Article | Intelligent Investment
Lee Holdsworth: The champion racing driver who’s leading the race to renewables
The Supercars Championship driver departed the sport at the top of his game - and it has everything to do with property.
March 14, 2025
Lee Holdsworth was never meant to be in the property business.
For starters, he once survived crashing into a wall at over 260km/h. And that was just part of his day job. A quick search will also reveal Lee's prolific biography as an Australian Supercars Championship driver with 19 podiums to his name. It’s an impressive CV which precedes his less death-defying role as CBRE’s Capital Markets Manager for the Energy & Infrastructure division today.
How did he end up here?
“When you're in motorsport - or in any sport - you commit your whole life to it, and you sacrifice so much. You've got the blinkers on for most of your career and you’re not focusing on having a backup plan. That was me,” Lee says.
From the age of six, all Lee wanted was to race cars, and he was fortunate enough to live out that dream with the help of his dedicated father, forging a career spanning decades. Those plans were abruptly halted with the arrival of the pandemic and lockdowns forcing a more mature Lee to re-evaluate his life options.
“In 2021, I lost my driving seat because of the pandemic. We lost sponsorship in the team, and that meant that I was sitting on the sidelines for the year.
“I realised I needed to have a backup plan because you can't play sport forever. Your body doesn't allow it, and I was getting to that point where I needed to move into another career.
“I wondered what the hell was I going to do with myself.”
“I knew a lot of the developers and high-net-worth individuals, so I reached out to my contacts, and they gave me some advice to go and get my real estate license.”
He did it on the spot in 2021. Ironically, it was also the same year he’d end up winning Bathurst while he was plotting his grand exit from the sport.
“I got asked back full-time the next year,” he laughs.
“I was a co-driver, of course, so I wasn't racing full-time. At the end of 2021, I had my real estate license and was ready to go full-time at CBRE the following year. I got offered a position and that's how it came about.”
It was a soft transition for Lee who opted for the rare full-time driving opportunity in 2022 under the promise that he’d go all in on his CBRE role the following year. In 2023, Lee officially joined CBRE full-time while maintaining part-time racing duties as required.
“It was a really warm introduction to CBRE and the property industry,” he says, noting that the process allowed him to dip his toes in the water to understand the industry while getting acquainted with the teams at his new workplace - sans steering wheel.
“I spent my life polluting and burning tyres, and now I'm here to give back. I'm trying to offset the carbon emissions that I put out there and now selling renewable energy assets.
“I came into CBRE to focus on the automotive sector, car dealerships and petrol stations as it was a natural fit for me with my background and contacts. That’s evolved into a massive gap in the market in renewables.”
Lee sees plenty of institutions and corporations committing to the greener path today, and it’s a movement he’s more than happy to help accommodate.
“They're moving beyond the traditional assets like stocks and bonds. They want steady income and long-term power purchase agreements can do that for them. This is what renewable investments offer with 10 to 20-year commitments from power purchase agreements proving to be a positive source of revenue.”
There’s also additional drivers coming from more companies going green to reduce their carbon footprint and meet their ESG targets. And then there’s public sector support through policies and incentives encouraging investment in the alternatives space.
"Add to that the technological advancements making the costs of the projects cheaper and driving better returns, the clean energy demand from growing climate action concerns; all of these are driving today’s alternative investment assets.”
And what do the returns look like?
“They're very attractive compared to your traditional investments in real estate,” says Lee
“Some projects are generating returns of 10% to 15% equity returns in solar and wind projects. Your debt returns are around 5% to 8% IRR for renewable energy projects.
“Yield returns are 8% to 12% dividend yields for yield co-investors, so public traded companies that own and operate renewable energy assets.
“There's very attractive returns, but when you throw battery in the mix for a solar project, you can see a blended yield in the high teens.”
This fact barely phases Lee, who’s been awarded the title of one of the best and fairest Supercar drivers, recognising those who demonstrate outstanding leadership, character, personality, fan appeal, and sportsmanship throughout the season.
"Most audiences see it as just the driver in the car, but there's so many people behind the scenes that make it happen,” he says.
“It’s the same in the property industry at CBRE where you've got your team around you, and you all rely on one another to win.
“Bringing that attitude into the corporate world puts you in good stead to work in that team environment to ensure that if you stick at it, you'll eventually succeed.”
For starters, he once survived crashing into a wall at over 260km/h. And that was just part of his day job. A quick search will also reveal Lee's prolific biography as an Australian Supercars Championship driver with 19 podiums to his name. It’s an impressive CV which precedes his less death-defying role as CBRE’s Capital Markets Manager for the Energy & Infrastructure division today.
How did he end up here?
“When you're in motorsport - or in any sport - you commit your whole life to it, and you sacrifice so much. You've got the blinkers on for most of your career and you’re not focusing on having a backup plan. That was me,” Lee says.
From the age of six, all Lee wanted was to race cars, and he was fortunate enough to live out that dream with the help of his dedicated father, forging a career spanning decades. Those plans were abruptly halted with the arrival of the pandemic and lockdowns forcing a more mature Lee to re-evaluate his life options.
“In 2021, I lost my driving seat because of the pandemic. We lost sponsorship in the team, and that meant that I was sitting on the sidelines for the year.
“I realised I needed to have a backup plan because you can't play sport forever. Your body doesn't allow it, and I was getting to that point where I needed to move into another career.
“I wondered what the hell was I going to do with myself.”
A strategic pit stop in property
“I knew a lot of the developers and high-net-worth individuals, so I reached out to my contacts, and they gave me some advice to go and get my real estate license.”
He did it on the spot in 2021. Ironically, it was also the same year he’d end up winning Bathurst while he was plotting his grand exit from the sport.
“I got asked back full-time the next year,” he laughs.
“I was a co-driver, of course, so I wasn't racing full-time. At the end of 2021, I had my real estate license and was ready to go full-time at CBRE the following year. I got offered a position and that's how it came about.”
It was a soft transition for Lee who opted for the rare full-time driving opportunity in 2022 under the promise that he’d go all in on his CBRE role the following year. In 2023, Lee officially joined CBRE full-time while maintaining part-time racing duties as required.
“It was a really warm introduction to CBRE and the property industry,” he says, noting that the process allowed him to dip his toes in the water to understand the industry while getting acquainted with the teams at his new workplace - sans steering wheel.
Redeeming the days of burnt rubber
Irony seems to be a common theme in Lee’s unique career path. He’s certainly not ignorant of the fact that his role at CBRE focusing on renewables is at odds with his petrol-guzzling day job of yesteryear.“I spent my life polluting and burning tyres, and now I'm here to give back. I'm trying to offset the carbon emissions that I put out there and now selling renewable energy assets.
“I came into CBRE to focus on the automotive sector, car dealerships and petrol stations as it was a natural fit for me with my background and contacts. That’s evolved into a massive gap in the market in renewables.”
Lee sees plenty of institutions and corporations committing to the greener path today, and it’s a movement he’s more than happy to help accommodate.
Return on alternative investments
In a rapidly shifting world, traditional investors are evolving, emphasising alternative investment assets, particularly in renewables.“They're moving beyond the traditional assets like stocks and bonds. They want steady income and long-term power purchase agreements can do that for them. This is what renewable investments offer with 10 to 20-year commitments from power purchase agreements proving to be a positive source of revenue.”
There’s also additional drivers coming from more companies going green to reduce their carbon footprint and meet their ESG targets. And then there’s public sector support through policies and incentives encouraging investment in the alternatives space.
"Add to that the technological advancements making the costs of the projects cheaper and driving better returns, the clean energy demand from growing climate action concerns; all of these are driving today’s alternative investment assets.”
And what do the returns look like?
“They're very attractive compared to your traditional investments in real estate,” says Lee
“Some projects are generating returns of 10% to 15% equity returns in solar and wind projects. Your debt returns are around 5% to 8% IRR for renewable energy projects.
“Yield returns are 8% to 12% dividend yields for yield co-investors, so public traded companies that own and operate renewable energy assets.
“There's very attractive returns, but when you throw battery in the mix for a solar project, you can see a blended yield in the high teens.”
Achieving client success with a winner’s mindset
This fact barely phases Lee, who’s been awarded the title of one of the best and fairest Supercar drivers, recognising those who demonstrate outstanding leadership, character, personality, fan appeal, and sportsmanship throughout the season.
"Most audiences see it as just the driver in the car, but there's so many people behind the scenes that make it happen,” he says.
“It’s the same in the property industry at CBRE where you've got your team around you, and you all rely on one another to win.
“Bringing that attitude into the corporate world puts you in good stead to work in that team environment to ensure that if you stick at it, you'll eventually succeed.”
