City Beat May 2025: Resilience Latent Defects Insurance drives buyer appetite in Sydney's west
Summary
Sydney’s property market continues to strengthen, with unit values outperforming house values in May.
First home buyers drive demand in western suburbs, with strong interest in new projects in Auburn and Merrylands.
Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) gains traction, offering 10-year structural protection across several major developments.
Major launches from Tian An, Northland Group, PERIFA, and Deicorp highlight a growing pipeline of quality, well-connected apartments.
The upswing in the Sydney property market continued in May, with both house and unit values increasing in the wake of recent interest rate cuts.
Unit values rose 0.5 per cent, topping the 0.4 per cent growth in house values, Cotality's Monthly Home Value Index showed.
The year-to-date performance of units in Sydney is expected to turn positive when values rise again in June. The recent gains have offset the losses recorded in the first few months of the year, before the RBA began its rate easing cycle.
The median unit value in Sydney is $859,000—around $620,000 lower than the median house value of $1.48 million.
What happened in Sydney’s off the plan apartment market in May?
Sydney's western suburbs took the limelight in the new and off-the-plan apartment space in May.
In Auburn, Tian An launched the second stage of its Auburn Square development, North Village, in a move directly targeting affordability-seeking first home buyers.
Over 25 per cent of apartments were snapped up during its recent launch, with young professionals and investors showing the most interest.
First home buyers don't have to pay any stamp duty on the one- or two-bedroom apartments, which are all priced under $800,000.
The building, designed by renowned architecture firm Rothelowman, has the sought-after 10-year Latent Defects Insurance by Resilience Insurance, protecting buyers from any structural or waterproofing issues for a decade after completion.
iCIRT-rated builder Binah has already started construction on site, with completion expected by early 2027.
Read more: Tian An quickly sells 25% of apartments in North Village, Auburn, following successful launch
Developer Northland Group also opted for the Resilience LDI policy, bringing the first development to Merrylands under the new insurance scheme.
They launched Central Quarter, comprising 194 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments above a new retail and commercial podium. The apartments are also first home buyer–friendly, with the one- and two-bedroom offerings priced under the NSW Government's $800,000 stamp duty concession threshold.
Central Quarter is one of the most connected developments in Merrylands—and potentially in all of Western Sydney.
Located on Pitt Street, the building sits directly next to Merrylands Station (just 35 minutes by train to the CBD), the Merrylands bus interchange, and across the road from Stockland Merrylands, home to nearly 200 retailers.
Resilience Latent Defects Insurance was also taken out by developer PERIFA for Rozelle Village, the eagerly anticipated redevelopment of the former Balmain Leagues Club in Rozelle.
PERIFA officially launched Rozelle Village in May—a mixed-use project featuring 150 apartments across three buildings, retail spaces, and a new club for the community.
Designed by Studio SC, with interiors by SJB, the project brings the peninsula its first full-line supermarket and aims to re-establish the site as a local hub with hospitality and community spaces.
Read more: PERIFA to create new Inner West hub as buyers get first chance to buy at Rozelle Village
Builder-developer Deicorp has been one of the strongest advocates for Latent Defects Insurance since it was introduced to the Australian market by Resilience Insurance in 2023.
They recently broke ground on their $1 billion Showground Pavilions project at the Hills Showground Metro Station.
Showground Pavilions will deliver over 1,000 apartments and mixed-use amenity across five precincts, capitalising on its status as a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) site.
Read more: Deicorp breaks ground on billion Showground Pavilions in Castle Hill
May also marked another construction commencement for Deicorp in Melrose Park.
Their $700 million Melrose Central project, in collaboration with PAYCE, includes 500 apartments across six towers above a five-level retail and lifestyle podium.
With Coles anchoring the 30,000 sqm retail precinct and a Parramatta Light Rail stop to come, early sales have been strong, and construction is pushing forward with completion due mid-2027.
Read more: Construction underway at Deicorp’s Melrose Central in Melrose Park
There were several major planning developments in May, with a focus placed on the Lower North Shore area.
Developer Freecity lodged a 40-level TOD tower in Crows Nest, aligned with the state’s recent planning reforms.
Designed by Cox Architecture, the development sits above the new Crows Nest Metro and includes 178 apartments.
Communal terraces and a retail podium round out the vision for high-density, high-amenity urban living.
Read more: First look: Freecity lodges Crows Nest TOD tower
In Kirribilli, boutique developer MADE Property is continuing its luxury push with a 19-apartment project on Carabella Street.
Designed by SJB, the twin four-level buildings will blend into the leafy suburb while catering to a discerning market following the successful launch of Kirribilli Harbour.
Read more: First look: MADE Property doubles down in Kirribilli new apartment market
Further north in Roseville, Hyecorp unveiled plans for a 259-apartment project across a 9,370 sqm site bordering Lord Street and Roseville Avenue.
The nine-level building will feature a wellness centre with a 15-metre swimming pool and gym, a kids club, cinema space, games rooms, and a residents' lounge.
Hyecorp has been developing across Sydney's North Shore region since the early 1990s. They are approaching completion of their St Leonards apartment project, Audrey, opposite Newlands Park, which will wrap up construction later this year.
Their current Roseville development, Juliet, will comprise 37 apartments when it is completed in mid-2026.
Read more: Hyecorp plots latest Upper North Shore apartment development
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is the Editor in Chief at Apartments.com.au, where he leads the editorial team and oversees the country’s most comprehensive news coverage dedicated to the off the plan property market. With more than a decade of experience in residential real estate journalism, Joel brings deep insight into Australia’s evolving development landscape.
He holds a degree in Business Management with a major in Journalism from Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and has developed a particular expertise in off the plan apartment space. Joel’s editorial lens spans the full lifecycle of a project—from site acquisition and planning approvals through to new launches, construction completions, and final sell-out—delivering trusted, buyer-focused content that supports informed decision-making across the property journey
