X Commercial Builds for Growth with Senior Hires and Rising Talent

Our South Sydney, Inner West and South West offices have strengthened their agency team following a year of deliberate rebuilding.

We are pleased to announce a significant expansion of our agency team across our South Sydney, Inner West and South West offices, welcoming two senior appointments alongside a growing group of associate agents progressing through our structured development program.

These three offices are the founding offices of the X Commercial network and are owned and operated by our founder and CEO, Daniel O’Brien.

The appointments reflect a deliberate rebuilding of the agency team over the past 12 months, providing greater experience, depth and market coverage across South Sydney, the Inner West and South West.

Darren Benson and George Danilidis have joined our South Sydney office, specialising across South Sydney and the Inner West.

Combined, the pair were instrumental in more than $200 million in industrial and commercial property sales across NSW during FY25/26, a significant result against a backdrop of subdued market sentiment.

Darren is a seasoned industrial real estate professional with a deep understanding of global market dynamics. His previous roles include National Head of Industrial Logistics at Knight Frank.

Throughout his career, Darren has brokered transactions of all sizes, from strata unit sales and institutional leasing to major property transactions such as the 65,000 sqm Monarto Distribution Centre. His experience also extends beyond transactions into advisory work, including industrial zone development in China and market studies for the mini-storage and data centre sectors.

“I’m excited to join the X Commercial team. It’s a dynamic, collaborative platform built to deliver the best outcomes for clients, and I’m looking forward to being part of the next phase of the business’s growth.”

Darren Benson

George brings more than two decades of experience across several prestigious real estate agencies, including operating his own business. During this time, he has established a proven track record of securing billions of dollars in sales and leasing transactions.

He has built an extensive domestic and international client database and is recognised as a natural communicator and astute negotiator, with a strong record of developing stakeholder relationships and high-performing teams.

“I’m excited to be joining X Commercial at an important stage of its growth. The business has built a dynamic, modern platform with the infrastructure, market knowledge and ambition to compete at the highest level.

“I’ve spent over two decades building my career across commercial and industrial property in South Sydney, the Inner West and the broader Sydney market, and I’ve built strong, long-standing client relationships along the way.

“Darren and I bring complementary experience and a shared focus on outperforming the market for our clients, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter of growth with the team.”

George Danilidis

Alongside these senior appointments, we are continuing to expand our associate agent cohort.

Francesco Papalia, Max Dempsey, Kristian Nel and Max Dickens have all joined the team over the past six months through our structured three-year development pathway.

Daniel O’Brien has delivered this program for 20 years, supporting young agents through a deliberate progression designed to build the skills, discipline and experience required for long and successful careers in commercial real estate.

The results of this pathway speak for themselves.

Matthew Babbage, an early graduate of the program, is now operating on a commission-only basis at just 22 years of age and is preparing to hire his own associate agent.

Alex Bennett followed the same pathway a decade earlier. After joining the business as a 21-year-old associate, Alex is now Managing Director of our Lower North Shore office and holds equity in the business he helped build.

At X Commercial, this pathway is more than a promise. It is a proven model for people who are the right cultural fit, prepared to invest in their development and ultimately want the opportunity to own a share of their own business.

“We’re in our 10th year now, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned building this business, it’s that growth sometimes means a changing of the guard.

“Over the last 12 months, we’ve made some deliberate calls about who’s on this team and why. What’s come out the other side is a generation of operators that has me more excited than I’ve been at any point in this journey.

“Darren, George and the young talent coming up behind them are exactly the calibre we set out to build this business around.”

Daniel O’Brien, Founder and CEO, X Commercial