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NSW first home buyers looking for the quickest path to purchasing are targeting the Sydney's outer suburbs and the Central Coast.
The latest figures shows Liverpool is the most active suburb over the past two years for first home buyer acquisition, followed by Campbelltown, Kingswood, Camden and Westmead.
The figures also show Riverstone is the most active suburb over the past two years for first home buyer construction. Riverstone is 48 kilometres north-west of the Sydney CBD, in the Blacktown local government area, part of the Greater Western Sydney region.
NSW FHBs have saved more than a billion dollars in stamp duty under the NSW Government’s Housing Affordability Strategy over the past two years. 
More than 67,800 home buyers having taken advantage of the opportunity to save up to $24,740 in stamp duty when purchasing their first house or apartment.
The scheme eliminates stamp duty for FHBs purchasing a new or existing property valued up to $650,000 and provides stamp duty savings for purchases of homes valued between $650,000 and $800,000.
The First Home Owner Grant of up to $10,000 is available for new housing constructions valued up to $600,000, or for land and a new construction you intend to build valued up to $750,000.
The share of first home buyers entering the NSW property market has increased from 17% to 27.5% from July 2017 to July this year, according to ABS lending data.
In July there were 2,580 FHB finance commitments which was the largest monthly number since January 2012.
Generally FHBs are looking to enter the market making sacrifices in regard to location or size and condition of improvements.
"Despite this, there are still fundamentals that will attract these buyers," the valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) noted recently," the valuation firm stated. 
"The main fundamental for FHBs in Western Sydney is the same as for upgraders and prestige buyers - location, location, location!"
While that won’t necessarily mean close proximity to the Sydney CBD, it will still mean proximity to services and transport.
Western Sydney FHBs are generally buying property sub-$650,000. 
"For that sort of money, you are buying a modern two- bedroom unit in a north-western suburb such as Castle Hill, or a detached house in the outer west suburbs such as Blacktown or Penrith," the valuation firm said. 
"Being close to motorways and rail, but not too close, is key for commuting western Sydney residents."
Affordable property with close proximity to shopping and transport for the sub-$650,000 range will generally be medium to high density real estate.
The HTW report suggest FHBs with a little more to spend, and with the need or want for a house on a good size block of land, seek opportunities available in the middle ring of Sydney. 
The inner-city FHBs - typically being sub-$1 million - are also looking for proximity to lifestyle amenities. 
This market purchases one and two- bedroom units, often without parking in older to semi-modern complexes in average condition. 
The dream of home ownership currently sees a trend among FHBs to buy a small apartment with the aim to trade up within five years, according to the Genworth First Home Buyer Sentiment Report.
Despite the many hurdles, FHB levels are set to remain up because of government incentives. But they compete for similar properties with investors who often have more borrowing power because of the equity they have in other property.
CoreLogic has noted there may be a sense of urgency from FHBs to enter the Sydney market, as they foresee affordability deteriorating.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

NSW first home buyers targeting Sydney's outer suburbs and Central Coast

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The Agency, set up by the McGrath rebels three years ago, has confirmed discussions have taken place with local and offshore real estate agencies for a possible merger.
The Agency did not confirm any of the parties involved.
They also told shareholders this afternoon that there was "sufficient doubt" that any of the discussions may lead to a formal agreement.
The discussions are said to be in "various stages."
The imperative for any merger or takeover acceptance dissipated mid-week when The Agency secured six more months of funding from Macquarie.
The update came at 12.52pm this afternoon after an online report was published in the Australian Financial Review mid-morning suggesting the merger could be with McGrath.
The report said The Agency wasn't interested in a sale of its business, but indicated they may consider a merger.
"If we receive approaches that make strategic sense and provide value for our shareholders, agents and staff, we are duty bound to review them," The Agency managing director Paul Niardone told the AFR.
The AFR article, nor the ASX statement, made any reference to the initial <a href="/news/top-20-sydney-trophy-home-listings-shrink-in-2019">weekend report by The Sunday Telegraph</a> that indicated the The Agency and McGrath could possibly be "contemplating mutual solutions."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/27/The%20Agency%20McGrath%20Sunday%20Telegraph.jpg" alt="">
Both shares of the listed estate agencies are struggling to their recover from near record lows. The Agency is trading at $0.067 and the debt free McGrath Group see their shares at $0.235.
The Agency's leadership had previously worked at McGrath.
"The Agency and its advisors take an extremely selective and diligent approach to reviewing all potential M&amp;A opportunities and are only focussed on advancing those that make strategic sense and provide value for our shareholders, agents and staff," the company advised its shareholders. 
There has been no formal response from McGrath.
The full Agency statement:
The Agency Group Australia (ASX:AU1) (“the Company” or “the Agency”) refers to speculation in the media over the past 24 hours regarding a potential M&amp;A transaction.
While the Agency confirms it has received approaches from local and offshore real estate companies in recent months regarding potential corporate transactions, they are at this time preliminary and confidential in nature. There also exists sufficient doubt as to if any of these discussions may lead to a formal agreement being entered into.
The Agency and its advisors take an extremely selective and diligent approach to reviewing all potential M&amp;A opportunities and are only focussed on advancing those that make strategic sense and provide value for our shareholders, agents and staff. 
Since launching The Agency business less than three years ago, the Company has achieved outstanding national growth and operating results and has attracted some of the best agents across Australia. The integration of Top Level Real Estate Pty Ltd into the combined group has been highly successful, and the Company is confident further revenue growth will be achieved and cost synergies realised over the coming financial year.
The Agency has significantly enhanced its balance sheet in recent times and has a strong foundation from which to continue its strong growth, so while any approaches will be evaluated, they are not necessary for its immediate growth plans. 
The Agency confirms it is compliant with the Listing Rules and, in particular, Listing Rule 3.1.
 
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The Agency rebuts rumours of imminent merger with McGrath

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The dour former RBA Governor Glenn Stevens and wife Susan have splashed out $3.6 million on their next home, upgrading to a waterfront but staying in the Shire.
They have secured a new home on the Georges River, complete with its own boatshed at Sylvania.
His trade up comes as his RBA successor, Dr Phillip Lowe has open the door for even cheaper home loans, with possibly a third rate cut of the year as soon as next Tuesday's October meeting which could bring the official cash rate down to another historic low at 0.75 per cent.
Last month his former RBA colleague Guy Debelle indicated "there is evidence that the decline in housing prices has reached its end."
With views towards Captain Cook Bridge, the new full brick, three level duplex home designed by architect Justin Quinlan comes with four bedrooms, two with ensuites, and a master with a dressing room.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/26/Glenn%20Stevens%20Shire%201.jpg" alt="">
The open plan living areas offer views across Botany Bay. There's a gym, media room and home office for the former central banker who now sits on the board of Macquarie Group.
There are two entertaining terraces, one with a built in barbecue kitchen opens to the level lawn where there's a swimming pool.
The marketing of the home ceased last December two months after the duplex strata plan was registered. The neighbouring property was sold in July at an undisclosed price.
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Stevens will have likely secured an ANZ home loan interest rate with a three at the front on his new home.
The Stevens family recently offloaded their nearby longtime Sylvania Waters home after having a guide of $1.7 million to $1.8 million.
Stevens, who was at the central bank between 1980 and 2016, joins the early spring sellers who took an undisclosed pre-auction offers. 
They had paid $312,500 for the non-waterfront property in 1992.
In 2007, he told a House of Representatives hearing, "My house is not a fibro house, but it is a piece of spec rubbish built in the 1970s, and in many respects it shows that”.
When he bought the official cash rate was 5.75 per cent.
Stevens was no stranger to rate movements during his decade at the top.
Rates started in his termsat six percent, and within two years rose to 7.25 percent, before being cut during the GFC to 3 percent in 2009.
They were at 1.5 percent on his 2016 departure.
Stevens indicated in 2015, two years before the boom turned into a two year downturn, that some of Sydney house prices were "crazy." 
He suggested last year that "a child born today will not be able to afford a house today without family assistance.”
 
 
 
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Former RBA Governor Glenn Stevens completes Shire upgrade

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Even if there’s a rush of listings, with just 13 weeks until Christmas, many leading estate agents are wondering whether they will have sufficient sales commission to buy the family presents to put under the tree.
It looks like 2019 will see the fewest, and cheapest, tally of Sydney trophy home sales in the past seven years. Last year all top 20 sales sold for $20 million or more, grossing $675 million, up on $550 million worth in 2017.
But my tally so far sees just $325 million, with $12 million sales sufficient to qualify for the 2019 list. And the year’s top sale, which was Alex Ma’s $30 million Vaucluse in March, appears not to be proceeding to settlement. There will likely be a forfeited 10 per cent deposit.
That leaves a $23.5 million Rose Bay harbourfront sale (pictured above) sitting in top spot having sold to lawyer Amanda Banton through Ben Collier of The Agency.
There are unsubstantiated claims of two $15 million Mosman sales.
The Wentworth Courier reported in August there had been a $60 million offer from a Hong Kong buyer for Ganeden (below), the Vaucluse home of lawyer John Landerer. But this hasn’t eventuated in a sale.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/23/GANEDEN1.jpg" alt="">
It sits next to La Mer, which James Packer and his then wife Erica sold in 2015 for $70 million in what ranks as the third-highest sale of all time through Christie’s agent Ken Jacobs.
Matt Allen’s Darling Point house is forlornly for sale having come with a starting guide price of $70 million in March last year.
A Coolong Rd, Vaucluse home (below) comes with a $55 million price tag. Pastoralist Garrick Hawkins and wife Evelyn <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-vaucluse-132019478" target="_blank">started its public marketing</a> this week through Jacobs.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/23/21%20Coolong%20Road%20Vaucluse.jpg" alt="">
There are whispers Bomera, the Italianate mansion at Potts Point, has had a $35 million plus offer. I’d reckon it would be the perfect bolthole for the steel baron Sanjeev Gupta who’s set to downsize from his Barford, Bellevue Hill rental.
The upper North Shore sees Mandalay, the Federation Queen Anne-style Gordon home to Jane and Geoff Selig, listed with record $14.5 million hopes.
The lack of sales is causing severe stress at estate agencies.
So bad even bitter rivals McGrath and The Agency could possibly contemplate mutual solutions. The debt free McGrath has $10 million cash to potentially buy back its glory days.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.  
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Top 20  Sydney trophy home listings shrink in 2019

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Older Australians desperately want to avoid the private rental market with 80% instead pursuing hopes of suitable ownership options, according to recent research.
But the housing supply is not meeting the needs of older Australians, the report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) found. 
Older NSW home owners aspire to remain in home ownership, preferring to live in three-bedroom separate dwellings in Sydney's middle to outer suburbs. 
There is a smaller preference to reside in small regional towns or large regional cities.
Those aged 75 and over were more likely to have a preference for the inner suburbs.
Few aspired to live in the CBD. And only 2% wanted a one bedroom apartment.
While the number of bedrooms, building quality and dwelling type are important, safety and security and having somewhere that feels like home are more critical for older Australians.
The number of older Australians increased by almost three million between 2006 and 2016, while the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the number of older Australians will more than double from 5.8 million in 2012 to 14.1 million in 2062.
The survey results from AHURI follows recent accompanying research that shows mortgage debt obligations for older Australians is a growing concern, rising from $27,000 in the 1980s to $186,000 more recently.
Since 2006, the proportion of outright owners has fallen in the 55–64 year group, with falls still significant, but less dramatic, among those aged 65 or over.
Around 35% of 55–64-year-olds have a mortgage compared to 8% of those over 75.
Policy innovation is severely lacking in delivering the housing and housing assistance required to meet the aspirations of later-life Australians, AHURI has concluded.
"Current patterns of housing supply are not meeting the diverse needs of older Australians with too many apartments and large separate dwellings and not enough mid- sized product," the Older Australians and the housing aspirations gap report, lead by James Rowley, noted.
The Australian Housing Aspirations survey collected responses from 2400 responses from older Australians.
The report urges the better matching of new housing supply to aspirations to meet the demand for two and three-bedroom houses (including attached) located in high level amenity locations.
Social connections within the community, walkability, quality public transport, access to services and amenities and proximity to family and friends are important.
While large back gardens are less important to older Australians, some outdoor space was considered important.
"Dwellings need to be designed with older Australians in mind, which includes being easily adaptable when required," the report said. 
"Strategic planning needs to deliver outcomes that reflect the demand for smaller houses within established suburbs and move away from a mind-set that apartments are the only solution to delivering smaller dwellings.
"Regional locations also need a greater diversity of dwelling product.
"Small regional towns were a popular aspiration of older Australians, but there needs to be a range of products available in these locations to meet demand."
The report also noted delivering low cost, low deposit ownership products, through shared ownership or through a land rent type scheme, could deliver the safety, security and control characteristics of home ownership sought by older Australians.
Any Federal Government initiatives that seek to reduce financial penalty via taxation in later years to enable housing transitions, are generally supported by the research.
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Older Australians overwhelmingly prefer home ownership to renting

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Woodvale, the luxury Woodend property in the foothills of Mount Macedon, has been listed for just the third time.
The land was chosen in the 1840s by the Barker family, with the earliest building dating back to the 1860s.
The single-level grand Victorian homestead was built in 1884 and has recently been transformed by heritage architect Bruce Trethowan for the McLaren family. It has five bedrooms and four bathrooms.
At the heart of the grand central living room is a Cheminees Phillippe fireplace.
Jellis Craig Macedon Ranges agents Tom May and Paul Keane have a $3.6 million to $3.9 million guide.
The 51 hectare property is currently set up as a cattle operation, with cattle yards, 14 paddocks, a managers residence and an original stone barn.
The garden was developed from a masterplan in 2005 with a number of garden rooms and courtyards.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-woodend-131926214"> </a>
 
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Woodend trophy home Woodvale hits the market 

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Estate agent Nicolette van Wijngaarden told her pre-sentence hearing last Friday that an unnamed Byron Bay billionaire had pulled out of his proposed bailout of her boutique agency just days before its February 2018 collapse.
Van Wijngaarden has pleaded guilty to trust account fraud, with the Crown saying she misused $3.69 million of client funds from May 2016 to February 2018.
“I stupidly thought I could pay it back,” she told the court. She will be sentenced in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court in late November, when she faces up to 10 years in jail.
Thinking the cash flow issues were short-term and seasonal, she claimed any lavish expenses, including the cars, flowers and travel were tied to the business.
“I’m completely devastated that I’m sitting here today, horrified that people have been let down,” she said.
Fashion designer Collette Dinnigan was one of van Wijngaarden’s clients who was caught up in the agency’s collapse, with the deposit on the sale of her South Coast property not in the trust fund when the NSW Fair Trading Department stepped in.
Van Wijngaarden told the court she only paid herself $12,000 in commissions in the nine years after founded Unique Estates in 2009.
She was entitled to commission from 94 of the company’s 115 sales over the following years, she told her barrister Frank Coyne.
He said van Wijngaarden had made every effort to address the shortfalls; forgoing commission – she estimates she kept only $12,000 commission over almost nine years – seeking bank loans and equity from investors.
When she could not fix the problem she reported herself to NSW Fair Trading and assisted the authorities. The court also heard the ordeal had ruined her marriage and any lavish expenses were tied to the business.
She told the court the billionaire had backed out of the $4 million bailout after speaking to his solicitor.
The global businessman, who had been a client of the estate agent and then a friend, had also been hesitant as he had been subject to his own issues with the ATO.
The estate agency had a $5 million turnover in its final year, the court was told.
Van Wijngaarden’s is the largest case of real estate trust fraud in NSW history, with victims including property sellers and rental property landlords — who have since received their entitlements from the NSW taxpayer-funded compensation fund.
Her trust account fraud - being an real estate agent - was not as serious breach of trust as that committed by lawyers and accountants, the court heard from her barrister.
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Her barrister made a submission to his honour that it was not as "clear cut" as other frauds.
Coyle argued the case “was one of those rare occasions where greed was never the motivation.”
“Greed takes all forms,” Judge John Pickering responded quickly.
"A motivating factor was a continuation of her business … it wasn’t as if there was no benefit to her,” his honour said.
“It’s not the worst form of greed you see in some of these fraud matter but there is still an aspect of self-gratification to it all,” he said, noting there was a certain level of "ego" being the head of a boutique high-end real estate agency.
"It's a complex matter and I do agree it has some unusual features to it as she [Ms van Wijngaarden] isn't the classic single-minded fraudster," said Judge John Pickering in the Sydney district court.
"But when you sell or buy Sydney homes, an extraordinary amount of money is put in the trust of real estate agents and for most people never in their lives would they trust that much money to anyone ... so I wonder why a breach of trust by a solicitor is more serious than a breach of trust by a real estate agent?"
Judge Pickering noted the NSW taxpayers had to pay for the lost funds.
The prosecution noted that every dollar van Wijngaarden took from the trust funds was “a dollar she needn’t have considered spending from her own pocket”.
Ms van Wijngaarden's lawyer said she used trust deposits between 2016 and 2018 to "save" her cash-strapped business and had every intention of repaying the money by raising funds through investors.
Ms van Wijngaarden said she turned herself in, then assisted with investigations and tried to sell the business' assets, including a $1.2 million luxury holiday home rent roll, an act that should reduce her sentence, her lawyer said.
She alleged the administrators scuppered attempt to sell the rent roll, and the sales business, which she through had a $2 million value.
The Crown solicitor said Ms van Wijngaarden had turned herself in only to save herself from being sued by angry buyers whose deposits had disappeared.
She gave evidence that her actions were a desperate attempt not to let staff and clients down.
“I made the very stupid mistake of taking money from the trust but I genuinely felt I was going to be able to put that back,” she told the court. “It was out of pure desperation to not let anyone down,” she later said.
“Everything I’ve ever done I’ve done for other people,” she said.
After she turned to the trust fund in May 2016, she avoided having the business audited.
“When I first did it I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but I thought I’d be able to put it back,” she said.
But “it snowballed”.
The prosecution emphasised that the agent knew what was the right thing to do having seen her first business endeavour, a marketing company collapse after her main client failed to pay its account.
 
 
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Estate agent Nicolette van Wijngaarden explains her trust fund fraud

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The auctioneer Peter Baldwin has been appointed the chief executive officer of the stock and station agents industry group, Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association.
The appointment by ALPA president Warren Johnston follows the retirement of Andy Madigan next month after 15 years at the organisation. 
"Mr Madigan has seen vast change across the agency industry over that time and helped to navigate us through an evolving agriculture space that is increasingly reliant on technology and influenced by the perceptions of the broader community," Johnston said. 
Baldwin will commence at ALPA on October 9 and Madigan will leave the week after the annual general meeting.
Baldwin's career has been as a property auctioneer for <a href="https://www.randw.com.au/staff-profiles/2287-peter-baldwin" target="_blank">almost three decades at Richardson &amp; Wrench</a>, but he has a strong foundation in the stock and station profession.
Baldwin had a rural background, growing up at Inverell in northern NSW and beginning his career with his father's stock and station agency, Brian Baldwin and Company.
Brian Baldwin is a life member of the Inverell Stock and Station Agents Association and a long-time member after joining the NSW Stock and Station Agents Association in 1969.
Peter Baldwin was the youngest auctioneer known to sell prime cattle, sheep and lambs in the Inverell Saleyards. He was also calling horse races in the far north of NSW and southern QLD from the age of 15.
Baldwin holds a Bachelor of Business in Land Economy from Hawkesbury Agricultural College (UWS).
Over the past 29 years, Peter has auctioned over 35,000 properties mostly across Sydney, but also Noosa, with a value in excess of $14 billion.
He holds the highest auction sale price records in over 30 Sydney Suburbs, including an Australasian apartment sale record of $10.35 million in Darling Point which equated to $50, 000 per square metre.
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Auctioneer Peter Baldwin heading back to the cattle yards as Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association CEO

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Sydney households have been taking advantage of those two recent consecutive interest rate cuts to secure finance for home loans.
The number of new loans approved in July surged 3.9% nationally, stronger than anyone expected.
Approvals are still down year on year, but the rise to $32 billion in lending was the sharpest increase in four-and-a-half years, according to the the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The rise in new lending to households in July followed a 1.9% rise in June.
NSW led the gains, up by 5.4%.
The average 4.9% standard variable home rate is the lowest ever recorded by the Reserve Bank whose records date back to 1960.
After rate cuts in June and July by the RBA, the ABS confirmed a notable rise in borrowing among owner occupiers, first home buyers, and to a lesser extent investors.
First home buyers continued their steady return to the market, increasing their share of new owner-occupier lending to around 30%.
It was the highest proportion of first home buyers since early 2012.
The lending data over the next few months will provide insights on the strength of the property cycle upturn, but it does appear that the prospect of a Labor government was weighing heavily on market sentiment.
The APRA loosening in lending criteria is now in effect too enabling more borrowing power.
While the credit curbs have eased, be aware that the inquisitive questions on your spending habits remain the hurdle in your home loan applications. 
The emerging property market turnaround appears likely to cushion the extent and length of the downturn of the highly cyclical residential sector.
Although there remains uncertainty about just how the recovery will run, especially should late spring stock levels return to the market in a rush.
Currently, early spring auction volumes remain low at around 20% down in Sydney on the same weekend last September.
The auction and lending bounce is very much about buying established houses, rather than new apartments.
The latest ABS data indicated approvals to fund new construction was still in decline, some 15% lower year-on-year. 
There was also a decline in lending to businesses.
We don't need a dramatic spurt in property prices, but greater confidence would be good.
I have often written about all those tradies in high visibility vests across the suburbs. They are what's underpinning NSW's economic progress.
Many of these tradies have been building new homes in high-rise projects and new house and land estates, and many of them have then had the confidence to purchase their own homes.
The decreased apartment construction trend over the last two years will be tricky to turnaround. 
New South Wales continues to see a decline in the number of private sector building approvals.
New dwelling investment is always volatile and closely linked with retail spending on household goods.
By their own admission, it is hard for the RBA to track the high-rise apartment impact in their policy decisions.
The "longer and lumpier construction timelines for apartments" mean the full impact of policy changes may take many years to be realised, the RBA has previously acknowledged.
Ofcourse the apartment defects scandal has been the curveball on buyer willingness.
It has has impacted confidence from the dodgiest builder right through to the publicly listed Mirvac and Frasers Property.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. 
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Inquisitive questions on spending habits remain the hurdle in your home loan application

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CBRE's hiring of one of the country’s top-billing agents, Simon Rooney, from rival JLL, has caused turmoil in its Melbourne office.
CBRE has reportedly drafted rules that ensures Rooney gets the trophy listings priced at more than $75 million in any of its state offices.
"This is apparently causing the biggest stir in Melbourne," a Nine Entertainment website has reported, in a highly unusual gossipy foray into the world of commercial property sales.
"The team led by indefatigable upstart Mark Wizel has been barred from competing for listings valued over $75 million," the article in The Age suggested.
The website advised "fireworks inside CBRE’s offices" had been expected ever since the CBRE announced it had secured one of the country’s top-billing agents, Simon Rooney, from JLL.
It added Rooney was unchallenged when inside JLL. 
He started at CBRE on August 1, after offers from rival groups, including Cushman &amp; Wakefield, becoming executive managing director, retail investments at CBRE.
Wizel's title was CBRE's National Director of Retail Investments. Wizel (top) claims to be "a household name" in his linked profile.
Rooney's last listing as JLL’s Head of Retail Investments was being exclusively appointed on behalf of the Dexus Wholesale Property Fund (DWPF) to sell a 100% freehold interest in Beenleigh Marketplace in Brisbane.
Rooney left Jones Lang LaSalle after a 25-year stint in which he dominated the retail property sector brokering $20 billion in property deals over the past decade.
He was a top earner for JLL locally and ranked in its top three globally.
Wizel reportedly didn’t respond to calls from Nine Entertainment and a CBRE head office spokeswoman advised he was working "collaboratively" with the rest of retail team, including Wizel.
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As rivals the two have worked together on listings in the past including the landmark Brand Smart Premium Outlet Centre in Nunawading.
Meanwhile residential developer ID Land is has listed the Truganina Central Shopping Centre development site in Melbourne’s west through CBRE’s Justin Dowers, Mark Wizel and Kevin Tong.
It is being marketed as representing the first Melbourne metropolitan shopping centre site offering for 2019. The 2.2ha master planned site is earmarked for a full-line Coles supermarket and a range of specialty shops with commercial facilities, providing a total lettable area of 7,390 sqm. 
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Mark Wizel and Simon Rooney in collaborative $75 million plus listings stoush

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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Joel Robinson

First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Seasoned Victorian apartment developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a> has logged more than $400 million in sales in its luxury apartment project Palmera Residences at Northcliffe on the Gold Coast.&nbsp;

Central Equity Director Karl Kutner said the sales result reflected a combination of location, product quality and delivery certainty with the project already under construction by building powerhouse Multiplex.&nbsp;

"Surpassing $400 million in sales since launch is a significant milestone and an outstanding endorsement of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera Residences</a>,” he said.&nbsp;

"We believe one of the key reasons for this strong result is the confidence purchasers have in knowing the project is under construction with Multiplex. Buyers are increasingly looking for certainty. They want to know that the project they commit to today will be delivered by an experienced team with a proven track record."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365782]

Kutner said it was clear there was still high demand for luxury projects that offered certainty of delivery.&nbsp;

“We are in a market where many residential developments have faced delays due to rising construction costs, labour shortages and financing challenges,” said Kutner.&nbsp;

"But having construction underway has provided our buyers with resounding confidence backed by more than 40 years of development delivery by Central Equity combined with construction by one of Australia's most respected construction companies."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365785]

Central Equity is one of Australia's most experienced privately-owned property developers. Over more than four decades, the company has delivered in excess of 85 residential developments including 10,000 apartments and many thousands of stand alone homes.&nbsp;

Located on Garfield Terrace at Northcliffe, between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Palmera Residences occupies one of the Gold Coast's most sought after beachside locations. The development has been designed to appeal to owner occupiers seeking premium residences that combine generous living spaces and resort style amenities.&nbsp;

Palmera Residences will feature an exceptional collection of resort style amenities, including two swimming pools: a generously sized family pool with safe shallow zones for relaxed recreation, and a 20 metre lap pool positioned to maximise all day sunlight.&nbsp;

Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to wellness and recreational facilities including a magnesium pool, sauna, yoga studio, expansive fitted gymnasium, resident lounge, outdoor BBQ’s&nbsp;and indoor and outdoor dining areas, together with a dedicated concierge and luxurious hotel inspired entrance foyer.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365767]

A unique feature at Palmera Residences has been designed to enhance the Gold Coast lifestyle which includes both indoor and outdoor gymnasium facilities, together with thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor dining and entertaining areas. A corner café has also been incorporated to provide residents with a destination for their everyday needs.&nbsp;

Kutner said buyer demand had been broad based with purchasers attracted from interstate as well as throughout South East Queensland.&nbsp;

"We're seeing strong interest from owner occupiers, lifestyle buyers and people relocating to the Gold Coast. Many purchasers have been searching for a premium beachside residence where quality, design and delivery are equally important."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Kutner said the sales milestone was an important achievement, but the focus remained firmly on delivering an exceptional development.&nbsp;

"While reaching $400 million in sales is an important milestone, our priority remains delivering a project that exceeds purchaser expectations,” he said.&nbsp;

"Palmera Residences has been designed to become one of the Gold Coast's landmark residential addresses, and we look forward to welcoming our purchasers to their new homes."&nbsp;

There are a limited number of residences remaining in selected configurations with pricing from $2,950,000 to $8,950,000. Palmera Residences is also crowned by expansive penthouses with wrap around views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

Construction certainty and strong buyer demand drive major sales result for luxury Gold Coast development

Jonathan Chancellor

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