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ASIC has succeeded in obtaining court orders to freeze the assets of former Wickham chief executive Garth Robertson and his wife Catherine as well as the assets of three companies connected to Wickham Securities founder Bradley Sherwin and his wife Deborah.
The addition of the five new defendents to existing proceedings and freezing their assets is aimed at preserving these assets for the benefit of investors, largely self-managed superannuation funds. 
ASIC's investigation into the collapse of Wickham Securities - now in liquidation - is continuing.
The new orders bring the number of defendants in the proceedings to 15.
The new defendants are Brothers Financial Services Pty Ltd, NRL Financial Services Pty Ltd, Sunshine Regional Investments Pty Ltd, Garth Peter Robertson and Catherine Louise Robertson. 
Self-funded retirees had invested around $27 million in the mortgage lender through $1 unsecured deposit notes promising returns of 9.25% prior to its collapse in December last year.
Last month, ASIC <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/queensland/wickham-securities-auditor-accepts-asic-life-ban-as-nab-seeks-to-repossess-founder-bradley-sherwins-wooloowin-house/2013062762789" target="_blank">cancelled the registration of Wickham Securities auditor Brian Kingston</a> for undertaking "inferior work" and "failing ins his job" and banned him for life.
In January ASIC commencing proceedings seeking orders in the Federal Court against ten defendants to preserve assets for the benefit of investors whose funds had been applied to Wickham and other corporate entities connected to Bradley Sherwin and against his wife. Those companies were: 
<ul type="disc">
<li>Sherwin Financial Planners Pty Ltd</li>
<li>DIY Superannuation Services Pty Ltd</li>
<li>Reacroft Pty Ltd</li>
<li>Blue Diamond Investments Pty Ltd</li>
<li>SP Property Pty Ltd</li>
<li>Astor Funds Pty Ltd</li>
<li>Sherwin Financial Services Pty Ltd, and</li>
<li>Wickham Capital Pty Ltd.</li>
</ul>
The orders to freeze assets were extended by the Federal Court when the matter was heard on January 23 and remain in place save to the extent of Sherwin Financial Planners, DIY Superannuation Services, Reacroft, Blue Diamond Investments, SP Property, Astor Funds and Wickham Capital.
These companies are now in liquidation with their assets in the control of the appointed liquidators Stefan Dopking, Quentin Olde and Michael Ryan of FTI Consulting. Grant Sparks and David Leigh of PPB Advisory are the liquidators of Wickham Securities.  PPB and FTI are cooperating with ASIC's investigation.
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ASIC freezes assets of former Wickham Securities chief executive

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Nearly $4 billion in investor finance was approved in NSW over May, says Australian Property Monitors (APM) economist Andrew Wilson, quoting ABS housing finance figures.
This rising demand came as part of continued demand for home loans for investment purposes with investor lending up 1.5% in May to $8.4 billion and 23.7% higher than a year ago.
In total NSW made up 40% of the value of all investor loans approved in Australia in May.
The chart (below) prepared by Westpac to April shows the sharp spike in NSW, but also a longer trend of rising investor lending
<img alt="investor_finance" height="325" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/larry_uploads/investor_finance.jpg">
Wilson says this is a record for NSW and part of a nationwide trend of rising demand for home loans for investors.
“At the moment nearly 52% of home loan activity in NSW is made up by investors.
“The flight to bricks and mortar is no surprise given low interest rates and a volatile stock market that’s still 25% below its previous peaks,” says Wilson in a video on Fairfax-owned Domain.com.au.
“The number are volatile and do bounce around a bit, but in May loans to residential investors were the highest ever recorded.
There was also a big increase in investor lending in Perth, up 27% on the same time last year.
“All the states have recorded an increase in investors activity over the first five months of this year compared to the first five months of last year,” says Wilson.
Commonwealth Bank economist Diana Mousina notes that the construction component of investor lending has been the stronger part of the story recently, with construction lending surging by 17.2% in May.
“This also bodes well for our residential construction forecasts.  Total construction?related lending is up by 26.5% over the past year,” she says.
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NSW investors flock to property market as investor loans reach record levels: APM

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Confidence in the property market will grow at a more rapid pace after the federal election says McGrath Real Estate Agents chief executive John McGrath.
That’s provided there is a decisive victory for either the Coalition or the Labor Party.
McGrath says he agrees with the views of Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond, who said at the recent Australasian Real Estate Conference on the Gold Coast that “most Australians will feel they have a government that can make decisions in their own right and that will boost confidence”.
McGrath said the business sector would benefit the most following the federal election and a “government that can govern in its own right” as part of blog for Switzer.com.au.
“Although consumer confidence is improving in our markets, business confidence is fluctuating and issues of national governance have a direct impact on this,” says McGrath.
McGrath believes the election will be a “game changer” particularly as it is scheduled at the start of the busiest spring selling season.
He expects the market will continue to improve between now and the election, with the recovery picking up pace once the election is over and the result known.
“There won’t be a huge spike in prices but we’ll probably see a change of pace and heightened urgency among buyers."
{module Do you think any decisive federal election result will contribute to a stronger property market?}
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Do you agree with John McGrath who tips a pick-up in property market confidence after the federal election?

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The value of Australian residential property purchased by Chinese-based buyers reached $5.4 billion in the 2013 financial year, according to figures from Chinese property portal Juwai.com.
This is around a 25% increase on US$4 billion ($4 billion to $4.2 billion in local currency) of Australian property purchased by Chinese buyers in 2011.
"Chinese make up the fastest growing buyer group in an otherwise relatively slow Australian real estate market,” says Simon Henry, co-CEO of <a href="https://www.juwai.com/" target="_blank">Juwai.com</a>.
"The properties that will have the most success with Chinese buyers are located in major metropolitan areas or in growing mining areas, are working farms or are new developments.
"Resale properties appeal to Chinese buyers who know Australia already, including those who already have one or more properties here."
Dominic Ong who heads up a new <a target="_blank" href="/news">Knight Frank team targeting high-net worth Chinese investors</a> and those who may qualify for the $5 million significant investor visa, recently told Property Observer that he was regularly showing Asian-based buyers around some of the most expensive waterfront property in Sydney.
Ong says they are looking in the $30 million to $50 million price range.
“They want the best properties on the waterfront with a private jetty, harbour bridge view, swimming pool and many car parks.
“They want homes they can use for private functions and for entertaining,” he says.
Queensland remains a hotspot for Chinese residential investment.
According to the Foreign Ownership of Land Register, Chinese buyers are now the biggest foreign property buying group in the state.
Juwai records that the Chinese bought more than $530 million worth of Queensland property in the past three years and now own more Queensland real estate than buyers from any other foreign country with their rate of acquisition in dollar terms up almost 60% year-on-year.
Juwai.com claims that some Australian luxury properties receiving more views in China on its portal than on Australia’s biggest real estate portal, realestate.com.au.
Examples include a five bedroom property at 29 Norseman Court, Paradise Waters in Southport listed for $2.85 million through Gold Coast prestige property agent Dominique Corbett of Corbett &amp; Co, which had 3,834 views on Juwai.com, nearly eight times more than the 484 views it has had on realestate.com.au.
Despite the interest, the property remains listed for sale and has been on the market since April 2011, according to RP Data. It is listed for auction this weekend through Renee Morgan of Executive Realtors - Broadbeach Water.
Dominique Corbett says her vendors increasingly ask her to list their properties valued at $6 million to $15 million or more on Juwai.com.
Other properties she has listed on Juwai.com have attracted four and five times as many hits on the Chinese portal compared with hits on realestate.com.au.
"Vendors believe the Chinese have the money for these properties right now, while Australians don't," she says.
“We also can act as a bespoke buying agent for private clients."
Corbett’s prestige listings on her website include a small Chinese flag, which links through to listings on Juwai.com. She has also visited China to meet up with potential buyers.
Juwai.com has teamed up with software provider Rex to assist Queensland agents and other listing their prestige offerings on the Chinese property portal.
It also recently signed a partnership in Australia with LJ Hooker, in Canada with the Real Estate Channel and in France with Previsite.
The June quarter NAB Residential Property survey found that the proportion of new houses and apartments being purchased by foreign buyers has doubled in the space of two years.
Foreign buyers now account for between 12% and 13% of all new residential property purchases, according to the views of around 300 property participants surveyed as part of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/property-prices-to-rise-just-24-over-next-two-years-as-sentiment-weakens-nab-survey/2013071163168?utm_source=po&amp;utm_medium=aida&amp;utm_campaign=news">June quarter NAB residential property index.</a>
“Asian investors (mainly Chinese) have been driving this trend according to the latest data from the Foreign Investment Review Board," says NAB chief economist Alan Oster.
“A number of factors are driving Chinese investment into Australian property, including initiatives to curb real estate speculation in China, diversification for Chinese property investors and immigration potential.”
'Beach' image courtesy of australia.com and has been digitally altered.
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Chinese appetite for Australian residential property hits $5.4 billion as demand for luxury property rises

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Investors in some Quest Serviced apartment developments should expect yields to rise to close to 8% over the next three years.
Using the example of a high-yielding one-bedroom apartment in Quest Launceston, Quest anticipates that gross yields will reach 7.8% by 2015, based on annual rent increases of 4%.
Annual rent increases of 4% are built in to every Quest lease with a market review taking place at the end of each five year term.
<div align="left">
<table style="width: 470px;" summary="&amp;&amp;&amp;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" border="1">
<thead>
<tr>
<td colspan="5">
LAUNCESTON 1BR Apartment $280,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="99">
Year
</td>
<td width="99">
2012
</td>
<td width="99">
2103
</td>
<td width="99">
2014
</td>
<td width="99">
2015
</td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Annual Rent
</td>
<td>
$19,400
</td>
<td>
$20,176
</td>
<td>
$20,983
</td>
<td>
$21,822
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Rent Increase
</td>
<td>
4%
</td>
<td>
4%
</td>
<td>
4%
</td>
<td>
4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Gross Yield
</td>
<td>
6.9%
</td>
<td>
7.2%
</td>
<td>
7.5%
</td>
<td>
7.8%
<div></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
The latest Quest serviced apartment stock list shows that yields currently range from just over 6% to 7.3%.
The strongest returns are in the recently refurbished Quest Wagga apartment block, with gross yields of around 7.29%.
Two apartments measuring 88 square metres with two bedrooms remain available for purchase in Quest Wagga for $399,000 returning annual rent of $29,095.
Yields in excess of 7% are also currently on offer for serviced apartments in Quest Darwin (though no apartments are currently available), in Quest Gladstone and in Quest Launceston.
A report by UK-based Travel Intelligence Network identified Quest as the fastest growing player globally in the serviced apartment market with a 28% increase in rooms in its network over the past two years.
Quest is now second only to Mantra in terms of serviced apartment room numbers.
In February, Quest announced plans to build  ten new apartment buildings in NSW by 2014.
According to the same report, the serviced apartment sector continues to expand in Australia and New Zealand with a 14.5% increase in supply since 2011.
A separate report by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Hotels found that of the 3,712 hotel rooms under construction in September 2012, a third were serviced apartments.
Serviced apartments available for purchase in Quest Gladstone start from $294,000 for a 53 square metre one-bedroom apartment and from $280,000 in Launceston for a one bedroom apartment measuring 58 square metres.
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Quest serviced apartment yields rising with Tasmania, Gladstone and Wagga yields near 8%

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Furious buyers of apartments in Pace Development Group’s Evo Apartments in Parkville are bandying together following news that the development is likely to be surrounded by freeways under the Victorian government's East West Link plans.
A website – noroadtunnel.com - has been set up by worried investors, some of whom signed bank guarantees in lieu of deposits just a few weeks ago.
They also took part in a Greens rally against development of the tunnel on Sunday joining residents and business owners who are set to lose their homes and properties from compulsory acquisition as well as Melburnians who fear the loss of pristine parkland.
Evo is due to be completed in November with current plans for the development of the East West Link and tunnel suggesting elevated freeways forming a triangle around the seven level apartment block featuring 175 apartments.
Off the plan investor James Egan, who represents a group of more than 10 buyers, says marketing material sent out about the development made no mention of the possible impact of the East West link.
“There was no mention of it all. They said Evo would be well north of any future development,” he told Property Observer.
Pace's Evo website makes no mention of the East West link.
Egan says he has visited the area along with other investors and has spoken to local residents who have received letters about possible acquisition of their properties from Linking Melbourne Authority, the Victorian government body in charge of the project.
“On the southern side of Evo, it looks to be only about 10 metres away from the proposed ramp," says Egan.
It's also the same side that residents in blocks of units have been issued with letters about the site being acquired for the tunnel.
“We have bombarded Pace with calls and we have are trying to band together as many as possible,” he says.
Another angry investor commented on Property Observer that he could not believe Pace would complete the development and expect owners to settle when it's going to sit “right smack bang in the middle of the East West link”.
Lawyers for Pace met with Linking Melbourne Authority last week, describing the meeting as “productive and informative” but with no details as to what exactly is being discussed.
“At this stage we are keeping those directly involved as up to date as possible, and as developments progress we will be issuing statements as necessary,” said a spokesperson for Pace.
The Greens rally was organised by deputy leader and member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt.
He says the government’s latest release of designs and letters sent to residents foreshadowing the acquisition of their homes is creating fear.
“It’s completely unfair to leave people in limbo by saying it will be another year before any specific property acquisition notices go out,” he says.
“We shouldn’t be wrecking people’s homes and precious parkland for another toll road that’s economically unsustainable and that won’t fix traffic congestion.”
The Greens want investment in public transport to fix congestion on Alexandra Parade and the Eastern Freeway by building a rail line to Doncaster and building Metro Rail. 
Earlier this year Bandt introduced a bill to prioritise the $3 billion committed to Metro Rail over any federal contribution to East West toll road.
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Angry off the plan Evo apartment investors join Greens to protest East West Link Parkville plans

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Greater Building Society has become the second lender to offer a one-year fixed-rate of 4.39%.
The comparison rate is 5.47%.
This follows the Newcastle-based lender cutting the interest rate on its one year fixed-rate packaged home loan by 15 basis points.
The rate on its non-packaged one-year fixed rate home loan has been reduced from 4.95% to 4.59%.
The new rates kicks in from July 19.
The other lender to offer a 4.39% one-year fixed rate home loan is fellow Newcastle-based lender the Newcastle Permanent Building Society.
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Greater Building Society cuts one-year fixed-rate to 4.39%

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ASIC has sought orders in the Queensland Supreme Court that liquidators from PricewaterhouseCoopers be appointed to wind up the $326 million LM First Mortgage Income Fund (FMIF).
The fund was one of seven registered investment schemes managed by collapsed Gold Coast fund manager and property developer LM Investment Management.
ASIC made its submission in a court hearing to decide the future of the fund.
The proceedings were started by two investors of the FMIF seeking orders for the appointment of Trilogy Funds Management Limited as responsible entity of the fund.
The current responsible entity, LM Investment Management Limited, opposed this application.
‘ASIC took this action as it believes that the appointment of receivers to the FMIF will allow the winding-up to proceed in the most efficient and cost effective way to provide the best chance of achieving the maximum return for investors,’ says ASIC commissioner Greg Tanzer.
‘As such, ASIC believes that the persons responsible for winding-up the FMIF should be appropriately independent. ‘It is ASIC’s view that the protracted litigation surrounding the FMIF is not in the best interests of investors and wishes to see the matter resolved as soon as possible.’ Before this week’s proceedings <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/lmim-founder-peter-drake-under-pressure-to-repay-%2417-million-loan-as-receivers-appointed-to-%24326-million-mortgage-fund/2013071163189">Deutsche Bank, a secured creditor of the FMIF, appointed McGrathNicol as receiver of the FMIF. </a>
If appointed, ASIC proposes that the incoming receivers work in conjunction with Deutsche Bank's receiver for an orderly realisation of the assets of FMIF. Justice Dalton reserved her decision in the matter.
LM Investment Management (LMIM) collapsed in March this year.
It is the responsible entity of seven registered managed investment schemes including FMIF. It also operates the $350 million LM Managed Performance Fund (LMMPF).
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ASIC seeks orders to wind up $326 million LM mortgage fund and realise assets

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International jewellery brand So Good has leased a vacant shopfront on Swanston Street in the Melbourne CBD, where rents range from $3,500 to $4,000 per metre.
The retailers will open their first Melbourne store at 215 Swanston Street on a long 10-year deal.
The two-level freehold has a ground floor area of 105 square metres and first floor area of 105 square metres.
The leasing deal was negotiated by Fitzroys leasing executive Harry Curtis, who says the new tenants will be paying a 20% increase on the previous tenant’s annual rental, with 4% annual rent increases and a six-month bank guarantee.
So Good has begun moving into the premises and will commence their own fit out shortly.
"The retailer was attracted to the property’s prime location near the corner of Swanston and Little Bourke Streets, within the heart of the hustle and bustle of Melbourne’s CBD,” says Curtis
Fitzroys is currently seeking tenants for the ex-Zamels site on the corner of Swanston and Little Collins Streets, which has a wide 28-metre frontage.
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International jewellers take up prime space on Swanston Street

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The struggling hotel and leisure markets of the Gold Coast and tropical north Queensland appear to be reviving driven by rising domestic and Chinese visitors as the mining capitals of Perth and Brisbane retreat in the wake of fewer business travellers.
Melbourne's hotel market has lifted strongly due to a rise in domestic visitors and the closure of a major hotel while Sydney occupancy rates remained at high levels with room rates rising, according to the latest Deloitte Access Economics Tourism and Outlook report.
The recovery on the Gold Coast is being driven by a pick-up in domestic holidaymakers while in tropical north Queensland a preference among Chinese holidaymakers for smaller cities and regional destinations is driving a pick-up in overseas visitors.
Deloitte reports that since 2008, the Chinse share of visitor nights in Sydney and Melbourne has fallen from 73.1% to 62.8%, with the share of visitor nights in Brisbane, other capital cities and other regional destinations growing by 4.8%, 2.5% and 3.1%, respectively.
Occupancy rates on the Gold Coast have grown strongly over the past 18 months, “reflecting a surge in domestic holiday visitors” says Deloitte Access Economics’ Lachlan Smirl.
Gold Coast occupancy rates for the year to March 2013 reached 71%, a 4% increase to March 2012.
<img alt="deloitte_gold_coast" height="411" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/larry_uploads/deloitte_gold_coast.jpg">
“Demand for accommodation is highly seasonal on the Gold Coast and while occupancy rates fell in April and May they were broadly on par with last year, averaging 71.1% over the year to May,” Smirl.
Deloitte projects that occupancy rates will continue to grow through 2013 and then stabilise at around 72% by the end of 2015.
“In contrast to occupancy rates, and reflecting the significant capacity that remains in the market, room rates on the Gold Coast have grown relatively slowly over the past two years.
“Consistent with recent trends, room rate growth is projected to average 3.5% per annum over the three years to December 2015, while continued growth in occupancies is forecast to see revenue per available room (RevPAR) grow at an average rate of 4.5% p.a. over the same period,” he says.
International visitor nights on the tropical north Queensland market (places like Cairns and Port Douglas) grew by over 20% over the year to March with the occupancy rate reaching 61.2% in the year to March.
“As with the Gold Coast, occupancy rates in tropical north Queensland are highly seasonal but fell slightly in April and May relative to last year, with occupancy rates averaging 60.9% over the year to May 2013," says Smirl.
Deloitte forecasts continued growth in occupancy rates in tropical north Queensland, with average occupancies projected to increase to 65.6% by the year to December 2015, reflecting the expected growth in international visitor nights – Asian leisure travellers in particular – over the next three years.
“Room rates have been relatively steady over the past two years – with, like Gold Coast, a significant amount of capacity remaining in the market.
“Looking forward, however, room rates are forecast trend upwards, growing at an average annual rate of 4.2% per annum.
“The strong growth in occupancy rate and room rates mean that RevPAR is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 7% over the three years to December 2015,” says Smirl.
<img alt="deloitee_FNQ" height="398" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/larry_uploads/deloitee_FNQ.jpg">
Nationally, the accommodation market remained broadly on par with its 2012 performance, with occupancy rates averaging 66.0% for the year to May and room rates growing 2.6% per annum.
“While the national picture is a relatively stable one, there has been a significant divergence in performance across the country’s accommodation markets, with notable declines in Brisbane and Perth," says Smirl.
Both suffered from falling demand from domestic business visitors.
“The decline in visitor nights by corporate travellers over the last year has seen occupancy rates soften in the Brisbane market,” says Smirl.
“After sustaining an average rate of 81% over the year to March 2012, average occupancies eased to 79.3% over the year to March 2013 and have softened marginally further since, edging below 79% over the year to May.
“As a result of the forecast increase in supply over the next two years and the recent softening in business travel, occupancy rates for Brisbane are expected to remain relatively stable over the next two years, reaching 80.1% in the year to December 2015.
“This outlook is a downward revision on our first quarter release, reflecting the weakening corporate travel and a strengthening supply outlook.
In Perth, occupancy rates for the year to March 2013 fall to 83.8%, the lowest level since the year to June 2011.
“As the resource-related construction boom in Western Australia peaks, the demand for business travel to Perth will continue to soften,” says Smirl.
“Domestic business travel accounts for 30.6% of total visitor nights in paid accommodation in Perth, with international and domestic business travel combined accounting for 43.6% of visitor nights.”
Occupancy rates picked in Melbourne from 81% in the year to December 2012 to 81.9% over the year to May 2013 attributed in part to a strong increase in holiday visitor nights over the year to March as well as the closing of the Sebel Melbourne in February.
Deloitte forecasts Melbourne hotel occupancy rates to climb steadily to 84.1% by the end of December 2015 resulting in relatively healthy growth in room rates and yields.
The Sydney hotel market remains healthy with a steady outlook.
Deloitte reports that demand for accommodation in Sydney picked up marginally in the first five months of 2013, resulting in occupancy rates improving slightly to 84.8% over the year to May 2013 from the 84.7% recorded over the year to December 2012.
While occupancy rates in Sydney have been relatively flat, room rates have continued to grow steadily, improving 3.5% to $196 over the year to May 2013, while RevPAR grew 3.1% to $167 over the year to May.
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Domestic and Chinese visitors drive improvement in Gold Coast and Far North Queensland hotel markets as mining capitals slip: Deloitte

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]

Larry Schlesinger

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