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Offshore developers will account for 39% of all new apartments built in and around the Melbourne CBD between 2013 and 2016, according to figures compiled by property consultants Charter Keck Cramer.
This will equate to around 4,700 apartments in total.
The red line in the chart below shows offshore developers' rising share of the Melbourne central city market, which will peak at 58% of apartments in 2015.
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Source: Charter Keck Cramer
Local developers will provide 61% of new apartments built in the CBD, Docklands, South Bank and City Road between 2013 and 2016 well down from the 92% of all new apartments they delivered between 2000 and 2012.
A similar trend – though not as pronounced – will take place across the entire Melbourne metro region with offshore developers share of the market rising from just 3% in the period from 2000 to 2012 to 15% between 2013 and 2016 – around 5,500 apartments.
Offshore developers will provide 4% of short-term future supply in the City Fringe Region ( around 2-5 km from CBD), 2% in the inner region (5-10 km) and 7% in the middle region (10 -20 km). 
The elevated participation of offshore developers in the middle region relates to primarily <a target="_blank" href="/news">Box Hill</a>, says CKC.
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lschlesinger-FZcF9M3vE6

Offshore apartment developers to take 58% of Melbourne market by 2015: Chart of the week

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<img alt="ljhookerbanner" height="80" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/04/ljhookerbanner.jpg">
Marcel Elias says new industrial development activity has stalled in Sydney with the demand for A-Grade industrial space arguably as strong as it has ever been.
<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" alt="marceleliasapril17" height="200" width="200" src="/images/stories/2013/04/marceleliasapril17.png">Name: Marcel Elias 
Position: Licensee 
Company: LJ Hooker Commercial 
Office location: Silverwater, Sydney
How long have you been in the industry? 
I have been involved in the real estate market for seven years, specialising in the industrial sector the entire time.
What’s happening in the area you specialise in? 
The industrial market in Sydney continues to remain steady, as is the case within most metropolitan locations along the eastern seaboard. Development activity however has stalled and the demand for A-grade industrial space is arguably as strong as it has ever been.
Describe the most interesting property you have sold 
I once sold premises where the occupier established a manufacturing facility specialising in micro-sized artificial hearts, designed for human use, although I understand this is currently within a trial stage.
What are the ingredients to being successful in your job? 
The black and white real estate 101 rules. Motivation, a genuine enjoyment for the job and coffee of course!
What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most? 
I enjoy the rush of executing each and every new transaction and achieving a desirable outcome on behalf of our many loyal clients. I also enjoy the social aspect of the job, particularly getting an understanding and appreciation of how some of our wealthiest clients got to where they are presently.
Where would you invest a spare $750,000?
I would invest in either or:
<ol>
<li>An industrial investment within a syndicate/consortium type scenario</li>
<li>Online real estate marketing/software development </li>
</ol>
Which football team do you support? 
The Brisbane Broncos!
What’s your favourite app or techno gadget? 
The LinkedIn app
How do you use social media? 
I connect to colleagues through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. I have recently had installed a social connector which allows me to see an image of the people I am emailing via their LinkedIn or Facebook profile, irrespective of whether we have met previously. It has been rather interesting to say the least.
LinkedIn profile: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/marcel-elias/17/122/11a" target="_blank">Marcel Elias</a>
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In profile: LJ Hooker Commercial’s Sydney industrial specialist Marcel Elias

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Mortgage market activity picked up across the country in April led by NSW, the latest RP Data figures show.
There was also a strong pick-up in activity in Queensland, WA, Victoria and Tasmania.
The figures are a lead indicator of official housing finance data, coming out around six weeks ahead of ABS figures.
<img alt="rpdatamortgagesapril15one" src="/images/stories/2013/04/rpdatamortgagesapril15one.gif" width="470" height="239">
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RP Data systems monitor more than 100,000 mortgage activity events every month across four main finance industry platforms.
The index shows an 81% correlation with the ABS housing finance data series (88% using the seasonally adjusted series).
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Mortgage market picking up led by NSW: RP Data monitor

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Landlords can expect rents to rise at the same pace as house prices over the next two years, but with wide variance across state markets with WA the strongest and Victoria the weakest rental market.
Overall the expectations are for slightly stronger rental growth over the next two years than forecast three months ago.
Rents are forecast to rise 3.6% over the next two years <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/house-prices-to-rise-36-over-next-two-years-as-sentiment-rebounds-broadly-nab-index/2013041160305?utm_source=po&amp;utm_medium=aida&amp;utm_campaign=news">matching house price growth expectations,</a> according to the March quarter NAB residential property survey.
Rental expectations for the next 12 months have risen slightly since the December quarter survey.
Survey respondents – a pool of 300 mainly estate agents, property owners and investors – now anticipate rents to rise 2.6% to March 2014 compared with previous expectations of a 2% year-on-year rise.
As with house price expectations, rental growth is likely to be strongest in WA with a rise of 4.2% forecast.
In South Australia/Northern Territory, expectations were revised up sharply to 3.9% (compared with a small decline of 0.5% previously).
However, report author and NAB chief economist Alan Oster, notes that “this series is generally more volatile because of a smaller sample size.
“Upward revisions were also apparent in all other states, led by Queensland (2.4% from 0.6% previously) and NSW (2.4% from 1% previously).
“Rental expectations for the next year were weakest in Victoria at 1.6%, but marginally higher than 1.4% forecast in the December quarter,” Oster says.
Over the next two years, national rents are forecast to grow 3.6%, up slightly from an earlier forecast of a 3.3% rise, “reflecting more bullish results from SA/NT (5.2% from 1.1% previously) and NSW (3.4% from 3% previously).
Expectations were broadly unchanged in WA (5.3%) and Victoria (2.6%), but were downgraded slightly in Queensland (3.3% from 3.6% previously).
The survey found that rental markets are still “generally tight across the country” with national rents growing 1% in the first quarter of 2013.
The rental market was strongest in WA, where rents grew 2.4% in the March quarter compared with 1.9% in the December 2012 quarter “as the resource led surge in population growth supports strong tenant demand”.
Rental growth was slowest in Victoria at 0.3% where the residential vacancy rate was also the highest in the country in February according to SQM Research data, but this was also the first positive result since the December 2011 quarter.
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Rental growth to keep pace with house price growth over next two years led by WA: NAB survey

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The government’s proposed changes to superannuation are likely to impact on the most satisfied account holders, the latest Roy Morgan Research Superannuation Satisfaction report suggests.
The government proposes a <a target="_blank" href="/news">tax of 15% on super income above $100,000 per annum</a> from July 1 2014, which is expected to impact on around 16,000 super funds with income-earning assets (such as property) of around $ 2 million or more – assuming a return of 5%.
Many of these 16,000 super funds are likely to be self-managed super funds.
According to Roy Morgan, over the six months to January, self-managed super funds, which have a growing proportion of their assets in direct property, remain the clear leader with a 72.2% financial performance satisfaction rating.
And satisfaction with the performance of SMSFS has been rising since about September last year.
In comparison, satisfaction with other fund types, where members have less control, has been declining since the GFC and continues fall.
Industry funds are a distant second with a satisfaction rating of 48.7% with retail funds further back (41.9%).
The results of the survey suggest on overall high-level of dissatisfaction with super fund performance with the satisfaction rating for financial performance of superannuation across all types of funds in the six months to January 2013 of just 46.6%.
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The survey also found that satisfaction with financial performance of superannuation increases the bigger the super balance.
The highest satisfaction rating (65.7%) was for funds with balances higher than $500,000 with the satisfaction decline to 56.9% for funds with balances from $250,000 to $499,999; to 48.7% for fund with balances from $100,000 to $249,999 and to just 43.7% for funds with balances under $100,000.
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The findings are based on over 30,000 interviews with people with superannuation.
“Our research shows that although there is a strong correlation between satisfaction with superannuation financial performance and the amount in super, the issue regarding who manages the super also has a major impact,” says Norman Morris, industry communications director at Roy Morgan Research.
“It appears that satisfaction with superannuation has a lot to do with the level of engagement, which is higher among self-managed funds and higher balances. “The poor satisfaction levels of Retail Funds across all balance levels obviously are of concern, considering that financial planners are more likely to direct their clients to them,” he says.
Photo by Martin Howard, courtesy of Flickr.
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SMSF satisfaction rates soar above disgruntled retail and industry fund members: Roy Morgan 

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The Westpac bank branch on Wodonga's High Street that was owned by tyre king Bob Jane’s former wife, Laree Jane has been sold to another investor on behalf of receivers at auction for $2.6 million.
The 460 square metre property at 141 High Street was sold as part of a Burgess Rawson portfolio auction this week.
The property was not advertised as a mortgagee sale until announced so by auctioneer David Scholes from Auctionworks at a packed River Room at Crown Casino.
The property was sold on behalf of receivers, Sellers Muldoon Benton having been marketed by Jamie Perlinger and Billy Holderhead from Burgess Rawson. 
Westpac has a seven year lease commencing in 2009 on the building which has the latest Westpac fit-out.
Land transfer documents obtained after the auction by Property Observer show that a company called Grabzoom Wodonga Pty Ltd based in South Yarra acquired the building for $2.763 million with a loan from the Commonwealth Bank.
The document is signed Laree Madonna Jane, listed as the sole director and sole company secretary of Grabzoom Wodonga Pty Ltd with ASIC documents noting a 504C notification of appointment of a  controller on February 20 this year.
On February 21 this year, a caveat was placed over the property with Pitcher Partners noting their lending against the property.
Bidding for the bank branch started at $1.7 million with four bidders competing for the property.
The winning bid of $2.6 million represented a yield of around 7% with Westpac paying annual rent of $195,000.
RP Data records show the bank was paying net rent of $184,000 per annum when it was acquired by Grabzoom.
Bob Jane and Laree Jane separated in 2008 after two decades of marriage following a bitter break-up and dispute over two Bob Jane T-mart franchises.
At the same auction three other bank branches sold including a <a href="/news">Commonwealth Bank in Swan Hill</a> which fetched $1.41 million.
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Bob Jane’s former wife Laree Jane sells Wodonga bank branch investment at a loss

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Around 62% of consumers expect house prices to rise by this time next year, according to the latest Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer house price index.
The index rose sharply in April to its highest level since July 2010.
It is also the first time since April 2011 that a clear outright majority of consumers expect house price gains.
A further 30% expect house prices to remain stable with just 8% expecting prices to decline – the lowest proportion since April 2010.
The index measures the net percentage of those expecting houses to rise versus those expecting them to fall.
Westpac called the shift from +26.7 in January to +53.9 in April "a substantial improvement".
"After an extended period of uncertainty, Australian consumers now look to be much more convinced that house prices are on the way up," says Westpac.
"All states recorded a rise in house price expectations ranging from a massive turnaround in Vic (+54 pts from –1 in Jan to+53 in April) to solid but more muted rises in SA (+11pts) and Queensland (+9pts) where price expectations are more downbeat.
"Consumers in WA and NSW have the most positive outlook for house prices – price growth has already been running at 5%+rates in both of these states over the last six months.
"Notably, April saw more WA consumers expecting house prices to rise than there were during the 2009-10 upswing," says Westpac.
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Two-thirds of consumers see higher house prices in a year's time: Westpac

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Sydney property developer Rory O’Brien has won the right to sue Bankwest over its 2009 decision not refinance a loan for his $282 million Whisper Bay luxury development at Airlie Beach.
The clawback of the loan forced the luxury Whisper Bay development (pictured below), which counted former prime minister Bob Hawke as a buyer and promoter, into receivership in May 2009, months before it was due for on-time completion.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/04/whisperbayapril12one.jpg" width="470" height="307" alt="whisperbayapril12one">
The claim against Bankwest is also likely to shed light on the Commonwealth Bank's conduct following its acquisition of Bankwest in October 2008 and claims it unfairly foreclosed on hundreds of loan arrangements.
Yesterday, the NSW Court of Appeal overturned a decision made in May last year in favour of Bankwest's claim against O’Brien and other guarantors for payment of the balance of an outstanding loan (a sum of around $158 million) following the sale of the Airlie Beach development to David Marriner for $56 million in 2010.
The project had once been valued at more than $250 million.
The Court of Appeal also struck out the May ruling preventing O’Brien from making a counter-claim against Bankwest for breach of contract.
The counter-claim by O’Brien struck at the heart of subsequent allegations made against the Commonwealth Bank, -that it was able to negotiate a cheaper purchase price of Bankwest if there were more bad loans on the Bankwest book.
The Court of Appeal judgement notes that O’Brien had claimed that Bankwest took the steps it did “at the direction of a third party (in order that there might be a reduction in the price to be paid for the acquisition of the Bank)”.
Apartments in Whisper Bay carried price tags of between $1.5m and $6.75m.
It had achieved around $106 million in pre-sales and was due for completion in December 2009 when Bankwest issued a notice of demand for the repayment of a $180 million loan facility in May 2009.
The loan was due to mature in January.
The development was subsequently placed into receivership with around one-third of the 104 apartments in the project sold.
At the time he lost the development O’Brien said that all that still needed to be done was “put the front of the office in, the bar and the furniture".
The demand that O’Brien repay the loan came just eight months after the Commonwealth Bank acquired Bankwest for $2.1 billion in October 2008.  
This, and other demands of repayment by Bankwest, sparked a Senate inquiry led by Nationals Senator John Williams into changes in bank lending practices since the GFC.
The inquiry heard from 150 Bankwest customers, who claimed the bank unfairly and unconscionably foreclosed on their loans after the Commonwealth Bank takeover.
In August last year Property Observer reported around 120 businesses had signed up to law firm Slater &amp; potential class action for aggrieved borrowers/mortgagors against BankWest and the Commonwealth Bank.
O’Brien’s successful appeal against the May 2012 judgement, which included costs, is expected to throw further light on the conduct of Bankwest as well as details of the sale of the bank to the Commonwealth Bank.
Had the NSW Court of Appeal not ruled in his favour the earlier decision would have bankrupted O’Brien.
“We can now sue the bank for a breach of contract that their termination of our agreement was for an improper purpose and we can pursue whether or not the claw back arrangement was relevant to Rory’s case,” said his lawyer Andrew Sutherland of Russells.
The case dates back to 2006 when Bankwest entered into an agreement to provide a $175 million loan to refinance the development.
On April 6 2009, O’Brien and his Middle East business partner, Essque Hotels and Resorts received a letter of demand from Bankwest for “moneys then outstanding under the facility agreement”.
Bankwest then terminated its lending facility provided for the development and "subsequently appointed receivers and managers…and in due course the property the subject of the refinancing arrangements was sold.”
On 28 January 2011, Bankwest demanded payment from the guarantors of the balance then outstanding (after the sale of the property to Marriner) under the previous lending agreement.
In the now oveturned 2012 judgement, Justice Robert McDougall ruled that O’Brien was liable for the funds his company had borrowed.
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Developer Rory O’Brien wins right to battle Bankwest-Commonwealth Bank over Whisper Bay receivership

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The positive flow-on effect of rising house prices on the overall economy has been highlighted in a RBA research paper exploring the relationship between home prices and household spending.
The paper finds that spending by younger, more credit constrained households is more responsive to changes in home prices than that of older households.
Mortgage lending conditions also play a key factor in household spending.
The paper arguing that if rising house prices are accompanied by more freely available credit, then the propensity for young homebuyers to spend is even greater.
“Younger homeowners are more likely to be credit as well as buffer-stock savers.
“Accordingly, loosening of credit constraints suggests a stronger link between home prices and spending for younger homeowners,” say Callan Windsor, Jarkko Jääskelä and Richard Finlay, authors of the report.
The findings reinforce the importance of the first-home buyer segment to the overall health of the economy – at a time when first-home buyer numbers are at eight year lows, according to <a href="/news">Real Estate Institute of Australia</a> (REIA).
Many blame the first-home buyer grants in NSW and Queensland that incentivise the purchase of new homes over more-desired existing homes for the drop in numbers.
The RBA report also found that young and middle-aged homeowners respond more in terms of spending, than young renters to rising home prices.
It also  highlights the importance of owning a house as a buffer against future financial troubles with households perceiving housing wealth as a “precautionary saving vehicle against unanticipated future events such as redundancy”.
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Rising house prices encourage younger households to spend: RBA paper

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Sydney's five-star hotel sector strengthened in final quarter of 2012 as prospective buyers line up to purchase one of its prized assets, the Four Seasons in Circular Quay.

Both the occupancy rate and average takings per room per night increased in the December quarter compared with the previous quarter, according to the latest ABS tourist accommodation figures.

Among five-star hotels in Sydney, the occupancy rate was 88.6% with average takings per room per night at $289 compared with an occupancy rate of 84% in the September quarter and average takings per room per night of $259.

Overall, Sydney hotel occupancy rates remained well above 80% in the December quarter with the ABS recorded an occupancy rate of 82.8% over the final three months of 2012 up from 81.3% in the September quarter.

The outlook for the Sydney CBD hotel market also remains strong, according to the latest quarterly Dransfield Hotel Futures report.
The report anticipates occupancy rates in Sydney CBD hotels to remain comfortably above 80% over the remainder of the decade.


The inner Sydney hotel occupancy rate is expected to hover around 85% over the next two years and will average out at 84% over the second half of the decade – the strongest across all the major capital city hotel markets.

Revenue per available room (revPAR) in Sydney is expected to increase relatively strongly over the next two years - by 7.3% in 2013 and by 7.3% in 2014 - but will then taper off in subsequent years averaging 2.6% between 2015 and 2020.

Over this time, the average room rate in a Sydney CBD hotel is expected to increase from $195 per night to $269 per night.

Eureka Funds Management has listed its recently refurbished five-star Sydney Four Season Hotel in Circular Quay up for sale with initial price expectations of around $400 million and expressions of interest closing on April 5.
Standing at 199 George Street, it is one of Sydney’s premier hotels featuring 531 guest rooms and suites, many of which enjoy picturesque views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
The hotel opened in 1983 and operates under a long term management agreement with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts with the he 5, 314 square metre site leased from the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority until 2078.
It ranks as 14th best out of 185 hotels in Sydney, according to TripAdvisor, with room rates starting from around $1,100 per night for a double or twin room with city view.
The distinctive zig-zag shaped hotel was designed by architects Michael Dysart &amp; Partners and is built on the site of a former colonial jail, directly below the spot where Captain Arthur Philip landed in Sydney Cover in 1788.
It was purchase by Eureka in 2006 for $225 million from Chicago-based Walton Street Capital and Four Seasons Hotels.
Walton Street Capital and Four Seasons Hotels bought the hotel - then called the Regent Hotel - for about $155 million in 1998 and spent around $60 million refurbishing the property.
 
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Eureka also owns the Rialto InterContinental Melbourne on Collins Street.
It has recently undergone an extensive $40 million dollar refurbishment program.
Interest is expected from overseas investors following a record number of hotels purchased by overseas investors in 2012. 
This week its been reported that the Malaysian group Mulpha has emerged as a leading contender for the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, which has also attracted bids from at least two wealthy Chinese investors.
The five-star Sydney hotel is now expected to change hands for between $330 million and $340 million, with about eight short-listed parties. 
The hotel has reputedly attracted interest from the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, which is headed by Guo Guangchang, labelled China’s Warren Buffett.
Fosun International has a 7.1% stake in Club Mediterranee and is opening five Club Med Resorts in China.
Mulpha already owns on the other side of Circular Quay having acquired the Inter­Continental Hotel in 2004 when it bought the Principal portfolio.
Mulpha and sales agents Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels and McVay Real Estate have declined to comment on the sale to the Australian Financial Review.
Last June, Hong Kong-listed Shangri-La Asia paid $352 million to fully own the Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel in The Rocks.
This deal followed soon after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/leisure/malaysian-reit-pays-%24415-million-for-marriott-five-star-hotel-portfolio/2012061455118">Malaysia-listed Starhill Real Estate Investment Trust, paying $415 million</a> in January for a portfolio of three five-star Marriott hotels – the Sydney Harbour Marriott, the Brisbane Marriott and the Melbourne Marriott.
Last year Eureka spent $15 million refurbishing including the addition of a new restaurant and upgrades to conferencing spaces, the Executive Club Lounge, swimming pool area and lifts.
It follows an $18 million refurbishment to the Grand Ballroom.
The property is marketed with residential development potential.
“An incoming owner has the potential to develop substantial residential components at the hotel through two different scenarios, both of which are subject to obtaining necessary regulatory approvals.
“The first opportunity is to convert up to 231 existing hotel guest rooms to residential apartment units. The second concept is to build an additional residential tower on the northern end of the site,” notes the investor memorandum.
The selling agents are Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels managing director of Craig Collins and Dan McVay, chairman of McVay Real Estate,
“This is a truly unique offering. Sitting on one of Australia’s best sites, in the key corporate and tourism market, operated by one of the world’s best brands,” says Dan McVay.
“The lack of supply means that there are very few opportunities to gain a foothold in the Sydney CBD market. This, coupled with the recent refurbishment and future development potential of the site, means that there will be very strong demand from buyers for this asset,” he adds.
According to Dransfield, the Sydney inner city hotel market underperformed in the first nine months of 2012, with revPAR increasing by 1.2% over this period compared with expectations of 7.9% growth.

The latest report– for the September 2012 quarter – notes that experienced revPAR growth of 1.2% vs. expectations of 7.9% for the Sydney City region, with Dransfield attributing this to hoteliers not wanting to push up rates on stalling demand.

However, average room rates (ARR) and revPAR are expected to strengthen somewhat over 2013.
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Strong outlook for Sydney hotels as buyers line up for Sydney Four Seasons Hotel 

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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