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The Opposition leader Bill Shorten has conceded that Labor's negative gearing/capital gains tax reforms were not “universally loved.”
“I would rather see more young couples buy their first home, than spend billions subsidising investors acquiring multiple properties,” Shorten argues.
“All of the experts know that with scarce taxpayer dollars it’s better to put money into health and aged care than give a tax subsidy to someone buying their sixth or seventh investment property,” Mr Shorten said.
The last time I looked there were only 20,023 Australians with an interest in six or more investment properties, as according to ATO statistics 71 per cent of the Australians with rental properties have just the one investment.
The latest SQM forecast research suggest the policy was "risky" to the Australian economy.
There are some commentators who suggest the best time to shut down negative gearing as we know it is when few people are taking it up.
And they suggest that time is now, given our enduring low interest rates.
But the detailed SQM study ought dictate a policy rethink.
Labor announced it would abolish negative gearing as we know it before the last election, along with putting up the capital gains tax on housing investment by 50 per cent.
The policy was pitched to help housing affordability.
Sydney house have since fallen by some 13 percent from the peak, the biggest, quickest drop in living memory.
The landscape is very different now, yet the policy stays the same.
Wise heads don’t want a return to the runaway house price growth that denied first-home buyers getting into the market.
But there is a need to protect against seriously further undermining the value of people’s exisiting homes.
If Australians lose confidence in the value of the biggest investment they ever make, then this will impact everything.
No one really knows the full behavioural outcomes of investors, but polling shows Australians are unconvinced by the flagship Labor reform.
Property is a critically important asset class as Australian households hold more than half of their wealth in residential property.
Ofcourse the current anxiety assumes a change of Federal government and then the passage of the policy through the parliament.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
 
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Is now the best time to shut down negative gearing?

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Many Sydney vendors avoided weekend auctions given the clash with the NSW state election.
There were just the 355 auctions across Sydney, substantially lower than the prior weekend's 513 listings.
The listings pattern that had been impacted by the election, would now likely revert to the big run up to the pre-Easter weekend, Kevin Brogan, the auction analysts at CoreLogic noted.
CoreLogic also noted that trend of more houses and apartments being sold pre-auction than under the hammer continued to occur with regularity.
Sydney's top sale in Mosman was pre-auction.
The four bedroom <a id="LPlnk53359" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.belleproperty.com/listings/761100/57-shadforth-street-mosman-nsw-2088/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">57 Shadforth Street, Mosman</a> (below) offering fetched $3.47 million through Belle Property which was slightly at below its mooted expectations.
<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/2019/3/25/Mosman1.jpg" alt="">
The price guide had been $3.5 million for the house last sold in 1993 at $770,000.
Another property sold ahead of scheduled auction included a spacious warehouse-style property at <a id="LPlnk581726" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="http://www.ppdre.com.au/1P4600" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">31 Blenheim Street, Queens Park</a> (below) at $4 million.
<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/2019/3/25/QP.jpg" alt="">
Agent Alexander Phillips had 98 groups though the property which sold within two weeks of marketing.
The five-bedroom house last changed hands four years ago for $3,335,000.
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There were 1,669 homes taken to auction across the combined eight capital cities, down from 1,875 over the previous week. 
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Brogan noted the same time last year, volumes were significantly higher with 3,990 homes taken to auction over what was the pre-Easter weekend, traditionally one of the busiest weeks for auctions each year.
Preliminary results show a national clearance rate of 56 percent, up from last week’s revised 51.4 percent clearance rate.
"Although this will revise lower as the remaining results are collected," Brogan said.
CoreLogic calculated the finalised clearance rates has sat above 49 percent for five of the last six weeks.
"And it’s likely that this week will be no different," Brogan said.
Over the same week last year the final clearance rate was recorded at 62.7 percent.
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The dearest reported result in Melbourne was a four bedroom house in Glen Iris that sold under the hammer at $3,642,500 with three bidders.
The four bedroom home at <a href="https://www.marshallwhite.com.au/property/17-vincent-street-glen-iris-765096/" target="_blank">17 Vincent Street, Glen Iris</a> sold through Marshall White whose price guidance had been $3.5 million to $3.75 million.
It was announced on the market at $3,575,000 having last sold in 2009 at $2.25 million.
A contemporary four-bedroom home at <a id="LPlnk763124" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.hodges.com.au/property/762437/7-campbell-street-brighton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">7 Campbell Street, Brighton</a> (below) was passed in at $4.11 million with just the one bid.
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The custom built Atkinson Pontifex home had a $4.2 million to $4.62 million price guidance.
A home used as a location in the 2004 film The Brush-Off sold in Melbourne’s north post auction, the Herald Sun reported.
The Moonee Ponds period home at <a id="LPlnk940323" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.nelsonalexander.com.au/property/763598/22-bloom-street/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">22 Bloom Street</a> sold for an undisclosed sum but within the home’s $1.5 million to $1.6 million advertised range through Nelson Alexander Real Estate.
A Brighton beach box has likely matched the record price for the limited offerings along the iconic stretch of sand.
The quaint <a id="LPlnk328791" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/real-estate/bathing-box-89-brighton-vic/property-details-sold-residential-12434419/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">bathing Box 89 </a>sold pre-auction for an undisclosed figure, but reportedly matching the record price of $337,000 set at an April 2018 auction for bathing box 76B.
Marshall White agent Matthew Pillios confirmed to the Herald Sun that No. 89 sold above its price range of $300,000 to $330,000.
The beach box has a mural of a koala enjoying a relaxing day at the beach painted by the artist Daniel Worth.
It was once awarded by the City of Bayside as the best exterior mural along the beach.
The beach box had been owned for three decades by the vendors who sold to a local middle-aged couple with children.
Domain had Sydney's weekend clearance rate at 61 percent, with Adelaide the second best at 55 percent.
Melbourne was at 54 percent; Canberra at 47 percent and Brisbane at 34 percent. 
An $188,000 sale outside Brisbane was the nation's cheapest result, Domain advised.
It was a three bedroom house on 420 sqm at <a id="LPlnk195454" class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://raywhitecaboolture.com.au/properties/residential-for-sale/qld/caboolture-south-4510/house/2059757" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">91 Rosemary Street, Caboolture South</a> (main picture), north of Brisbane inland from Bribie Island.
Agent Peter Wright at Ray White marketed it as an opportunity for investors, families and first home buyers.
It had last sold when offered as a $250 a week rental proposition for $205,000 in 2014, reflecting a $17,000 price dip over the five years. 
Auction highlights this week.
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Nation's cheapest weekend auction result, a Caboolture South offering sells at a loss 

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There are thousands of properties across Sydney worth less than their purchase price given property values have dropped nearly 13 percent since the July 2017 peak.
Buyers who bought then for $1 million, the CoreLogic index suggests, would now have a home worth $870,000.
Values rose by around 75 percent in the five years from 2012, but CoreLogic suggests values have reverted back to mid-2016 levels.
CoreLogic has further calculated almost 270,000 Sydney properties would lose money if they happened to sell now.
Ofcourse the current sale price depends of many factors, not just the the time of purchase, and the overall market price trend. It may be that the property was bought very well. It may be that the suburb has done better than most in withstanding the downturn. It may be the type of property has escaped the brunt.
It is not just the directly impacted 270,000 who are feeling their falling household net worth. All of Sydney are.
Just how that feeling reverberates through the economy is being closely watched by economists, surplus seeking governments and the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Feeling less wealthy could affect the economy as cautious households boost savings and reduce their spending, which potentially triggers increased unemployment, and then a nasty economic spiral.
The Reserve Bank once calculated a 10 per cent increase in housing wealth raised consumption by 1.5 per cent. And some economists believe the wealth decline effect could be twice as much in impact as gains.
Owing more on the house than it is worth is known as negative equity. Selling the house for a loss is the worst of possible outcomes, but these will likely be limited to a few recent buyers whose loan-to-valuation ratios sat above 90 per cent, and whose personal circumstances have changed. Their selling could mean having to write a cheque to the bank, and then not having the deposit for another property.
<div>However negative equity will make many more home owners a prisoner in their existing property.</div>
The American National Bureau of Economic Research suggested that negative equity reduced household mobility by 30 per cent, as owners are understandably unwilling to crystallise losses.
Most recent Sydney owners will never really know if they are in negative equity, but recent interest-only mortgage borrowers are more at risk since their loan repayments have been at a lower rate. 
When a borrower’s initial interest-only period is over, clients automatically roll-over to a principle and interest (P&amp;I) loan on the variable rate, Sam White, the executive chairman at Loan Market advises.
"Very rarely will this trigger a valuation," he said. White adds when the borrower was first assessed, they would have been assessed on their P&amp;I capacity.
"They would also have been assessed at a rate higher than the actual interest rate, so as long as nothing has changed with their circumstances, they should be able to make those repayments. If the client can make their payments, the lender will support the client, even if they have negativeequity."
Mortgage brokers are aware of their client's pending reset, with White saying at that stage his brokers work with clients to ensure a smooth transition.  His recommendation is that before the borrower deals with the bank they should talk to their broker to understand what their options are and what a particular lender’s response is likely to be.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph. 
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Emerging negative equity will make owners prisoners in their homes

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Bauer Media has announced the sale of Money magazine to financial services research house Rainmaker.
Money editor Effie Zahos and deputy editor Maria Bekiaris will provide Rainmaker Group with their editorial services to assist with the transition, however they have chosen not to continue past the transition period.
Zahos is a financial literacy campaigner who authored A Real Girl’s Guide to Money: From Converse to Louboutins.
The Telum newsletter reports Zahos will remain with Bauer and liaise with editors across the Bauer brands.
Paul Clitheroe will continue in his role as Money’s chairman and chief commentator.
Established in 1999, Money is Australia’s longest running and most-read personal finance magazine.
The April issue is the final edition Bauer will produce.
Following the purchase, Money magazine will become Rainmaker’s key consumer title under its media division, Financial Standard. 
It currently publishes five B2B titles, including its flagship newspaper, and three B2C titles: The Good Super Guide, The Good Investment Guide and The Good Economics Guide.
“This is our first major acquisition since our media division, Financial Standard, was established in 2003. While we have steadily built our business in trade media, this acquisition meets our longer-term objective of growing our consumer media platform,” said Christopher Page, founder and group managing director of Rainmaker. 
Following the deal, Rainmaker Group has announced new leadership roles with Michelle Baltazar, executive director of media at Financial Standard, to assume the role of editor-in-chief. 
Darren Snyder, editor of Financial Standard, will move to the role of managing editor of Money.
Besieged Bauer Media ANZ CEO Paul Dykzeul said the sale was due to a desire to focus on ‘core consumer brands’.
Rainmaker Group's core revenue stream comes from providing financial information to superannuation funds, investment managers, and financial planners.
The Rainmaker Group was founded in 1992 providing market intelligence, industry research, media and publishing, events and consulting services.
Rainmaker publishes four B2B journals alongside the Financial Standard newspaper: FS Advice, FS Super, FS Private Wealth and FS Managed Accounts.
Baltazar has more than 15 years' experience in financial services media including roles at BRW in Sydney and Shares Magazine in London. She joined Financial Standard in 2005.
"We hold Effie and Maria in high regard and wish them well in their future endeavours," Page said.
"Effie's strong leadership and editorship has enabled Money to boast the loyal reader following that it has today."
New editor-in-chief of Money, Michelle Baltazar said they have built a solid foundation from which "we can further build Money's reputation as the leading source of personal finance news and expert advice".
It was 2012 when the heavily indebted Nine Entertainment group sold Australian Consolidated Press, which published Money Magazine, to German media group Bauer for a reported $500 million. 
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Effie Zahos to depart Money Magazine after acquisition by Rainmaker, but Paul Clitheroe to remain

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Bomera, the heritage sandstone Italianate mansion on the Potts Point clifftop, has been listed for sale publicly after failing to find an off market buyer.
It was six years ago that Bomera was bought for $12.5 million by Leanne Catelan, the daughter of the late RP Data founder Ray Catelan.
Bomera had had ambitious $25 million hopes in 2010, but sat on the market for two years before Catelan swooped on the 160 year old mansion.
Catelan bought it from Spanish property developer Jorge Fernandez and wife Monica, who had commissioned heritage architects Graham Brooks &amp; Associates to restore the residence. 
They had bought the property in 2001, paying $6.55 million. It had been owned by the Defence Department, along with its neighbour, Tarana, since the 1940s. Tarana, which was also acquired by the Fernandez's, was converted into a luxury triplex. 
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Built by architect John Frederick Hilly for colonial merchant William McQuade in 1856, Bomera sits on a sprawling 2,150 sqm Wylde Street parcel, in landscaped grounds featuring a swimming pool.
It has five bedrooms, a grand ballroom overlooking Woolloomooloo Bay, a musician's gallery, billiards room and wine cellar.
The former stables are now a three bedroom cottage.
The listing has been some 18 months in the making.
Local Potts Point agent Jason Boon was believed to be in talks to grab the prestige listing, visiting the home in August last year (above) when he posted on Instagram.
LJ Hooker Double Bay agent Bill Malouf has since secured the listing, in conjunction with Ballard's Clint Ballard.
And they are not revealing Catelan's price desire.
 
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Potts Point trophy Bomera officially hits the trophy home market 

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The film director behind Mad Max and Babe, George Miller, has secured $19.8 million for the historic art deco The Metro theatre in Sydney's Potts Point which was listed with $20 million plus hopes.
ASX-listed Abacus Property Group has emerged as the buyer of one of Sydney's oldest cinemas, the historic Metro Theatre in Potts Point, but have not revealed their intentions.
Local residents had hoped it would be bought by the Sydney City Council, but Clover Moore ruled out the acquisition amid her battle with rival councillors who'd advocated the move.
It has been Miller's headquarters for more than three decades, but now redundant given his relocation to Fox Studios.
It was built in 1939 as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/media/5557" target="_blank">The Minerva Theatre</a> opening with a production of Idiot's Delight. Sam Hood took photos.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer purchased the building in 1950 and converted to a movie theatre, renaming it the Metro Cinema with stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton attending premieres.
Then as a theatre it hosted performances including the 1970s musical Hair by Harry M. Miller.
<img src="https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/y/x/8/m/p/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1507526409727.jpg" alt="The Metro, Potts Point, Sydney." width="620" data-src="https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/y/x/8/m/p/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1507526409727.jpg">
The 2300-square-metre property at 30 Orwell Street was on the market for the first time in 35 years, but had been available for lease.
Miller had struggled with maximising its usage and potential in recent years, with various concepts floated but not implemented.
He was seeking $25 million plus at one stage for its sale.
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In 2018, Liberal councillor Christine Forster put a motion to the council to buy the property as a town hall, similar to those in Glebe and Balmain, and could be used for film festivals, as a theatre, arts venue, function centre, bike hub, local museum and for exhibitions and meetings.
“The Metro represents a huge opportunity for the local community as it has so much heritage value and is so important to the area,” she said.
“There’s a precedent too for something like this, when we spent $15 million on buying the Tabernacle in Darlinghurst and converted it into the Eternity Playhouse.
“It would be terrific to put it into public hands for community use.”
Team Clover, comprising of councillors Jess, Scully, Philip Thalis, Robert Kok and Jess Miller voted against an outright purchase of the Metro.
Previously a spokesperson for the Lord Mayor had advised “after corresponding with the local community late last year, Lord Mayor Clover Moore forwarded the suggestion that the City of Sydney should purchase the Metro Theatre in Potts Point to City staff for consideration”.
Councillor Jess Scully, from Team Clover, sent an email to a local resident passing the buck for any purchase to the State Government.
City Hub reported she said “the Metro Theatre should also be considered within the broader context of the NSW Government cultural infrastructure strategy”.
The local resident Warren Fahey noted at the time that "we do feel the City has turned its back on us" with Potts Point a "disenfranchised part of the City of Sydney".
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George Miller sells art deco Metro theatre in Potts Point to Abacus

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Pepper Tree Creek Estate, one of Kangaloon's oldest properties, has been listed for sale.
The Southern Highlands country estate has hit the market with a reported price guide of $6.5 million.
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-acreage+semi-rural-nsw-kangaloon-130694942" target="_blank">The 30 hectare property</a> was established in 1862, around the time the early settlers of Kangaloon and Robertson areas started purchasing land.
The stone cottage, old out buildings and dry stones walls, including the quaint dairy, would have been built during this time.
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The property at 2128 Kangaloon Road last traded around a decade ago when the buildings were run down and derelict.
A team of landscapers, builders, horticulturalists and green keepers created Pepper Tree Creek Estate, which now features six hectares of gardens known as The Terraces.
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The original stone cottage, made of stone mined from the property, has been converted into a three bedroom home.
The old dairy now homes a single bedroom which is the bridal suite when the estate hosts weddings.
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The wide entry space and milking bays is now the open plan kitchen, dining and lounge area and the elevated room, where the milk, butter and cream was stored, is now the bedroom.
Di Jones Southern Highlands agent Kate McCullagh is marketing the property.
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Restored 1862 Kangaloon property Pepper Tree Creek Estate listed

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The downsizing former Jacob's Creek winemaker Philip Laffer and wife Beverley are selling Daybreak, their historic Hunters Hill home.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-hunters+hill-130658154" target="_blank">Victorian Gothic-style sandstone home</a> was built in the early 1880s for the pioneering Lenehan family.
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It has been modernised since the Laffers paid $3.2 million in 2007 and has five bedrooms and three bathrooms on 1,550 square metre, park-like grounds, with a solar-heated pool, spa and studio.
The auction is on April 4 with McGrath agent Tracey Dixon offering a $4.35 million price guidance.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Hunters Hill trophy Daybreak listed by former Jacob's Creek winemaker

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The fall in Sydney real house prices is close to hitting its average downturn decline at only halfway through the average downturn cycle, a BIS Oxford Economics study shows. 
The average downturn for Sydney house prices is 14 quarters and the current downturn has progressed through six quarters to December 2018.
But real median prices – after taking out the effects of inflation – are already down 16 per cent, which means Sydney could potentially see the total real price decline exceed the typical downturn of 21 per cent. <cite class="_23SOU"> </cite>
Click here <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/3/19/Sydney-Houses.jpg" target="_blank">to enlarge</a>.
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"So far, the period of decline in these two markets has been much shorter than the longest downturn duration and around half of their respective average downturn lengths in both the house and unit markets," said BIS Oxford Economics' Angie Zigomanis who analysed five cycles since 1965.
"It is foreseeable that the current downturn in the Sydney and Melbourne markets may have at least another year to run before reaching the cyclical trough."
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However he suggests the likely scenario was a flattening of prices at the end of the year, without an immediate upward recovery.
The 1980s downturn saw 34 per cent price drops over 23 quarters.
Click here <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/3/19/Sydney-units.jpg" target="_blank">to enlarge</a>.
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Zigomanis noted that inflation in the 1980s was higher, causing more volatile price swings whereas lower inflation now could curb deep movements.
The Sydney apartment cycle mirrors its house price cycle, with real prices down 13 per cent at the halfway mark. 
Melbourne was experiencing a more moderate price fall than Sydney, the report published by Nine Entertainment said.
Real Melbourne prices have fallen 14 per cent in six quarters compared with the historical average of 15 per cent over 11 quarters.
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Sydney's cyclical property price downturn quicker than normal: BIS Oxford

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The Sydney price recovery could be just one or two cash rate cuts away.
That's a real possibility based on the latest research of no-less, the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Their researchers found falling interest rates was the chief catalyst behind the huge surge in prices between 2012 and 2017.
“We find that low interest rates — partly reflecting lower world long-term rates — explain much of the rapid growth in housing prices and construction over the past few years," RBA economist Trent Saunders and RBA senior research manager Peter Tulip noted.
Their modelling of the Australian housing market sought to quantify the inter-relationships between prices, rents, construction and vacancies.
They found the building boom seen in recent years would not have been as pronounced were it not for the lower borrowing costs and higher prices prompting a supply response from developers.
Another demand factor, high immigration, helped explain the tight housing market and rapid growth in rents.
“The model estimates that the reduction in real interest rates (actual interest rates, less inflation) accounts for most of the boom in dwelling prices and a large part of the boom in dwelling investment,” said the researchers in their 35 page report.
It is not the official view of the board that sits in judgement on the first Tuesday of the month, but the insights are going to shape the timing and speed of any next move in the cash rate.
The speculation of the rate cut hit the mainstream in early this year when Shane Oliver, the chief economist at AMP Capital, raised the prospect.
Oliver noted home price weakness was at levels where the RBA started cutting rates in 2008 and 2011 and the 2015-16 property slowdown was also turned around by rate cuts in May and August 2016.
"Ongoing home price falls in Sydney and Melbourne will depress consumer spending as the wealth effect goes in reverse and so homeowners will be less inclined to allow their savings rate to decline," Oliver noted.
The RBA rate cut whisperer Bill Evans at Westpac chimed in last month expecting the Reserve Bank to cut the cash rate by 25bps in both August and November this year.
Evans noted headwinds for the housing market and activity were also apparent in developments around credit.
Evans noted there was less lending demand and supply, after concerns around falling prices and stretched affordability and lending supply being hit by new regulations and caution from some lenders in a falling market.
Evans anticipates unlike the response of the property markets in 2016 to two rate cuts that he does not expect that these two cuts will immediately stabilise housing markets.
Last week NAB's Alan Oster who said the RBA outlook for a further fall in unemployment to gradually lift wages and ultimately inflation is increasingly in doubt.
He therefore expects the RBA to provide some further support to the economy in the form of lower interest rates.
Oster anticipates in July and November. 
While the RBA research will contribute to the commentary, there's little risk that home prices will rise rapidly.
The introduction of tougher lending standards towards household expenses and outstanding debt held by individual borrowers ought make sure of this.
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The Sydney price recovery could be just one or two cash rate cuts away

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

Jonathan Chancellor

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