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Property investment intentions remain strong among Australians mortgage holders, a Mortgage Choice survey of 1,000 mortgage holders has found. 
Just over a quarter (26%) said they were considering using the equity in their homes to buy an investment property with more than half of these (56%) intending to do so within in the next two years. 
More than four out of five (83%) said they intended to buy an investment property in the next four years with intention of most being to “buy an average property in an up and coming area and hold onto the property”. 
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What is your preferred investment strategy?
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National
Results
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To buy an average property in an up and coming area and hold onto the property
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58.5%
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To buy the worst property in the best street and hold onto the property
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8.5%
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To buy a rundown property, renovate and sell for profit
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7.7%
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To buy a big block of land with a small/rundown property, with aim to knock down and develop and sell for profit
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7.4%
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To buy a property in an up and coming holiday rental area and hold onto the property to rent out in peak seasons
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5.9%
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Other
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12.1%
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Two-thirds of respondents said tenant demand and buying in the right suburb and street were key factor when choosing an investment property. 
Other important considerations were locality to amenities and entertainment such as cafes and restaurants, population growth and new infrastructure being put in place. 
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What are the top five factors you look for in an investment property?
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National
Results
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Tenant demand in that area
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65.8%
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In the right suburb and street
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64.7%
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Locality to amenities and entertainment (cafes, restaurants, etc)
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52.6%
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Population growth in that area
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46.3%
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Infrastructure going into that area
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44.1%
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The 1,000 mortgage holders were surveyed by Mortgage Choice as part of its inaugural Homeowner Intentions Survey. 
A quarter of those surveyed already own an investment property with 68% owning one property, 19% own two, and 13% own three or more properties. 
“It is really positive news for the property market to see a considerable chunk of homeowners weighing up the decision to purchase an investment property in the near future,” said Mortgage Choice spokesperson Belinda Williamson.
“With lenders’ interest rates on both home and investment property loans at their lowest point in recent years, it isn’t altogether surprising.”
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One in four borrowers intend to buy an investment property in up and coming areas in next four years: Mortgage Choice survey

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All signs in the latest housing finance data point to a more active property investment market.
The April ABS data shows that the value of home loans taken out by investors rose by 1.1% to five-year highs to $81.4 billion on a seasonally-adjusted basis, while the value of owner-occupier housing loans fell 0.9% to $14.6 billion.
The value of investment home loans to purchase established homes for rent or resale has been rising for nine straight months (since August 2012) and totalled just over $7 billion in April up from $6.82 billion in March.
A year ago the value of investment home loans to purchase established homes for rent or resale was $5.76 billion – an annual increase since then of 21.5%.
In contrast, the value of investment home loans to construct new dwellings for rent or resale has fallen for three straight months from $534 million in January to $381 million in April.
These figures suggest property investors may be buying up established homes that may have been marketed at first-home buyers, but who may have pulled back from the market due to no longer receiving the $7,000 first-home owner grant for established homes.
NSW ended its $7,000 first-home owner grant on October 1 and Queensland its first-home owner grant on September 12 – both states preferring to incentivise the purchase of new homes with $15,000 grants.
The most recent REIA housing affordability found that NSW first-home buyer in the March quarter totalled 2,647 - 57% lower than a year ago and a 40.6% fall in the March quarter alone.
In Queensland, home loans to first-home buyer decreased by 43.7% over the March quarter to 2,557 - the largest quarterly decline across the nation.
In original terms, the number of first home buyer commitments as a percentage of total owner occupied housing finance commitments rose to 14.3% in April 2013 from 14.2% in March 2013.
Westpac’s economics team commented that first-home buyers remained the stand out weak spot in the approvals data.
“We estimate loans to this segment were up 0.7% (seasonally adjusted) in April but are still down 10.8% annually and at very low levels by historical standards, particularly in NSW and Queensland," says Westpac.
CommSec chief economist Craig James attributed the rise in investment loans to "tight rental markets, state government grants for home builders, a relative lack of new homes being built and low interest rates are attracting investors,” said
Referring to the last NAB business confidence index, which improved modestly from minus 1.4 points to minus 0.7 points in May, James said Aussie businesses “could certainly take a leaf out of the book of housing investors”
“Investors see opportunities and are embracing them whereas businesses still complain about risks and hurdles,” he says.
James says first-home buyers are still reluctant to buy homes and prefer to rent instead.
“Fortunately second and subsequent home buyers are active in buying and building homes together with investors.
“The Reserve Bank will be happy that investors are diverting funds from cash-based investments to the housing market.
“On balance the Reserve Bank won’t be in a rush to cut rates again. The housing market is recovering while the lower Aussie dollar is assisting businesses,” he says.
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Opportunistic and optimistic property investors pick-up slack from dwindling first-home buyer market

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The seven Melbourne community newspapers shut down by Antony Catalano’s Metro Media Publishing (MMP) Group this month failed because they charged well above the real estate advertising rates of its News Limited competitor in the same market, John Trevorrow, the editor of Leader Community Newspapers has claimed.
The Fairfax stable of local papers has been revealed as sometimes charging double and triple the News ad rate.
On June 17 MMP will stop publishing the Casey Weekly, Frankston Weekly, Casey Weekly Cranbourne, Knox Weekly, Monash Weekly, Maroondah &amp; Yarra Ranges Weekly and the Peninsula Weekly with 32 employees to lose their jobs.
The seven publications came under Catalano’s MMP division in July last year as part of a merger with Fairfax.
In total 12 community papers have been shut down since the merger.
Catalano blamed the recent closures on its ability to gain new real estate advertising clients being “undermined by the millions of dollars News Limited is paying to agents across Melbourne and particularly in the south-east, which has made it impossible to compete fairly”.
He added that it was "ironic that a media organisation’s kickback program is the cause of media jobs being lost.”
But in an article published in News Limited-owned Herald Sun, Trevorrow, hit back claiming healthy competition had been the downfall of MMP-Fairfax titles.
“Reason for the closure of these publications is simple: healthy competition had provided consumers with a choice, and they chose not to go with MMP,” Trevorrow wrote.
He attacked the MMP business model, which involves local real estate agents having equity in the MMP titles.
“Those agents share in the profits the titles make, ironically off the back of real estate advertising they place but which is paid for by home sellers."
Trevorrow said the titles “generally have the high real estate advertising prices in their respective markets - presumably they have to charge higher rates in order to increase profits for their real estate agent shareholders”.
As an example he said the MMP publication in Stonnington/Boroondara charges $2772 for a full page ad compared to the local Leader title, which charged $990.
In Ivanhoe/Diamond Valley, Trevorrow said MMP charged $1550 for a page in its publication versus $770 in the rival Leader newspaper.
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Competition and much higher real estate advertising rates put Antony Catalano’s seven Melbourne community papers out business: rival

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A private offshore investor has paid $1.535 million - a yield of around 8% - for The Mezzanine at 65 York Street, Sydney.
The prime strata investment is on the corner of Barrack and York Streets in an iconic art deco heritage building. 
The Mezzanine comprises approximately a 231 square metre showroom/office plus storage.
The sale was negotiated by Savills’ executive, Ben Adler who said that with heavy restrictions in place on buying investment property in countries such as Singapore, China and Hong Kong savvy offshore investors are now switching their focus to places such as Australia.
Adler says this has become even more advantageous with the weakening of the Australian Dollar and falling interest rates. 
"The result is a dramatic influx of investors chasing well located CBD investments that offer solid lease covenants and strong yields. 
"In the sub $10m range there are still several opportunities to purchase on yields of 7.5% plus," he says.
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Offshore investor buys art deco Sydney strata space for $1.535 million

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<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/kflogo.jpg">
Knight Frank's Dominic Ong says the three key ingredients to his job are building trust, building relationships, and market knowledge.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/06/dominicong.png" width="200" height="200" alt="dominicong" style="margin: 5px; float: left;">Agent: Dominic Ong

Position: Asian Markets &amp; Commercial Sales Director
Company: Knight Frank

Office location: Sydney

How long have you been in the industry?

I have been in the property industry for over 12 years, including nine years in New Zealand and three years in Australia.
What’s happening in the area you specialise in?

I specialise in High Net Worth Private (HNWP) Asian investors and that market is currently extremely active. Knight Frank has recently formed a specialist Asian Markets division which targets High Net Worth Individuals from Asia, particularly China, with an aim of capitalising on the recent changes to the Significant Investment Visa (SIV) and the predicted influx of Asian capital into the Sydney and Australian marketplace. Knight Frank has a large network of Asian Market specialists both within Australia and the region – it’s a rapidly growing team.
Describe the most interesting property you have sold

I was brought on board to sell a five-floor property in Auckland which had been vacant for five years. The property was abandoned, like a run-down “ghost house”. The building was missing its roof and was flooded with dirty, putrid smelling knee-deep water. I ended up selling it to the very first buyer and it has now been refurbished and brought back to life.
What are the ingredients to being successful in your job?

Three key ingredients include building trust, building relationships, and market knowledge.
What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most?

Having lunch with my clients and building relationships with them.
Where would you invest a spare $750,000?

On a shop in Sydney which also has accommodation above it.
Which football team do you support?

I am a huge MU (Manchester United) fan!
What’s your favourite app or techno gadget?

It’s a public transport app called ‘Tripview’ – I highly recommend it.
How do you use social media?

I regularly use ‘WeChat’ to keep in touch with my family and friends. It allows you to text voice messages, make video calls in your pocket and it has a function where you can invite others for chat via QR code.
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In profile: Knight Frank's Asian markets and commercial sales director Dominic Ong

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Much has been made of the rebounding listed property sector in the past 12 months.
Atchison Consulting managing director Ken Atchison highlighted recently that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/commercial/a-reits-deliver-strong-results-and-beat-equities-ken-atchison/2013042360678">A-REITs returned 30.7%</a> over the year to March 31, outperforming equities by 10.7%.
“Over three years listed property returned 11.7% p.a. Industrial property was the strongest performing sector over three years at 20.4% p.a,” he said.
However, the sector is now 10% off its recent peak with A-REITs down 3.7% in May (compared with a 4.4% decline in equities).
Further gloss was taken off the sector following Australand’s unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a sale of its non-residential business to GPT.
The worst performers over May were residential develop FKP Group (-13% cumulative return) followed by the CFS Retail Property Trust (-8.2%) ,Westfield Retail Trust (-6.9%) and Australand (- 5.9%).
Stockland, Australia’s largest diversified listed property trust, suffered a 4.9% fall in total returns in May with Goldman Sachs A-REITS analyst Simon Wheatley noting that it has been carrying a large cumulative balance of provisions since 2008.
Taking a longer-term view, A-REITS have rebounded 148.2% from their March 2009 (compared with an 88.4% rise in equities over the same period) but are still 40% down from their peak.
Returns comparison
<img src="/images/stories/april3grandview/areits_performance.jpg" width="470" height="280" alt="areits_performance">
Source: Goldman Sachs
Wheatley notes that the sector was looking “expensive recently” with some REITs having recorded price falls of 15% to 20% in the space of a month.
However while there was a “meaningful decline” in May, he says A-REITs “fared relatively well versus the broader equity market”.
Apart from an overall fall in market conditions and confidence – the May NAB Monthly Business Survey had business conditions at low levels with unchanged mediocre confidence levels – other factors contributing to the slide include A-REIT-focused funds now having little spare cash to invest in the sector following recent capital raising investments, better value offered by recently devalued Asian REITS, as well as the recent fall in the Australian dollar.
The Australian Financial Review notes that a recent spate of capital raisings from Mirvac Group, Stockland and Cromwell Property Group, which raised $1.5 billion having “given investors a severe case of indigestion”.
However analysts like Adam Fairfax at JP Morgan believe investors will return to the sector spurred on by better yields offerings, quoting CFS Retail Property Trust and Westfield Retail Trust offering yields of 7.25% and 6.6% respectively.
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Recovery in "expensive" A-REIT sector falters with 3.7% fall in May

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Everyone knows who “High-rise Harry” is, but have you heard of “Manhattan skyline Matthew”?
Victoria’s youthful planning minister Matthew Guy is looking to leave a permanent reminder of his time in office with a vision for a Manhattan-like skyline dominated by high-rise apartment projects.
Matthew Guy has approved three major skyscrapers to be built in and around the Melbourne CBD – Tower Melbourne, Australia 108 and Vision – and has a vision for the Melbourne skyline that “turns dramatically upwards”.
A press release issued by Guy in March to announce <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/fender-katsalidis-australia-108-tower-seeks-%241000-early-buyer-registrants/2012112058001" target="_blank">his approval of Australia 108</a>, which will rise 108 storeys (388 metres) and become the world’s 19th tallest building on completion, reinforced his vision with title “Melbourne, moving upward”.
Two things are clear: more people are expected to reside in apartments in and around the Melbourne CBD in the coming years and offshore players are a growing force in new developments.
Property consultants Charter Keck Cramer (CKC) anticipate a 30% rise in new apartments to be completed over the next three years taking total inner city apartment numbers from around 30,500 currently to over 42,000 by 2015.
They estimate that offshore developers will account for around 39% (4,700 apartments) of new apartments being developed in Melbourne’s central City region over the next three years.
This compares with offshore developers accounting for just 8% of new apartments between 2000 and 2012.
The most high-profile Asian-backed project is Tower Melbourne, being developed by CEL Australia, a subsidiary of Singapore-based listed developer Chip Eng Seng Corporation.
The two other projects - Australia 108 (developed by architects Fender Katsalidis) and Vision (developed by the Brady Group) - are Australian-based projects but will attract Asian investors in their development and cashed-up private Asian buyers to off-the-plan apartment sales.
However, this shift towards high-rise project development spurred on by Matthew Guy's willingness to approve such projects, will require a major shift in Melburnians' affinity for living up in the clouds supported by continued investment from Asian buyers.
As one industry insider tells me, the densification of Melbourne around the CBD may be happening at a rate “beyond the community’s preference”.
In essence, what is required is a fundamental shift in patterns in household consumption of housing.
It requires that people move out of the established parts of Melbourne and into new apartments in and around the city.
And the granting of development approvals does not in the first instance guarantee a project will eventuate (the decision by ISPT to sell its Spencer Street site with approval for six residential towers a recent example of uncertainty about approved projects) nor does it guarantee a supply of tenants, even if off-the-plan sales are strong.
 
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Projects need to be appropriate to meet the market conditions and some may have to wait a very long time to see the light of day.
An example of this is Prima Pearl project, which is finally under construction and rising behind Crown Casino on Southbank.
The 72 story project, being developed by the PDG Group and being built by Brookfield Multiplex, received approval nearly 10 years ago.
Apart from the demographic shift required, the changing nature of commercial zones into residential ones will require an investment in community facilities such as libraries, child-care centres and supermarkets.
In some instances, the rise of residential developments has come before community investment, the most glaring example being Docklands.
RotheLowman architect and principle Chris Hayton designed the Abbotsford riverfront project on the banks of the Yarra River with a community feel and access and says Melbourne apartment buyers are looking for a place where “people will want to go and live, where they are able to walk downstairs to get their milk and where they don’t have to get into their car to kick the footy around.”
He calls it the “milk bar resurgence” and adds that the lessons can be learnt from some of the well-known failings of mixed-use developments at Docklands.
Industry players say there are broadly two apartment development markets in Melbourne.
The first of these is centred around the inner city markets – CBD, Docklands, Southbank and City Road - and dominated by offshore players who don’t have the pre-sales constraints of local developers and who can contribute greater equity to the project.
One example is the Tower Melbourne project.
With the backing of a listed Asian developer, it is certain to be built.
Offshore players play by different rules. They put more equity into their projects and require less financing, which influences what they can do.
In addition there are push factors from offshore markets like China, Singapore and Hong Kong where the rate of return on equity is much lower than it is here.
Earlier this year, Beijing banned single-person households from buying more than one residence. The government also increased the minimum deposit for all buyers of second homes and has increased the capital gains tax on property to 20%.
This means there is a lot of money floating about and looking for home and finding its way into the Melbourne apartment market.
But other projects backed by private funds – local or offshore - may take longer to come to market – or may not happen at all.
Plus Melbourne, which has had the offshore buyers’ market largely to itself up until recently, now faces more competition from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Even Adelaide is attracting offshore interest with Chinese developer Datong buying four sites and commencing construction this week of $36 million project comprising 69 apartments.
The other new Melbourne apartment market is the one happening out in the suburbs, where local developers are building more modest or appropriate projects, provided they secure the necessary pre-sales.
And there remains another potential spoke in the wheel - the declining Australian dollar.
While a weaker dollar makes it cheaper for offshore investors to buy apartments off-the-plan, it could according to property consultants MacroPlan Dimasi discourage Asian developers from buying up development sites and undertaking new apartment projects because they will face the prospect of owning an asset that is declining in US dollar value terms.
And it appears perhaps that Matthew Guy himself is not entirely one-dimensional when it comes to the development of Melbourne’s urban areas.
He recently announced that he would save 87 heritage buildings in and around Melbourne including Norman’s Corner Stores at 180-182 Bourke Street and the former Argus building in La Trobe Street.
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Matthew Guy’s high-rise vision for Melbourne could be a pipe dream

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An investor has acquired a 170-square-metre warehouse unit in the Hyde Business Park in Yarraville for $420,000 for their self-managed super fund (SMSF). 
The two-level warehouse is one of 13 units being sold or available for lease in stage one of the business park development. 
It will lease for around $36,000 per annum equating to an indicative yield in excess of 8%. 
Yarraville is around 4 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD.
Another two-level unit in the development – unit 13 measuring 146 square metres over two levels - sold for $370,000. It includes a balcony looking over Melbourne’s Ports to the CBD. 
Both sales were negotiated by Colliers International’s Cameron Hunter and Nick Saunders, who have negotiated seven sales in the development to date. 
“The Hyde Business Park development is perched high on the hill and looks out to the Melbourne CBD. The views at night time in particular are unbelievable,” says Hunter. 
The remaining six warehouse units which feature automated roller shutter doors, kitchenette and shower within landscaped gardens remain available for purchase with prices from $365,000 from $465,000.
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SMSF investor acquires Yarraville warehouse with city views for $420,000 on 8% yield

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Borrowers who took out a home loan with Heritage Bank in 2000 have, on average, saved the most in home loan payments compared to 23 other lenders, a new survey has found.
Those who took out a Citibank home loan have, on average, paid the most.
A study of 23 Australian financial institutions in the period from 2000 to 2012 found that Heritage Bank had the lowest average standard variable home loan rate of 7.01% over this period while the most expensive was Citibank with an average standard variable home loan rate of 7.43%.
The difference in the two rates equates to nearly $1,000 a year in extra mortgage repayments.
While interest rates are by no means the only consideration when applying for a mortgage (other factors include fees, costs, features and purpose of the loan), they are often the starting point for borrowers to investigate which lender to submit an application through.
<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/stories/april3grandview/heritage_bank_story.jpg" alt="heritage_bank_story" width="470" height="747">
Source: Heritage Bank from University of New England study
The study was carried out by professor Abbas Valadkhani from the University of New England, who found that on average building societies offered the cheapest home loan rates (7.15%) followed by Australian banks (7.25%) and then foreign-owned banks (7.35%).
The next best behind Heritage Bank were the Newcastle Permanent Building Society, Hume Building Society, Greater Building Society and Adelaide Bank.
The average across the 23 lenders was 7.24%.
The cheapest of the major banks over the 12 year period was NAB ranked 11th (7.25%) and Westpac the most expensive, ranking 21st (7.34%)
Australia’s biggest mortgage lender the Commonwealth ranked 14th and ANZ, 17th. Heritage Bank CEO John Minz said he was delighted but not surprised that the study had identified Heritage as offering the lowest overall rate. "Heritage is all about providing our customers with the best value we can," he said. "As a customer-owned bank, we put people ahead of profits, and the results of this study clearly demonstrate that we are delivering on our promise of maximising value for our customers. "We are extremely proud that we have come out on top of this comparison, particularly as it spans a 12-year period. That is ample evidence of our long-term commitment to the financial well-being of customers." 
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Heritage Bank tops list of cheapest mortgage providers over past 12 years

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Realestate.com.au and its publisher REA Group have won a long-running trademark dispute with alternative listings provider realEstate1 Pty Ltd, which trades as <a href="https://www.realestate1.com.au">www.realestate1.com.au</a>.
The ruling was made despite a federal court judge describing REA Group’s trademarking of the term 'realestate' combined with 'com.au' as both “troubling” and giving it a “monopoly” of the term where rivals seek to incorporate it in their domain name as they are "likely to be the most common terms on a search results page where a search has been conducted for a residential real estate portal".
That name realestate.com.au is the subject of three composite trademarks held by REA.
"It is troubling that terms that are highly descriptive of a particular area of commerce and which provide significant commercial advantage should not be readily available for use by all who seek to participate in that commerce," said Federal Court Justice Bromberg in his June 7 ruling.
"However, in the absence of a successful challenge to the registration of REA’s realestate.com.au trade marks, whilst that may be troubling, REA is nevertheless entitled to the protection of the monopoly which has been conferred upon it.”
It paves the way for other real estate portals that use the term 'realestate' and 'com.au' in their domain names to be pursued by the REA Group for trademark infringements.
Fairfax, the main rival to News Limited owned REA Group in the property listings space, currently operates the website www.commercialrealestate.com.au.
In making its claim, REA pleaded “that the domain name ‘realestate1.com.au’ is substantially identical or deceptively similar to the domain name ‘realestate.com.au’ and that the domain name ‘realcommercial1.com.au’ is substantially identical or deceptively similar to the domain name ‘realcommercial.com.au’".
Federal court justice Bromberg ruled that “by using the marks realestate1.com.au and realcommercial1.com.au, Real Estate 1 infringed REA’s trademarks in all but one of the different uses alleged by REA”.
Gold Coast real estate agent Glenn Batten, a contributing editor on real estate technology portal business2.com.au, writes that the lengthy judgement appears to have found that realestate1.com.au infringed on the trademark of realestate.com.au (use of similar domain and trading names by rival internet businesses) but have not breached the Trade Practices Act, having not passed themselves off as realestate.com.au.
“The REA Group has won the trademark section but not the Trade Practices section,” says Batten.
He highlighted this as the key paragraph in the judgement:
“As my conclusions demonstrate, registration of REA’s realestate.com.au marks has effectively given REA a monopoly over two highly descriptive terms when used in combination. Those terms are likely to be the most common terms on a search results page where a search has been conducted for a residential real estate portal. The protection conferred by REA’s trade marks over the use of “realestate” and “.com.au” in combination, provides REA with a monopoly over the term “realestate” in circumstances where its rivals seeking also to use “realestate” or a close variant thereof as a second-level domain, do not forego the advantages of using “.com.au” in their domain names. The natural advantage of a domain name which incorporates “realestate” to the commercial success of property portals will be apparent from observations I have already made. There is also a natural advantage in the use of the suffix “.com.au”. It is troubling that terms that are highly descriptive of a particular area of commerce and which provide significant commercial advantage should not be readily available for use by all who seek to participate in that commerce. However, in the absence of a successful challenge to the registration of REA’s realestate.com.au trade marks, whilst that may be troubling, REA is nevertheless entitled to the protection of the monopoly which has been conferred upon it.”
Batten warned: “With this judgement under their belt it will be interesting to see who is next on REA’s hit list.  I am thinking that every other non-agency client of theirs using any domain with the term “realestate” and “.com.au” is in for a hard time in 2014.
The launch of realestate.com.au dates back to 1998 while launched its portal in 2005.
realEstate1 was set up by Geoffrey Luff, who has worked in and owned various real estate agencies in and around the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
“Damage was not the subject of the trial and may now need to be determined in a separate hearing. The form of the other relief sought by REA has not been the subject of submissions and the parties ought to be given the opportunity to make submissions in light of my findings,” said justice Bromberg.
Realestate1.com.au continues to trade as normal.
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REA Group wins trademark battle with realestate1.com.au and monopoly of online term ‘realestate”

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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