what makes a beautiful building complete.

“There are many hotels you may enter and say, ‘It’s nice, but I don’t know if I’ll be back.’ But there are buildings that you enter and say, ‘Wow, this is amazing’, as if you’ve been spiritually awakened. That’s what we’re trying to achieve.”

He aims to maintain that vision in the group’s up and coming projects, one of which is V, a 29-storey residential development atop a retail podium in Parramatta, designed by multi award-winning Allen Jack + Cottier architects, together with celebrated architect Koichi Takada.

Sunito is particularly excited about Waterfall, which was inspired by the exotic landscapes of his homeland, Indonesia. Situated in Waterloo, Sydney, it will feature a seven-storey cascading water wall, which he hopes can be called “the highest water wall in Australia”.

Excellence over difference

But though he eagerly espouses Crown Group’s unique attributes, he is also quick to point out that being different should not be one’s focus.

“It’s not about trying to be different, it’s about trying to be good. When you are good, you are different (from the mediocre). A lot of people make the mistake of simply asking, ‘How can we be different?’

“The key is to be the best at what you’re good at, and that makes you different. You may want to create a new style, but it may not be your strength. And our strength is resort-style living: massive foyers, beautiful gardens, trees…water is always the main element of our buildings.”

Furthermore, amid the flashy excess so common in luxury properties around the world, Sunito tends towards the subtle yet refined, describing his projects as “beyond luxury” and saying, “It’s not about glitz but about the experience. We’re not a glitzy kind of company; we prefer understated luxury, like the Japanese and Swedish do.”

Defying the odds

I ask him what he considers his major achievements in life so far, and the father of three smiles and says, “Finding a wife and having kids.” He bursts into laughter as soon as he finishes the sentence, but it’s easy to see that he is grateful for his family.

His eyes light up when he talks about how his youngest child has taught him the importance of not being “out of touch”, as she has candidly described him. “Just the other day, she wanted to show me something on YouTube; she said I need to update myself!”

But the subject soon returns to his business, and he says, “Starting a company in Australia when I didn’t have much experience was a big milestone. But the first breakthrough was our first billion-dollar project in 2004.

“After 20 years, having started from nothing and now competing against the giants of property development while still a private company, it’s nice to know we’ve gotten this far.”

So far, in fact, that Urban Taskforce Australia named him 2015’s Property Person of the Year, a decision that stunned him.

“Typically, you have to be 60 or 70 or even retired when you win this award, a living legend. To be the first Australian of Asian descent to win it — and at just 50 years old — was unheard of. I didn’t believe it till I actually received the award.”

Though he is happy to have this honour, he adds: “With such an award comes a weight on your shoulders.”

As an Asian living in Australia, Sunito has faced has fair share of challenges. “In the past, if you were Chinese, nobody would want to employ you,” he says, referring to the assumption that East Asians could not speak English.

But despite the monumental success he has achieved in Australia, where he once saw no future for himself, he remains humble. Though he counts the late Robby Djohan (a senior banker best known for rescuing the airline Garuda Indonesia from bankruptcy) as a mentor, he is certain anyone, regardless of age, can be a mentor to him. He makes an effort to interact with Crown Group’s staff, from whom he believes he has much to learn.

He leaves me with this advice: “Pick the right team; you are only as good as your people.”

			This article was first published in the print version PropertyGuru News & Views. Download PDFs of full print issues or read more stories now!