The appointments see Mr Waddell and Mr McKeegan join Commercial Director Sam Borner and commercial property managers Kayleigh Raine and Andrea White, while also leveraging the extensive resources and market reach of the highly successful Ray White Ballarat residential business led by Will Munro and Peter Ludbrook.
The expanded team will service a broad range of commercial assets across Ballarat, regional Victoria, including industrial, office, retail, medical, childcare, education and specialised property sectors.
Sam Borner said the appointments represented a significant milestone for the business and reflected its ambitious plans for growth.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Sam and Lauchlan to the team," he said.
"We're super pumped for the future and where we can take the business together. We all bring something different to the table and we now have a tremendous amount of experience within the team.
"What stood out immediately was how closely aligned we are on our values, our vision and what we want this business to become. We all want the same thing; to deliver outstanding results for our clients and continue building something special in Ballarat."
Sam Borner said the commercial division would benefit significantly from its close relationship with the market-leading residential operation.
"The referrals and relationship with the residential business are incredibly important," he said.
"We've built a strong brand presence on the residential side and now we want to replicate that success in commercial. We want to paint the town yellow.
"You'll continue to see more yellow signs across Ballarat as we grow both businesses together. We're ambitious, we're energetic and we're focused on pushing boundaries.
"Our goal is to be the best business in Ballarat; not just the best real estate business. That's the benchmark we set ourselves with every decision we make."
Lauchlan Waddell brings almost a decade of commercial real estate experience, having entered the industry in 2016 as a team assistant before progressing through the ranks to become a senior executive.
"There is a great plan in place and a fantastic energy around the business," Mr Waddell said.
"The culture that Sam and the team have created was a huge drawcard, and I could see there were excellent skills already within the business that I could learn from and contribute to.
"Ultimately, it comes back to helping clients and building something that becomes the commercial powerhouse in Ballarat."
Mr Waddell said the broader growth trajectory of Ray White and its investment in technology and support systems also played a major role in his decision.
"The growth perspective of the business as a whole is exciting," he said. "The support available through the commercial network and the investment Ray White continues to make in technology gives us the tools to deliver the best possible service to our clients."
Sam McKeegan joins RWC Ballarat after two-and-a-half years in commercial real estate, bringing a diverse professional background spanning business, marketing, events management and accounting. He said the opportunity to join the growing commercial team was impossible to ignore.
He said the expansion came at an opportune time for the Ballarat commercial market.
"The local commercial market isn't without its challenges, but confidence is definitely returning," Mr McKeegan said.
"We're seeing strong activity in retail and industrial is beginning to recover after a quieter period. There's certainly more momentum in the market than there was 12 months ago.
"One of the advantages of Ballarat is that it's a relatively conservative regional market. We don't experience the same dramatic peaks and troughs as some metropolitan markets, which means we tend to weather economic cycles better."
Mr McKeegan said Ballarat's growing population and economic diversification continued to underpin long-term confidence in the region.
"The population continues to grow and there are opportunities across a diverse range of asset classes," he said.
"Whether it's industrial, office, retail or specialised assets such as medical centres, childcare centres, churches or schools, there is strong demand for quality advice and service."
Looking ahead, the expanded team has ambitious plans for the next 12 months, including further recruitment and significant growth of its commercial property management division.
"We want to continue attracting excellent, like-minded people who have great energy, strong attitudes and a real hunger to succeed," Lauchlan Waddell said.
"There is a massive opportunity for us to grow our commercial property management business and further establish ourselves as the go-to agency for any commercial property requirement across the region."
With a larger team, growing market confidence and the backing of one of Ballarat's strongest real estate businesses, RWC Ballarat believes it is well positioned to capitalise on the next phase of growth in regional Victoria's commercial property sector.
"We're only just getting started," Sam Borner said. "The future is incredibly exciting and we're committed to building a business that sets the benchmark for commercial real estate across Ballarat and beyond."
RWC CEO James Linacre said the appointments reflected the strength of the commercial property market across regional Australia and the opportunities available for ambitious businesses.
"Ballarat is one of Victoria's most important regional centres and it's fantastic to see the team continuing to invest in growth and talent," Mr Linacre said. "Sam, Lauchlan and the broader team have built a clear vision for what they want to achieve, and that's exactly the type of entrepreneurial mindset we look for across the RWC network.
"We're seeing increasing demand from clients for specialist commercial expertise in regional markets, and the expansion of RWC Ballarat positions the business exceptionally well to capitalise on those opportunities," Mr Linacre said.
