John McGrath's embattled real estate group, McGrath Ltd, has finally admitted considering options that could end its short life as a ASX-listed company.
"I note recent commentary on the status of the company as a listed entity," McGrath chairman Cass O'Connor told shareholders at its annual meeting in Sydney on Wednesday.
"We have reviewed a number of options for shareholders, but have nothing to disclose at this time."
Speaking after the meeting, Ms O'Connor and McGrath's chief executive, Cameron Judson, did not clarify exactly what avenues they were looking at for the company, except to repeat, "We will look at the composition of the board and focus on lifting performance and productivity of the agents and the existing network".
When asked directly if McGrath had a future as a listed company, Ms O'Connor said, "there is some reason why we keep missing forecasts, that's the fact".
"Does that mean we keep missing forecasts, partially, or because the market is missing them partially ... there are a whole lot of reasons why we keep missing forecasts, but you're right, we keep missing forecasts.
"That's bad for a listed company ... but does that mean the future is so bad you can't be a listed company ... then you must actually fix up your forecasts ."
Mr Judson added "the company also suffers from having no comparative listed competitor".
There was not any good news to cheer up investors who have now faced three earnings downgrades since it listed in December 2015.
At the nadir of its latest downgrade earlier this month, the stock had lost 78 per cent of its value.
McGrath said its financial underperformance is largely in company-owned sales, impacted by lower volumes of listings and agent numbers.
The loss of key staff who sold the "big ticket" homes, changes in government regulation for inbound Chinese investors, and a 50 per cent collapse in the project marketing pipeline - being flats sold off the plan - will drive the embattled group to slash costs.
McGrath forecast its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation this financial year will be between 20 per cent and 25 per cent lower than a recent estimate of $16.6 million from analysts at Bell Potter.
Speaking to shareholders on Wednesday, Ms O'Connor said "some data is pointing to improvement in listing volumes in Sydney and overall NSW".
She said the company was also looking at expanding the operations in Victoria, "but we will be prudent in how we do that".
But she confirmed the company's trading update for the current financial year was in line with the profit downgrade earlier this month, saying the company has "fallen short of expectations" at both the revenue and earnings levels.
Mr Judson was equally cautious. "The board and management believes it prudent to assume continued subdued market conditions," he said.
One of the hardest hit sectors of the business has been project marketing - sales of apartments off a plan - which accounts for about 7.5 per cent of overall revenue.
Mr Judson said post the June 30 balance date, the revenue from the division, of about $19 million in the 2017 year, has "halved and it hits profit when such a fall occurs".
"It is a business that has been impacted by prudential changes and financing for developments and a change in investor appetite," Mr Judson said.
The stock, which listed at $2.10 less than two years ago, closed at 56?? on Wednesday.
