<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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</main>

Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

Prominent New Zealand apartment and hotel operator, <a href="/developers/safari-group">Safari Group</a>, is offering up a prime investment opportunity for Australians to purchase off the plan in one of the world’s most popular ski destinations.

They recently took to market Mountain Oak Queenstown Apartments, in the growing precinct of Remarkables Park in Frankton, near the airport and at the foot of The Remarkables - the mountain range the locals like to call “The Remarks”.&nbsp;

Sydney investors have shown interest in the one, two and three-bedroom apartments that secure high-season occupancy six months over the year, primarily over summer and winter months.

They average 90 per cent occupancy across their portfolio over January, February, March, August, November and December, while shoulder season months of April, July, September and October are still occupied 70 per cent of the time, with the growing appeal of Queenstown becoming not just a hotspot for the snow, but a lifestyle destination.

Even in the low seasons of May and June, occupancy levels reach around 40 per cent.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Ext_Cam15_Sunny.jpg?VersionId=SJAROUM_1s.Tr5ciMk4EEj5oAt_Vewmv" />

Safari’s Safari Hotels arm can also manage the holiday letting for an investor, from the listing on holiday accommodation websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com to the cleaning and maintenance of the investment. They’ve been in the short stay management business for 15 years and offer 24/7 support for investors, an important convenience benefit for any overseas investor

Another major drawcard for Australians is that New Zealand doesn’t have a stamp duty policy - so the entry price of NZ$639,000 (AU$586,000), is all that is payable on completion.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" 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/313_Livingv2_WEB.jpg?VersionId=nV229fM0ZeYpoxOrX372HyGjfwY_LR8c" />

Safari is starting construction of the 141 apartments in Q2 this year, with a two-year build estimated to complete in mid-to-late 2027.<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="15" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXczFpFAb7WuA6f4f9TtKWcqXyNwR8qqtakWv352ERkpqNlP3KwIo8YKxw67jZNHfpjEGIZGv5MQTbnvLZwNt8iu9IVdOrswOjCvBZ4zhSoOOLrpt6etVEZTN1gkBho0r_R72zdHNA?key=yq3daOanqHSb88QFd8jGYKdb" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" />​

The apartments will feature modern amenities and contemporary designs with expansive windows capturing sweeping views of The Remarkables mountain range.&nbsp;

Interiors are equipped with modern finishes, premium appliances, and secure electronic key-locked doors, ensuring a comfortable living experience for residents and guests alike.

With its strategic location near Coronet Peak and Cardrona Alpine Resort, as well as key retail and dining precincts such as Market Street, Five Mile Shopping Centre, and Remarkables Market, Mountain Oak offers a strong proposition for investors seeking high rental yields and capital appreciation in one of New Zealand’s most sought-after locations.&nbsp;

Queenstown’s sustained demand for visitor accommodation and rental properties is underpinned by a shortage of housing options, attracting both local and international buyers.

Safari Group offers low-touch investment proposition in Queenstown’s popular ski fields district

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Current pre-lease rentals on offer to lease new warehouses in Melbourne and Brisbane offer a good opportunity for tenants to upgrade, according to forecaster BIS Oxford Economics.
Leasing incentives in both markets have pushed effective rents to around their lowest levels in 10 years, with little change in stated rents over the 10-year period. Since 2007, average prime net effective rents in Melbourne’s South-East and Brisbane’s TradeCoast have fallen by 15 to 18%. 
Compounding the situation, stated rentals for a new lease are substantially below the rent being paid by tenants coming to the end of a long term lease, said BIS Oxford Economics.
For a tenant who signed a lease over a prime property in Melbourne’s South-East in 2007, with annual escalations of 3%, would be paying 25% above the current market rent for existing space. 
In Brisbane’s TradeCoast, the situation is even worse, with the tenant ending their lease paying an estimated 35% above market rents. It makes sense that companies would find the option to upgrade to newer, more efficient facilities at a much lower rent very appealing. 
The findings were carried in the BIS Oxford Economics’ latest reports on the sector, Melbourne and Brisbane Industrial Property, Market Forecasts and Strategies, 2017 to 2027.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/11/ChartBIS.png" alt="">
However, the forecaster says the pre-lease deals on offer will not last indefinitely.
Over the last five years, major developers in Brisbane and Melbourne were able to use firming yields and rising capital values, underpinned by the strength of the investment market, to fund leasing incentives, whilst keeping a lid on pre-lease rents. The competition in the pre-lease market kept market rents subdued. 
But developers’ calculations will change when yields stop firming and start to soften, as forecast over the next five years. Without firming yields, developers will no longer be able to fund such generous leasing incentives and will need higher rents to underwrite project feasibility. Rising pre-lease rents will then filter through to the existing market. 
According to report authors, Lee Walker and Christian Schilling, the key trigger for the change in developer behaviour will come from rising Australian 10-year bond rates, which have a positive correlation to industrial yields. 
Even so, the forecast rise in bond rates will take time to change developer behaviour and the pre-lease deals they offer. 
Whilst BIS Oxford Economics consider it will be business as usual for the next 12 to 18 months, the generous leasing deals will gradually start to evaporate. With leases typically involving a long term commitment, tenants looking to upgrade would be advised to take advantage of the generous leasing incentives and rents whilst they are still around. 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Industrial tenants should capitalise on pre-lease offers in Melbourne, Brisbane: BIS Oxford Economics

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Melbourne’s eastern suburb of Camberwell is witnessing a flurry of commercial transactions.
A commercial building on Toorak Road leased to National Australia Bank has been snapped up before auction for $3.48 million, while a mixed-use investment property on Camberwell Road has changed hands for $960,000.
The <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-camberwell-502478002" target="_blank">1397 Toorak Road</a> property is a double-fronted brick building of 551 sqm on a 446 sqm site.
The Commercial-1 zoned property sold with a four-year lease to NAB with two further two- year terms, with a current passing income of around $141,000 per annum plus all outgoings and GST, reflecting a circa 4% yield.
The selling agents were Chris Kombi and Chris James of Fitzroys.
The sale comes just weeks after a Bendigo Bank site at 4 Prospect Hill Road in Camberwell sold for $7.03 million under the hammer on a 4.2% yield.
Kombi said the Toorak Road property’s tenancy profile and strong position were key drivers of demand, as well as the increased level of residential development in the wider area that has underpinned significant improvement in retail activity along this section of Toorak Road.
“This strip centre is a boutique commercial hub which incorporates major trading banks, an IGA Supermarket, Australia Post, various eateries and local traders and is further supported with the excellent car parking facilities directly behind the subject property,” he said.
Meanwhile, the building at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-camberwell-502492894" target="_blank">627 Camberwell Road</a> was sold post-auction to a local owner-occupier by Brett Diston of Ray White Commercial.
It was passed in at auction, but the highest bidder bought it later, Diston said.
The gross yield for the 135 sqm building was 4.65 per cent.
It last changed hands in 2015 for $738,000, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
The property comprises a freehold ground floor office and a five-bedroom/two-bathroom residence on the upper level.”
The lower floor is leased to an accountancy firm and the property was returning net rental of $44,640 per annum.
“When fully let this property, which is on a land area of approximately 157 sqm, can return net rental of $51,920 per annum,” he said.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Camberwell NAB nabbed before auction

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GUEST OBSERVER
The loss of the high-value young grocery shopper is the biggest risk facing Coles and Woolworths when Amazon disrupts the Australian grocery market.
According to a major new survey of 20,000 Australians conducted by the Roy Morgan Research Institute, while younger Australians like Millennials represent future value for supermarket giants, they also represent the consumers most at risk from the Amazon juggernaut expected to sweep Australian shores in coming months.
An advance briefing by Roy Morgan on their Supermarket Survival Survey revealed that 73 per cent of the highest value younger consumers known as NEO-Millennials already shop online. And they are 85 per cent more likely than the average Australian to shop online. They and their equivalents in Gen X are the fertile feeding ground for Amazon in Australia.
Despite this major shift in the future of shopping behaviour, the survey reveals that supermarket chains have been focusing on what is known as ‘owned media’ – media channels they own and run very well. The best examples of supermarket owned media are their magazines and catalogues.
Their magazine titles, for example, dominate the entire magazine market. The Coles Magazine is Australia’s most read title with 3.2 million readers of an average issue, ahead of Woolworth’s Fresh on 2.7 million readers – both well ahead of Better Homes and Gardens (1.81m), Women’s Weekly (1.76m) and Woman’s Day (1.56m).
However, the research reveals that incumbent supermarket brands may need a new approach to their magazines and catalogues – particularly with the spectre of Amazon looming on the horizon.
The survey reveals that only 2.2 per cent of Australians find magazines useful when purchasing groceries, compared to 49 per cent who find catalogues a useful tool. The Internet (20 per cent), newspapers (6 per cent) and television (5 per cent) are all ahead of magazines as grocery influencers.
In the supermarket category, catalogues rule. In an average 4 weeks 7,179,000 Australians read a Woolworths catalogue, and 7,115,000 read a Coles catalogue. This balance in favour of Woolworths is borne out in the shopping behaviour of Australians with 4.5 million mainly shopping at Woolworths compared to 4.3 million at Coles.
However, future shareholder value and profitable growth of Australia’s supermarket brands lie in the hands of the younger generations like Millennials – particularly the highest value NEO-Millennials. Australia’s 1.5 million NEO-Millennials are even less influenced by magazines with only 1.7 per cent finding them useful when shopping for groceries – in stark contrast to the power of the Internet with 39 per cent using it to inform their grocery spending. Ninety-one per cent of NEO-Millennials are in the top third of discretionary spenders in the economy – and supermarkets are chock-full of discretionary products.
Alarmingly, this high-value supermarket shopper is 157 per cent more likely than the average Australian to buy groceries online. Why is this alarming? While it’s true that a quarter (25.4 per cent) of all Australians say they’d like to buy their groceries online, only 3.7 per cent actually do, seemingly quarantining the big supermarket brands from the Amazon threat.
Elsewhere in the world, the average online grocery behaviour of Amazon-targeted countries is reportedly between 25 and 30 per cent, enabling Amazon to simply transfer online shoppers from existing brands to their Amazon Fresh or Amazon Prime offerings.
In Australia, however, with less than 4 per cent shopping for groceries online, Amazon has to grow the pie before it can take its slice. So, NEO-Millennials are a juicy target for Amazon. They spend their lives online and their online grocery shopping is already approaching 10 per cent. Add to that the fact that sixteen per cent of NEO-Millennials already are Amazon shoppers – 82 per cent more than the average Australian – they have to be considered easy pickings for Amazon.
And because they are younger, they represent lifetime value to the big supermarket chains.
So, how can Australia’s supermarket brands best prepare themselves for the Amazon assault? Certainly not on price or delivery. On all available data, Coles and Woolworths simply cannot win a price war with Amazon. And, despite Coles’ current fulfilment trial using UberRUSH to deliver groceries in Melbourne, the incumbents can’t win on delivery either.
An incumbent supermarket brand may have great supply chain, discounts, sale events, efficient &amp; inexpensive fulfilment, but it had better not have the second-best discounts &amp; fulfilment. When Amazon hits town, every retail brand in its merchandise category line-of-fire will be second best.
The American price / delivery battlefield provides stark evidence. Just look at Walmart, legendary in the US for the cheapest prices across its myriad grocery and general merchandise categories. A US study by Business Insider found that over a diverse basket of 25 grocery &amp; electronics products, Amazon was $US161.05 cheaper than Walmart. And Amazon keeps gazumping it on delivery cost and speed. Unimaginable just a few years ago.
So, what then of the incumbents’ catalogues and magazines? Are they part of the solution?
According to the Supermarket Survival Survey, magazines have a future role to play if the big incumbents adopt the new mantra of ‘think small’. The Supermarket Survival Survey reveals that the biggest threat to the supermarket categories is losing the high-value cohorts across younger generations, those shoppers most likely to already shop online and already consider a familiar Amazon more frictionless, relevant and trustworthy than their brands. These are the consumers motivated by the personal, the local, the handmade and who are moving towards zero friction and the ‘right to forget money’. They are ripe for disruption.
To retain them, Coles or Woolworths might, for example, position Amazon as the global giant, and then make their digital catalogue and magazine content relevant to different (small) communities – geographic communities, NEO-Millennials and communities of interest. Such a strategy would serve to replace the rapidly disappearing local media, highlighting not only the incumbents’ ubiquity but also their local proximity and relevance. Amazon will win on price and delivery but can never win on local authenticity.
So, the catalogues and magazines published by the supermarket incumbents have an opportunity to become their most potent weapons in the looming grocery war, but only with granular sociographic mapping of consumer types, like NEO-Millennials – way beyond geo-demographics and into the realms of local relevance and authenticity.
Dr Ross Honeywill is a social scientist and internationally published author. Executive Director of the Centre for Social Economics, he advises national and global clients on the peak-value consumer ecosystem and can be contacted <a href="https://rosshoneywill.com" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

New Amazon threat to Coles and Woolworths

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Commercial property sales volumes in Gold Coast for assets valued from $2 million to $10 million have increased in comparison to five years ago, with private local investors dominating the purchases, followed by owner occupiers, says Colliers International.
Yields have also compressed during the five-year period, and Colliers expects continued strong demand across the commercial property sectors until December 2018.
The real estate firm said it had recorded $225.85 million worth of sales across office, retail and industrial sectors for 2016/17, a 43 per cent increase from 2011/12.
“The total dollar volume of transactions increased across the retail and industrial sectors whilst the office sector was slightly lower than 2011/12, due to lack of stock on hand rather than slowing demand,” said Helen Swanson, research manager at Colliers International.
“There is currently fierce competition from privates, self-managed super funds and syndicates for all forms of commercial assets that are strategically located and offer a positive cash flow.” 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/09/19/ColliersGC1.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
 <img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/19/ColliersGC1.png" alt="">
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/09/19/ColliersGC2.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/09/19/ColliersGC2.png" alt="">
Industrial was the best performing sector, with the sales volumes increasing by 50 per cent over the five-year period to $82.79 million, according to Darrell Irwin, director in charge at Colliers International on the Gold Coast. 
“Driving this demand of late has been an upswing in the Gold Coast economy, especially the tourism and construction sectors. Other industries which are active in this market are automotive, health and medical, marine, and small to medium enterprises (SME’s),” said Irwin.
“The Gold Coast has the highest number of SME’s per head of capita Australia-wide. It is easy to see how this flows onto the heightened demand for industrial property from all buyer groups, particularly from owner occupiers who are generally willing to pay a premium.”
The retail sector was the second best performing sector with sales volumes increasing by 41.8 per cent to $75.448 million over the five-year period. Equivalently, retail warehouses also increased in sales from $6.5 million to $36.3 million over the same period, Colliers said in its research report.
“Strong tourism industry coupled with above average population growth rate and well performing residential sector over the last year has helped support the retail investment market on the Gold Coast,” added Irwin.
The limited stock in the office sector over the years meant the sales volumes were slightly down but the level of competition remained fierce, he said.
“Because of the pent-up demand and lack of supply, yields for office assets have compressed significantly since 2011/12 to sit at an average of 7.5 per cent. 
“The interest in office investments on the Gold Coast is likely to continue considering the positive net absorption rates, strengthening of the rental market and a slight easing in incentives,” Irwin said.
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Gold Coast commercial property sales up by 43 percent: Colliers   

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The original Melbourne Savings Bank office in Carlton has been listed for auction with expectations of more than $2.5 million.
The building at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-vic-carlton-502550550" target="_blank">208 Elgin Street</a> has come to market at a time office rates in Melbourne CBD are reaching record heights, in some instances pushing $12,000 per sqm, according to Colliers International, which is marketing the property.
It will be auctioned on October 6.
The 298 sqm property has triple frontage to the intersection of Lygon and Elgin streets.
The two-storey freehold includes the bank’s original safe and has a net lettable area of about 400 sqm, comprising nine offices or residential spaces with double-height ceilings and modern appliances. 
The listing agents are Oliver Hay, Daniel Wolman and David Sia.
“The short-term holding income provides flexibility for investors, owner-occupiers or value-add players, and the commercial use enhances the asset’s versatility,” Hay said.
Wolman added that its location, close to the University of Melbourne, was a key selling point.
“With Carlton office space starting at about $8,000 per square metre on building rates, buyers are seeing significant value for money in what is a highly convenient, lifestyle-driven suburb with extensive CBD synergies,” Hay added.
“At a more affordable rate, purchasers can make the move to Carlton, literally metres from the CBD, and invest in significant parcels of land among Melbourne’s best education institutions and amenity.”
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Former bank building in Melbourne's Carlton listed with $2.5 million hopes

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“With office vacancy rates in Perth still above 20 percent and conditions continuing to favor tenants, proactive landlords have been completing speculative fit-outs or redecorating existing fit-outs in order to present a more attractive offering to tenants. This trend is likely to continue.” – James Phelan, Associate, Office Leasing 
Pro-active landlords are now completing speculative fit-outs or redecorating existing fit-outs as the competition for tenants intensifies with Perth’s office vacancy rate still hovering above twenty percent.
According to Savills Associate, Office Leasing, James Phelan, landlords are under increasing pressure to present their office assets in ready-to-use form, a trend which could see owners using display suites in much the same way that developers use them to present their apartments to the market.
“Tenants have shown a preference for brand new, fitted, ‘plug n play’ type office space and recent activity suggests savvy landlords are achieving increasing inspection numbers resulting in reduced letting up periods, earlier income returns, and higher face rents when this sort of product is offered to the market. 
“Over the next few years there is the distinct possibility that we are going to see owners creating display suites in order to demonstrate the quality of their asset and the point of difference with their competitors,” he said. 
Ready to use fit-outs a win-win 
Mr Phelan said ready to use fit-outs were a win-win for landlords as they also offered tenants a smoother and less complicated transition into new office accommodation.
“The primary driver for this strategy relates to achieving cost efficiencies. That is, if an existing fit-out can work for a new tenant then they can take the majority of any incentive offered in the form of rent abatement, rather than as a cash contribution to build a new fit-out.
“By not having to allocate their incentive to fit-out costs, tenants can reduce their effective rental costs which makes it easier and more compelling for them to consider a relocation,’’ Mr Phelan said.
He said generic fit-outs with open-plan working environments that could accommodate a variety of industry groups and with the flexibility for tenants to make modifications, were strategically the preference for a speculative fit-out.
“This strategy is particularly prevalent for smaller tenancies from 200-350 square metres, however larger deals have transacted also, as evidenced by Resolute Mining taking 1200 square metres of speculative fit-out at Australia Place, 12-14 William Street, in April.” Mr Phelan said.
He said, anecdotally, the most common enquiry size for tenants looking for CBD space was 150 to 350 square metres.
“Owners that can have ready-to-go, ‘plug n play’ redecorated or fitted out tenancies will be well placed to tap into this enquiry, entice tenants to relocate and subsequently secure new leasing transactions,” Mr Phelan said.
Perth fit-outs completed in 2017 on the back of a speculative fit-out or redecoration of an existing fit-out include: 
 
<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/2017/09/19/Savills-chart.jpg" alt="">
 
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James Phelan is an Associate in the Savills Perth <a href="https://www.savills.com.au/services-and-sectors/leasing/office-leasing.aspx" target="_blank">Office Leasing</a> team. Savills is a leading global real estate service provider offering the full spectrum of services from strategic advice to managing assets and projects and transacting deals. To learn more about Savills, visit <a href="https://www.savills.com.au" target="_blank">savills.com.au</a>.
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Landlords create speculative fit-outs as rivalry for tenants intensifies: Savills

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Melbourne still has strong numbers for price growth, but its up-cycle is nearing the end.
Sales activity, while still solid, is falling steadily and the number of growth markets is close the lowest levels since the up-market started.
The other clue pointing to the end of the cycle is that all the precincts that still have multiple growth suburbs are at the lower end of the market - most are outer-ring suburban areas. It’s now difficult to find inner-ring or middle-ring precincts with growth suburbs.
To demonstrate the steady decline in sales, a comparison of numbers in successive March Quarters shows this pattern: 33,109 (2015); 28,899 (2016) and 28,948. Sales in the June Quarters have been 38,031 (2015), 34,115 (2016) and 32,300 (2017).
In Hotspotting’s research for The Price Predictor Index, the total number of suburbs with growing sales activity has dropped from 96 in the Autumn report, to 60 in Winter edition and further to just 35 in the Spring survey.
These trends confirm a steady diminution in the strength of the market. And in terms of annual price growth, the latest data from CoreLogic has Melbourne ranked third on dwelling price growth behind Hobart and Sydney.
The remaining growth locations are in the cheaper areas, such as the LGAs of Brimbank and Melton (west); Hume and Whittlesea (north); Wyndham (far south-west;) and Frankston and Mornington Peninsula (far south/south-east).
But even these affordable markets are gradually declining in terms of the number of growth suburbs.
The leading precincts are Whittlesea and Wyndham LGAs. Whittlesea is consistently one of the city’s strongest markets, driven by affordability, infrastructure and jobs nodes.
We have identified four suburbs with growing sales momentum, down from six in the Winter survey. The suburb of Epping is one of the remaining strong markets, with sales moving from 115 to 145 to 135 to 160 to 172 in recent quarters. 
In neighbouring Hume, growth suburbs include Broadmeadows, Roxburgh Park and Meadow Heights (where sales have lifted from 27 to 29 to 34 to 45 to 51 to 54 in the past six quarters).
Wyndham in the south-west is the other stand-out, led by Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Williams Landing and Werribee.
The Brimbank LGA has been one of the Melbourne’s most outstanding markets for the past 2-3 years. It still has three suburbs with rising sales momentum but a greater number of Plateau markets – further evidence of the wind-down in the market.
Cheaper markets in the far south/south-east, including the LGAs of Frankston, Casey and Mornington Peninsula, still have growth suburbs but, they are outnumbered by suburbs with Plateau-ing sales activity.
Upmarket and Middle Melbourne areas remain solid but most are dominated now by Plateau markets: they include the LGAs of Whitehorse, Moreland and Kingston. Very few growth suburbs remain.
There are also many suburbs where sales activity has dropped considerably, compared to 2014-2015 levels. They include Box Hill, Brighton, Brunswick East, Caulfield North, Chadstone, Clayton, Doncaster, Footscray, Glen Waverley, Hawthorn, Kew, Richmond, Rowville, South Yarra, West Melbourne and Windsor.
The worst performers are the inner-city unit precincts. We rank the CBD, Southbank and Docklands as Danger markets, as well as Carlton and Collingwood.
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="mailto:%20%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'%3E%20%3C!--%20var%20prefix%20=%20'ma'%20+%20'il'%20+%20'to';%20var%20path%20=%20'hr'%20+%20'ef'%20+%20'=';%20var%20addy38821%20=%20'ryder'%20+%20'@';%20addy38821%20=%20addy38821%20+%20'hotspotting'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'com'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'au';%20document.write('%3Ca%20'%20+%20path%20+%20'/''%20+%20prefix%20+%20':'%20+%20addy38821%20+%20'/'%3E');%20document.write(addy38821);%20document.write('%3C//a%3E');%20//--%3E/n%20%3C/script%3E%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a>
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Melbourne CBD, Southbank and Docklands labelled danger markets

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The Beach Hotel in Byron Bay has sold for $70 million to a Melbourne-based private equity firm backed by the wealthy Liberman family.
The rumoured sale was first reported in <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/byron-bay-expansion-no-laughing-matter-for-john-strop-cornell/" target="_blank">The Sunday Telegraph</a>.
The vendor, racing car driver Max Twigg, then denied to The Australian last week that he was selling the pub in the iconic northern NSW township, adding: “I am a happy owner, I have been for ten years.”
But it has since been confirmed by The Australian the hotel, overlooking Byron’s Main Beach, has sold under a long settlement agreement.
It’s gone to the Impact Investment Group, in a record-breaking deal.
Mr Twigg paid about $44 million for the hotel a decade ago.
The hotel in Bay Street was developed by John Cornell about 25 years ago.
Cornell built the hotel in Byron’s Bay Street for about $9 million in 1990.
The hotel’s licensee, Melbourne restaurateur John van Haandel, has exercised his option to continue running the popular hotel under the remainder of his long-term lease arrangements.
The hotel, Byron Bay’s largest venue, hit the market mid last year with price expectations of between $75 million and $80 million.
Impact Investment Group has more than $400 million in funds under management. Investors include wealthy individuals, families, institutional investors, corporations and foundations.
The 6.3 per cent yield struck for the famous hotel's freehold title also reportedly set a new benchmark, with recent major metro pub deals struck on yields around 8 to 8.5 per cent
According to an information memorandum prepared for last year's sales campaign, the pub brought in annual revenue of about $4.3 millon from its multiple bars, bistro, beer garden, bottle shop, gaming room, 25 hotel rooms and conference facilities
Impact joins the push by private equity groups into the pub sector after White &amp; Partners, the private investment arm of the White real estate family, snapped up the Allawah and General Gordon pubs in Sydney for a combined $48 million.
Pub values have surged in the past 18 months with yields compressing by 50-100 basis point over the past year.
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Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, sold for $70 million

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Investec Australia Property Fund (IAPF) has announced the acquisition of an industrial property in Hallam, Melbourne for $22 million on an initial yield of 6.3%. 
The property at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property/11-siddons-way-hallam-vic-3803" target="_blank">6-8 and 11 Siddons Way</a> comprises two separate buildings with a gross lettable area of 15,504 sqm.
It is split into warehouse and distribution facilities along with office accommodation.
The site area is 32,701 sqm.
The property is 33 kilometres south east of the Melbourne CBD in one of the city’s most established industrial precincts. The property has easy access to major arterials and freeways including the South Gippsland Highway, Eastlink and the Monash Freeway. 
IAPF chief executive Graeme Katz said the acquisition would take the value of the fund’s total portfolio to $801 million.
“The property is located in one of Melbourne’s most tightly held industrial precincts which is home to other significant companies such as Ceva Logistics, Australia Post and TNT. In addition, Amazon has just announced it will locate its first Australian distribution facility in the adjoining suburb of Dandenong South. 
Settlement of the property is expected by mid-October, said IAPF.
The Johannesburg-listed IAPF, which helps South African investors access Australia’s commercial property market, said the acquisition is accretive for the fund and will be funded by utilising its existing debt facility.
The property is 100% occupied by Australian retailer Focus on Furniture, which uses the property as their national office and main distribution warehouse. 
Focus on Furniture has been operating for 15 years and specialises in lounges, dining and bedroom suites. 
It currently has 33 stores in Victoria, NSW, ACT, South Australia and Queensland with more than 150 staff. 
Focus on Furniture is on a long lease, expiring in 7.8 years with annual rent increases of 3%.
Following the acquisition, IAPF will be geared to 35% with a weighted average cost of debt of 3.67% and hedged to 87% for an average of 7.2 years, it said.
“The acquisition aligns well to the Fund’s strategy of investing in well-located, high quality assets that provide a sustainable income stream for investors,” Katz said.
He added that though the property had a strong tenant, it has flexible future uses and could potentially be split into two separate units to accommodate multiple users. It is also split over two titles which could be sold separately.
 
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Investec Australia Property Fund acquires Melbourne industrial property for $22 million

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Entrepreneur and adman John Singleton has listed the Level 3 Icebergs Dining Room and Bar leasehold on Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach.
The Icebergs Dining and Bar has a lease with John Singleton's company until 2036.  Singleton, who has a lease until 2042, expects around $15 million.
Icebergs Dining and Bar is 675 sqm and currently leased to Maurice Terzini and partners.
Andrew Jolliffe, Ray White's Asia Pacific Director of Hotels has the sale. He said interest in the property will by both domestic and international.
"Waterfront hospitality offerings are, frankly, so very rare in terms of the inherent barriers to entry for suitable replacements, that they rightfully enjoy the most revered of reputations from sophisticated investor groups and indefatigable loyalty from their respective patron bases" he said.
"What Singo and others did in backing the repurposing of this undeniably iconic property on Australia's most famous beach is truly remarkable, and what the current operator Maurice Terzini and his extraordinary team are doing there seven days a week is, by any measure, world class.
"I don't know anywhere else in the world where, at an A-grade hospitality development, you can enjoy a meal and drinks at a vantage point behind the line up of legendary right hand waves that serve as Bondi's calling card in international surf culture. It really is uniquely superb.
"Former NSW Premier Bob Carr has described the renewed property as the best urban renewable effort in the world.
"What an incredible compliment, and now what an incredible chance for someone else to take over the reins."
Singleton made a promise to the management over 25 years ago to completely rebuild the premises after it was found to contain concrete cancer.
He said it is an institution that the community, politicians, swimmers, diners and NSW and Australia can be truly proud of.
"It is etched in the Aussie ethos of helping your mates, doing your bit and providing something for future generations not only to be proud of, but to reflect on what we had to do to make this great place even better" said Singleton.
"It's a true living example of community spirit, and if you go there on any given day, you can't help but notice what it means to the community and its members.
"I'm really happy I was able to do my bit to save the Icebergs."
Jolliffe has recently sold waterfront hospitality properties including The Newport Arms, Clovelly, Collaroy and Crown Plaza hotels on Terrigal Beach as well as the Patonga Beach Hotel. 
The Icebergs Level 3 sale is being conducted via an international expressions of interest campaign concluding October 12, 2017. 
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