<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;

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</main>

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

China

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A partnership between Connect MyProperty and E-House (China) Holdings Limited will allow the Australian company to access 80 million Chinese buyers registered with E-House.
Connect MyProperty, headquartered in South East Queensland, markets Australian real estate offshore and offers services for international buyers, including assistance with Foreign Investment Review Board regulation processes. According to Connect MyProperty, the company converts online listings for "premier" properties to secured sales.
E-House (China) Holdings Limited is listed on the New York stock exchange.
The Australian property section of SINA Haiwai, E-House's international subsidiary real estate site, may now be used exclusively by Connect MyProperty for listings. The wider SINA Leju property portal, of which SINA Haiwai is a part, records about 40 million hits per month.
Last month, SINA Haiwai and Connect MyProperty began conducting tours of Australian properties and developments, beginning at the Foreign Investment Review Board-approved Sanctuary Cove development.
SINA Haiwai real estate general manager Irene Zheng said the company was pleased to be working with its new Australian partner.
"We've always viewed Australia as an attractive place to do business given it is the 12th largest economy globally, it is in close proximity to China, and has a transparent and well-regulated business environment that is the envy of many countries around the world," said Zheng.
"We have been looking for an independent partner in Australia for some time that could help bridge the gap between Australia and China such as language, cultural customs, and regulations in both countries.
"Connect MyProperty's mutual desire for an online-to-offline model and a strong focus on direct, face-to-face communication provides a truly effective and integrated offer for the 80 million members of our Property Buyers Club."
Preston Richardson, Connect MyProperty Director, said the partnership would strengthen Australian-Asian economic ties.
"In particular, the indirect flow-on effects of our partnership have the strong potential to increase the productivity of the construction industry by creating more infrastructure investment opportunities, more developments, and more construction jobs for Australians," says Richardson.
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Deal delivers Chinese buyers club to Australian industry

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China is seeking Australia's help to track down corrupt officials and funds they have hidden in its escalating corruption crackdown.
Its corruption-busters running Operation Fox Hunt have suggested Australia had been a popular safe haven for the funds of the fraudsters.
At the very tip of the epidemic, the Australian Financial Review Weekend has pin-pointed a Sydney couple, Su Guanlin and Qian Yi, the son and daughter in law of a powerful Chinese railway official, Su Shunhu, who was ­sentenced for corruption by a Beijing court last Friday.
The AFR special investigation of the money transfers between China and Australia cited court documents from the trial, along with property and company searches in Australia, providing the alleged signs of Australia’s status as a favoured destination for the funds of corrupt Chinese officials.
Court documents obtained by the AFR correspondents Angus Grigg and Lisa Murray in China revealed that $1.19 million was transferred to the local couple's Australian bank accounts between 2008 and early 2010.
The money was wired to Australia from mainland China and Hong Kong in ­16 instalments.
The AFR reported the Sydney couple have since bought an extensive property portfolio. 
The elder Su's trial concluded when the Secondnd Beijing Intermediate People’s Court sentenced the former deputy director of the transport department within the ­Ministry of Railways to life in prison after finding him guilty of receiving 25 million yuan ($4.7 million) in bribes.
He was providing preferential access to the rail freight network where demand vastly ­outstripped supply, leaving loads of coal stranded.
His Sydney-based son and daughter in law paid $1.35 million for a 1950s house in Killara in April last year. The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-killara-105679852" target="_blank">38 Cook Road, Killara</a> house (pictured above) has remained empty, set for ­demolition and a $500,000 rebuild.
Property records show the couple also owned a townhouse in Breakfast Point bought for $2.2 million off the plan in 2008 and sold for $2.46 million in April last year.
They are also linked to a $550,000 apartment in Rhodes, which is the registered address for their company, and another $400,000 apartment in the Proximity complex at Wolli Creek, bought off the plan in 2006 for $400,000.
The couple told the AFR Weekend, they were confident the couple’s assets could not be targeted under proceeds of crime laws.
“I don’t think so, because everything we own is in our name,” she said. “Because everything we own here isn’t associated with him, and it’s ours, it has nothing to do with him. He has no ­association with our home.”
Qian said she worked as an accountant and her husband was employed by wholesale trading company. 
The list that Chinese officials are seeking assistance on is topped by Gao Yan, a former provincial governor of Jilin, party secretary of Yunan and former chief executive of State Grid Corp, who is thought to be in Australia.
Caijing, a Chinese business magazine, recently identified Gao has having fled to Australia in 2002 after allegations that he and his son, Gao Xinyuan, reaped millions from a rigged electricity transmission building program.
Caijing’s report also identified Lan Pu, a former deputy mayor of Xiamen, and Tong Yanbai, a former head of the highway bureau in Hunan province, as having fled to Australia in 1999 and 2004 respectively. Their whereabouts are not known. 
Liu Tienan, a former vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, was arrested last year with a fake Australian passport and $2 million.
The Washington-based ­Global Financial Integrity group has estimated that US$2.8 trillion flowed out of China illegally between 2005 and 2011.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China’s top corruption fighting body, estimates as much as US$1.5 trillion may have been funnelled just this year.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on corruption began in ­late 2012, with some 180,000 party cadres having been sanctioned, some by execution.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Chinese corruption busters set sights on Sydney's Killara, despite the denials

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China's slowing growth has many wondering whether there will be a knock-on effect on Australia's property markets.
Last week, China reported 7.3% year-on-year growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for quarter three, its lowest economic growth rate posted since the first quarter of 2009.
China's domestic property market, including construction and development, is big business, making up an estimated 20% of its GDP. But now, a combination of misplaced property development and unregulated lending have lead to oversupply and so-called "ghost cities", where new developments sit empty, despite a strong demand for housing.
In the minutes of the Reserve Bank's October Monetary Policy Meeting, board members noted that "conditions had continued to soften" in China's property markets.
Many are blaming the poor performance of the Chinese property for its slowing economy. Others are asking how China's slowing economy will affect Australian property.
According to AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver, the state of China's economy will impact Australian national income. However, he believes China's recent slow down has been somewhat overstated.
"So far it's been relatively modest," says Oliver. "The sharp slow down really occurred earlier this decade."
Oliver notes the average 10% annual growth that China enjoyed in the 30 years to 2010 wasn't sustainable in the long-term.
He says the affect of China's slowing economy is "probably already having some impact on Australia, with softer commodity prices".
"That's most obviously reflected in the weakness in iron ore prices."
<blockquote>
"If we went back to 10% plus growth out of China, we could kiss low interest rates goodbye."
</blockquote>
Iron ore is now priced at about US$80 per tonne, after peaking at US$187 per tonne in February 2011. Oliver explains that slower demand from China can also lead to slower export volumes, saying the resulting downturn in national income will have an impact on our property market.
However, he notes that China's long term economic performance should be taken into account.
"Even though the economy has slowed down, it's still twice the size it was 10 years ago," says Oliver.
"The real risk would be is if China's growth slows down a lot."
If Chinese economic growth takes a sharp downturn, Australia's national income would take a hit, and we would see higher rates of unemployment, he explains.
"The Chinese government probably don't want the economy to slow down dramatically," says Oliver, in part due to the huge urban migration movement as people seek employment in the major cities.
"If it doesn't maintain decent growth, they could end up with social unrest."
There is also an argument, Oliver says, that when commodity prices were peaking, "we had too much of a good thing".
"It was very good for the Australian economy initially, but actually had a dampening effect on property.
"The mining boom meant the non-mining part of the economy had to make room, and we saw high interest rates."
Now, the downturn in China-related growth, particularly in the mining sector, has resulted in lower interest rates, fuelling demand in domestic property.
"If we went back to 10% plus growth out of China, we could kiss low interest rates goodbye," says Oliver.
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How will a slowing Chinese economy impact our property markets?

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Since the year 2010, the Chinese property developer Vanke has been the largest residential property developer on planet Earth by annual sales volume.
From a sales revenue of ‘only’  RMB 1.2 billion (equivalent to A$207 million) per annum in 1998, to a staggering revenue of RMB  170.9 Billion (A$29.4 billion) in 2013, Vanke has surely created history in the world of property development. But the Chinese publicly listed company is not the only one that made big profit. In fact, since 1998, the fast pace of property development industry in China has made a large number of billionaire and multimillionaire developers. While at the same time, the term “property developers” in China has been associated with terminologies such as “corruption”, “astronomical price”, “ridiculously huge profit”, it seems Chinese developers are among one of the most negatively seen groups in China.
ZhiQiang Ren, Chairman of HuaYuan Developments Ltd, one of China’s four largest property developers, says he is almost the third most hated person in China – after Junichiro Koizumi (former prime minister of Japan) and Chen Shui-bian (a former Taiwanese politician who was president from 2000 to 2008 and is imprisoned in 2008 for corruption and money laundry).
“And that’s purely because I am seen as the most active and publicised developer in China, where developers are known to be associated with the “dark side” of business making so much profit,” he laughs.
But is property development really a profitable business China-wide?
The answer is no, and there are good reasons – the same reasons that lead to the fact that a wave of Chinese developers are acquiring land overseas, including Australia.
The first reason is simply because it is too expensive to acquire land in China, in comparison to countries such as Australia. Chinese buyers blame Chinese developers for irregularly increasing the property prices, without realising that the Chinese local government is doing the same on land prices to developers. “If you buy a property in China, say if it costs RMB 30,000 (A$5,172) per square metre which is about average price in Beijing,” says XianPing Lang, one of China’s most well known economists, “20,000 of this RMB 30,000 goes to paying for the land component, which means most of the profit gets pocketed by the government.” “In the recent years, there has been an average of RMB 1.69 trillion (equivalent to A$290 billion) of land transactions every year from land sales to developers,” says XianPing, “which equates to almost 48% of total fiscal revenue of the Chinese local government.” My view is that in any country, if the land acquisition component is as high as 66% of the sales revenue, any developer would struggle with making a profit.
In our dealings with Chinese developers, particularly those who recently came from China, they seem to be impressed with the price value ratio of the land, and how “clean” or straight forward a transaction could be.  Plus, there is so much land available in Australia, comparing with China, and most land is privately owned. The second biggest reason is exactly that – the availability of land in countries overseas, in comparison to China.
“In recent years, China’s Department of Land Resources plan to have approximately 185,000 – 200,000 hectares of land per year made available for development, but according to figures by developers, only less than 50,000 hectares were released per year,” says ZhiQiang.
In Australia, where land transactions mostly take place between private owners and buyers, more and more small to medium Chinese developers have taken the opportunity to acquire land. Most focus on inner city locations such as Melbourne, Southbank, South Yarra and St Kilda, as well as areas popular for Chinese residents such as Doncaster, Box Hill, Glen Waverley of Victoria and Hurstville, Chatswood and Epping of New South Wales. “Many Chinese developers are venturing into the medium density sites with developments ranging from four townhouses up to 20 apartments” comments Tim Heavyside, Director of Fletchers Real Estate. “These properties tend to sell quickly and allow developers a speedy turnaround for their investment.  “Some of these developers have also commented on the availability of these sites being many more than currently being offered in China.”
Michael Yang is CEO of <a href="https://www.GiFang.com" target="_blank">GiFang.com</a>, Australia’s leading property portal open for high networth Chinese investors.
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MichaelYang-M4BCtFfzCh

Why Chinese property developers are targeting sites outside of China

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GUEST OBSERVATION
"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home" - Confucius.
Wise words indeed, and ones that are especially apt at present. Australia is not the only country that finds itself having to come to terms with a rapidly changing economic landscape. More importantly – for the world, at least – so does China. One of the key indicators for both countries is the performance of their respective real estate sectors. Like so much these days, they are intertwined and sending out ominous signals.
China’s problems have been a long-time in the making and are of a different order to Australia’s. In some ways China’s problems are far from unique and are simply replicating a long-running story that is as old as human civilisation: over time people move off the land and into cities. This is still the case in China but, like everything else in that remarkable country, it is happening on an epic and unprecedented scale.
To the central government’s credit, it has tried to manage this process and in many ways it has been remarkably successful. However, there are limits to what even the most authoritarian and interventionist of states can do in managing economies, much less the people that make them up. Bad decisions can have monumental consequences. The collective response to the misnamed global financial crisis now looks like a quintessential case in point.
China was largely unaffected by the GFC thanks to a massive government-ordered domestic stimulus package. Unfortunately, much of the subsequent investment ended up in the hands of property developers and speculators. A nexus of local governments keen to sell land for development, so-called “shadow banks” <a href="https://theconversation.com/columns/mark-beeson-60300" target="_blank">keen to lend</a>, and a growing class of wealthy investors looking for high returns on investment, fuelled a surge in apartment-building across China.
China’s notorious “ghost cities” are the most graphic illustration of massive, unconstrained construction that is surplus to the needs of the population – or that part of the population with lots of money, at least. By some estimates there are something like 50 million empty properties in China, or a vacancy rate of nearly 25%. Unsurprisingly prices are steadily declining despite the efforts of state and provincial governments to prop them up. Prices fell by an average of 10% in the first half of this year, and new construction starts have fallen by something like 25%.
While this may look like a necessary and overdue return to economic reality, the consequences for China’s numerous, increasingly exposed and over-reliant trade partners are potentially grim. For example, China has the capacity to produce 1 billion tonnes of steel each year; now however, a third of this capacity is unused. The implications for Australia are all too predictable and manifest primarily in the plunging price of iron ore.
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It’s important to recognise that Australia – or more accurately, the mainly foreign-owned resource companies that dominate production in this country – has contributed mightily to this problem.
The massive increase in investment over the last few years has had its intended consequence: an equally massive expansion in production. It’s hard to believe that the lavishly rewarded captains of industry who run these companies can have been entirely surprised that an increase in supply would have an impact on prices, with or without China’s domestic problems.
Apparently they are. Unfortunately the resource sector may not be alone in succumbing to short-term and wishful thinking. Real estate in Melbourne and Sydney looks wildly overvalued in historical and comparative perspectives and yet the property bubble continues to inflate. We might do well to remember another timeless piece of wisdom: things that look like they cannot go on forever usually don’t.
There may be further to go before real estate in Australia takes a similar hit, however, and China is playing a part in this too. A lot of the smart money is fleeing China as investment yields decline, the local environment deteriorates, and the political situation remains unpredictable. Rising real estate prices in Australia look like a good bet and also have the additional benefit of providing a potential bolt hole if things go wrong in the People’s Republic.
Rather worryingly, Australian officials have little understanding of the impact of Chinese money on real estate prices here, or little capacity (or desire?) to do much about it. The rules designed to regulate the foreign purchase of domestic real estate are notoriously easy to get around and the Foreign Investment Review Board seems to have little capacity to enforce them or detailed understanding of what is happening on the ground. According to a <a href="https://www.afr.com/p/business/property/agencies_in_the_dark_on_extent_of_gQh7McPHXam68NO16GyekL">recent report in the AFR</a>, though "foreign investment in real estate surged to $24.8 billion in the first nine months of 2013-14, an increase of 93% on the previous year".
There are few subjects about which people get more excited than real estate. It would be unfortunate if the idea took hold that foreigners were pricing the locals out of the market, especially as the forces driving house price rises are complex and still largely domestic, it is <a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-things-keeping-house-prices-high-and-foreign-investment-isnt-one-of-them-31345" target="_blank">argued</a>.
Nevertheless, the possible export and influence of China’s property problems could add an unwelcome and possibly avoidable additional complication to what is an especially important, but occasionally fraught, relationship between Australia and China.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/31479/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Mark Beeson is professor of international politics at <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/murdoch-universityhttps://www.murdoch.edu.au/" target="_blank">Murdoch University</a>.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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MarkBeeson-yMCRHrkkic

China's property crisis is coming to Australia and we've only got ourselves to blame 

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Chinese developers are making their presence increasingly felt in Australia and it doesn’t seem that they’re set to slow down.
While Sydney and Melbourne has typically been a popular spot for Chinese apartment developers, it appears that larger companies are looking far and wide across Australia’s market for opportunities.
Here are eight you should know about.
<ul>
<li>Zone Q Investments Pty Ltd</li>
</ul>
Just this week, a $70 million residential tower Pinnacle in South Perth was announced by developer Zone Q as the project that will mark their entry into the Australian market. Zone Q, whose parent company is a privately-owned group with a presence in South China’s apartment market and a focus on Shenzhen, has also earmarked two other Western Australia sites for development.
Zone Q is the Australian arm of mainland Chinese developer JiaHe JianAn Group.
This South Perth, Labouchere Road apartment project will be 20-storeys of luxury dwellings, overlooking Perth Zoo, and will include a $30 million seven-storey commercial tower with retail ground floor.
The entire development, totaling $100 million, will be complete in late-2016. It also marks the tallest tower receiving approval in the City of South Perth in 45 years.
The two lots that form the site for Pinnacle were purchase in late-2013 for $10.7 million, and will soon house the 60 two-bedroom apartments, 40 one-bedroom apartments and two three-bedroom penthouses.
<ul>
<li>Country Garden Australia</li>
</ul>
Country Garden, the Hong Kong-listed development company, has recently <a href="/expert-insights/buying/ryde-garden-debut-for-country-garden-australia">been named as one of the interested parties in purchasing Harry Triguboff’s Meriton</a>.
Country Garden are the developers behind <a href="/expert-insights/buying/strong-off-the-plan-sales-at-country-gardens-ryde-garden-project">North Ryde development Ryde Garden</a> that saw 296 sales in six hours of its launch. This was their first Australian development site, which they purchased in late-2013 for $73 million.
They're a high-end focused developer, and Ryde Garden was notable for being part of one of the biggest urban renewal projects in the history of the state.
<ul>
<li>Wanda Group and Ridong Group</li>
</ul>
The chairman of Dalian Wanda Group is Wang Jianlin – the richest man in China, and recently decided to buy into a Surfers Paradise hotel development site in a joint venture of the $1 billion project.
Known as the Jewel development, it includes 1.13 hectares, set to span three-towers and covers 110 metres of beachfront.
We’ve put Ridong Group in the same entry as Wanda Group as they listed the Broadbeach opportunity seeking equity partners.
Sydney has also reportedly been on the Wanda radar, and for the meantime <a href="/news/chinas-richest-man-wang-jianlin-close-to-buying-into-surfers-paradise-development-site">we’re likely to hear a lot more about Jewel, with construction to start in 2015</a> and scheduled to be completed in 2018.
<ul>
<li>Greenland Group</li>
</ul>
Launching a new North Sydney development called Lucent late next month. With a display suite opening this weekend, they’re also behind what is set to be Sydney’s tallest residential tower Greenland Centre.
Greenland Centre, at 115 Bathurst Street and 339 Pitt Street,
The new North Sydney development will include 211 apartments, from studios to three-bedroom residences. Pricing is as yet unavailable, other than studios – which will start from $528,000. The state-owned Shanghai based group is positioned 87th among the top 500 China enterprises since 1992, and has construction projects in 65 cities in 24 provinces of China.
Their aim is reportedly to enter the Fortune 200 list by 2015.
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<ul>
<li>Harman Global Holdings</li>
</ul>
This Chinese-backed group has made the list for being one of the few to offer house and land packages, with a particular focus on the north-west suburbs of Sydney, the Hills District.
An $80 million Castle Hill development and a $5 million Kellyville site have both been purchased for house and land packages.
The Australian Financial Review reports that the majority of the purchasers into these house and land estates are Chinese.
They also recently spent $33 million purchasing the Kooindah Waters Residential Golf and Spa Resort on the Central Coast, which is set to remain operating, including a hotel and house and land offerings.
<ul>
<li>Bridgehill Group</li>
</ul>
Notably more quiet with their developments, Bridgehill Group hasn’t been any less successful. With their Milsons Point, Arthur Street apartment development – which began construction in December – it was an office block that they have been converting into apartments.
More recently, they spent more than $90 million for an ex-council depot in Zetland. The intention is to built a $500 million apartment development.
They were previously the developers of Azure and Monaco at Rhodes, and are notable for the currently selling Esprit by Bridgehill in Mascot.
<ul>
<li>Starryland Australia</li>
</ul>
Fuxing Huiyu Real Estate Co Ltd, the 23rd largest publicly-listed company in China, is making waves. Their first Australian foray has been the much-publicised $550 million spend across 11 apartment towers in <a href="/expert-insights/buying/chinese-developer-taking-550-million-step-into-sydney-with-11-towers-in-parramatta">Sydney’s Parramatta through newly created Starryland Australia</a>.
Promenade Parramatta, their creation, saw the land for the development bought in September last year by Starryland after their June 2013 formation. They are, however, Melbourne-based.
<ul>
<li>Ausbao</li>
</ul>
Recently dipping their toes into the residential market, Ausbao is looking to redevelop a Sydney CBD office building into apartments at 286 Sussex Street. In June this year they lodged a development application for a 26-storey creation on the site.
The company, a subsidiary of Beijing Capital Development Holdings, are known for Chinatown’s The Quay, a mixed-use development with 270 apartments. The site had been long dormant due to the effects of the GFC.
Honourable mentions go to Marine Parade Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese-based Sunbano Group, for their $85 million Coolangatta development Sanbano Coolangatta, which their marketeers where calling the <a href="/expert-insights/buying/chinese-developer-creates-the-palazzo-versace-of-the-southern-gold-coast">"Palazzo Versace of the southern Gold Coast".</a>
Hengyi, an affiliate of Shandong HYI, also narrowly missed our top eight – recently bringing Light House and The William to market, although remaining quiet about their future plans.
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

The eight Chinese property developers to watch emerging across Australia

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The Ausin Group, which specialises in offering residential and commercial property to the mainland Chinese market, has sold over 1,200 new properties across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand in the past year.
The annual sales totalled over $800 million with Ausin Group selling over 450 Melbourne properties to Chinese buyers valued at over $260 million within the last three months.
It is now expanding four of its major offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai and Beijing to meet strong demand from Chinese investors seeking Australian and New Zealand properties.
Ausin Group’s buyers are mostly from Southern China, Beijing and Shanghai.
The company now employs over 300 people across 13 offices in Australia and China, with offices at Shanghai, Beijing, Kunming, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Wuxi, Suzhou in China.
Joseph Zaja, general manager of Ausin Group said the demand had been driven by several factors including the Chinese property market being currently soft and "will continue to be so for a number of years".
"Australia is considered a safe property investment haven with solid returns and is a preferred immigration destination. 
"The Australian standard of education, safety and low pollution levels are all appealing to Chinese immigrants seeking a new place to call home.”
Ausin Group expects to double the number of properties the company sells to Chinese investors over the next year.
Ausin Group was established in 2009.
It sells properties for private and ASX listed companies in Australia and New Zealand.
Property sales included a mix of inner city apartments and house and land packages. 
Mr Zaja said sales included inner city apartments within a two kilometre radius from the CBD to residential communities situated between 20 to 40 kilometres from the CBD. 
"<a href="/news">South Yarra</a>, <a href="/news">St Kilda</a> and <a href="/news">Toorak</a> are some of the areas attracting Chinese buyers.”
He said Chinese purchasers in Melbourne were seeking properties which have good infrastructure links, are close to major universities and are easily accessible to the CBD.
Joseph Zaja is a panellist at the upcoming Property Observer webinar on Off the Plan Marketing and Sales Masterclass.
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Ausin expects doubling in mainland Chinese property purchases in Australia

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The rapid rise in Chinese listings portals in Australia has many unaware as to what is now on the market, and which ones they should be keeping a close eye on.
In fact, the topic of technology and <a href="/expert-insights/buying/one-in-six-property-sales-to-an-asian-buyer-re-max">online portals to tap into the Asian buyer market was high on RE/MAX’s radar at their Asia-Pacific Rim Summit</a> held in Hong Kong late last year.
Property Observer has compiled the sites that are becoming movers and shakers in the Australian market, and have used Traffic Estimate to provide information around the number of ‘visits’ each site manages to achieve.
We note that a number of these sites have multiple portals, and therefore their total traffic figure may be substantially higher. The algorithm used by TrafficEstimate works best on sites with more than 20,000 visitors per month.
<a href="https://soufun.com/" target="_blank">SouFun</a> and <a href="https://www.myfun.com/au-cn/buy" target="_blank">MyFun</a>
First up, is SouFun.com and MyFun.com. We have put these two together due to their relationship with realestate.com.au or REA Group.
SouFun is the largest property portal in China, and a new partnership with realestate.com.au will see their myfun.com listings added to SouFun and REA Group owned squarefoot.hk in Hong Kong.
Myfun.com was launched by REAGroup as their property portal for Chinese consumers interested in Australian properties.
The SouFun site reportedly has a strong presence in the United States, Asia and Europe, and claims 30 million visits per month across their network. They also note that they have 15 million SouFun card holders. Their listings cover 30 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Thailand, Malaysia and Greece.
Myfun looks to provide manual translations into Mandarin, including a property liaison specialist who can deliver enquiries in English to Australian agents and developers.
SOUFUN.COM CURRENT ESTIMATED MONTHLY TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS: 9,073,100 (Source: TrafficEstimate)
MYFUN.COM CURRENT ESTIMATED TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS: 87,000 (Source: TrafficEstimate)
 
<a href="https://www.iproperty-group.com/" target="_blank">iProperty Group</a>
Recently snapping up ex-LJ Hooker CEO, George Chmiel, after 18 months with the real estate company, iProperty Group also claims themselves to be Asia’s number one property portal site. It was established in 2003, and also as a commercial property site CommercialAsia.com.
They have received a number of awards, and their portals include Iproperty.com.my, the Malaysian branch (which we have ranked below), as well as portals for the Philippines, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
The company was recording significant growth over the first quarter of 2014.
IPROPERTY.COM.MY CURRENT ESTIMATED TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS: 2,190,000 (Source: TrafficEstimate)
Their annual report notes that total site visitors peaked at almost 1.6 million during the year for iProperty Malaysia. Hong Kong recorded total site visitors over 850,000 for the year.
 
<a href="https://www.juwai.com.au/" target="_blank">Juwai</a>
Juwai was founded by <a href="/expert-insights/investing/four-tips-to-help-you-sell-australian-property-to-chinese-buyers">Andrew Taylor, who has often written columns for</a> Property Observer.
This Chinese listing site has been <a href="/expert-insights/investing/chinese-real-estate-listings-portal-juwai-com-expands-european-property-coverage">expanding into Europe as of early last year</a> and it promotes itself as the largest international property search and information platform for Mandarin-speaking Chinese consumers.
Juwai.com search figures show that European properties were viewed over 882,000 times by Chinese investors in January 2013.
They’ve had LJ Hooker using the site, announcing a partnership back in 2012. They have noted that 32% of their visitors actually live outside of China.
Some of their other customers include McGrath, Lend Lease, Knight Frank, Jones Lang LeSalle, Richardson &amp; Wrench, Raine&amp;Horne, Savills, RE/MAX, Sotheby's and Ray White.
Juwai.com promotes itself as the largest international property search and information platform for Mandarin-speaking Chinese consumers and says that 84% of its traffic comes from high-net-worth Chinese buyers. They note that they have over 2.4 million property listings across 53 countries, and note that they have 1.5 million high net work Chinese consumers.
They run events a number of events including Juwai China Agent Summit 2014.
JUWAI.COM CURRENT ESTIMATED MONTHLY TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS 2014: 1,195,700 (Source: TrafficEstimate)
Article continues on next page. Please click below.
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<a href="https://gifang.com/" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">GiFang</a>
Headed up by Michael Yang it’s said to be <a href="/news/china-based-estate-agencies-selling-australian-properties-through-inflated-two-tiered-pricing-schemes">the largest Chinese language property site in Australia</a> offering international properties in Mandarin.
The site claims that it has partners including SouFun, Migration Institute, the Australian Government, Westpac, RealEstateView, REIV, Sydney Property, Sydney Today, 21CN, HK Property, BaoMoney, Pacific House, Wenzhou property, Sina property, Ifeng.com and ChinaProperty Institute
Established in August 2010, previously with the name YBI Group, the English version is called OurProperties.com.au.
They run a number of property events and seminars and have won a number of awards.
In late-2013, the expectation was that they would reach 1,000,000 unique visitors every month by the end of 2013.
They host data from Residex, who they list as a third party partner.
GIFANG.COM CURRENT ESTIMATED TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR MAY 2014: 532,900 (Source: TrafficEstimate)
OURPROPERTIES.COM.AU CURRENT ESTIMATED TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS: 376,400 (Source: TrafficEstimate)
 
The last few spots will be contentious. Here are some of the up and comers, and some that showed early promise.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/acproperty.com.au" target="_blank">AC Property</a>
Smaller cousin, AC Property, is an Australian-based Chinese language portal that aims to provide a ‘one stop’ solution.
They translate the advertisements for the real estate agents and provide online promotion through Google, Baidu, local Chinese forums, advertisements in major Chinese property newspapers and posters.
AC Property <a href="/news/acproperty-com-au-representing-the-australian-market-in-china">regularly exhibits in China</a>.
NAB and Ray White currently has advertisements on the website.
ACPROPERTY.COM.AU CURRENT ESTIMATED MONTHLY TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS 2014: 16,500 (Source: TrafficEstimate)
 
<a href="https://www.thehomepage.com.au/" target="_blank">Thehomepage</a>
Taking an <a href="/expert-insights/investing/property-portal-thehomepage-now-offers-chinese-language-listings">early leap and putting Chinese language listings on the site in mid-2012</a>, at the time saying it was the only portal in Australia to have yet done so. At the time it was all off the plan product, and appeared popular with developers. Founded by Morry Schwartz, they also place listings on juwai.com.
It includes listings from Ray White, LJ Hooker, Acton, Raine&amp;Horne, Hocking Stuart, Roberts, Barry Plant and Richardson &amp; Wrench.
It appears, however, that they have taken down their Chinese language off the plan portal. Whether they'll look to step again into this market using their own site remains to be seen.
THEHOMEPAGE.COM.AU ESTIMATED MONTHLY TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS 2014: 145,700 (Source: Traffic Estimate)
 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/Century21global.com" target="_blank">Century21global</a>
Also taking an early leap, <a href="/news/century-21-launches-global-real-estate-portal">Century 21 has used the strength of having offices across the world to launch Century 21 Global</a>, that focuses across the world and not just on China, sharing the properties from all of Century 21’s offices.
It covers 74 countries and 16 languages on their new website, and includes automatic translation services.
CENTURY21GLOBAL.COM ESTIMATED MONTHLY TRAFFIC (VISITS) FOR LAST 30 DAYS 2014: 74,600 (Source: Traffic Estimate)
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The top Chinese investment portals you need to know about

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I was asked this week if I could remember the last time we saw such a hostile response to a federal budget. I responded ‘no’ – as it would have been well before we had access to the internet.
When the world moved into the online space, the internet always appeared with a capital I, which has been replaced with a lower case 'i'. So what happened to the capital “I” one might ask? Well the “I” became you – the consumer, where through this very process (for better or worse) this online revolution has changed how we do business in the modern age.
When one looks at the problems facing the budget, it’s quite clear that Australia has a massive productivity problem. Wages have flat lined which has seen living standards rise just 2.6% over the last five years. The modern day terminology is “on hold”, which is exactly what the Reserve Bank of Australia is doing with the cash rate given our labour market is, best case scenario, neutral and employment growth won’t exceed population growth.
When you’re paying (an estimated) $1 billion just in interest each month, it’s time for any responsible government to say ‘enough is enough’. Just like our neighbours across the ditch did in recent years when they too had to re-calibrate their economy and today, are predicting a $370.5 million surplus with 4% growth.
Unfortunately in Australia’s modern day political arena, there is no room for compromise given the central influence is to play populist politics, not policy. We see differing opinions on how Australia will create a sustainable budget that successfully negotiates a path into the future. If Australia was to continue on the current path without significant change, the present budget would be seen as a soft – touch.
<img src="/images/2014/05/27/simeon%20may%2027%20one.png" alt="">
Source: <a href="https://www.treasury.gov.au/PublicationsAndMedia/Speeches/2014/Fiscal_sustainability" target="_blank">Department of the Treasury</a>
For arguments sake, this is the <a href="https://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2014/5/22/politics/budget-graph-brought-stunned-silence-coalition" target="_blank" title="budget graph that brought a ‘stunned silence’ to the Coalition">budget graph that brought a ‘stunned silence’ to the Coalition</a> where Secretary of Treasury described it as “the most alarming single piece of information” he had seen about Australia’s future economic prospects, adding that it created a “stunned silence” when he presented it to both the state treasurers and cabinet. Again the significant point to be drawn from this graph is that with our declining terms of trade and an ageing population, our productivity needs a complete ‘about–turn’.
I wouldn’t hold your breath on that because, when one looks at <a href="https://www.ami.org.au/imis15/News_2013_May/Default/Australia_s_Top_100_Brands_2013__/News_2013_May/Australias_Top_100_Brands_2013.aspx?hkey=7621e19d-3bb4-4c3a-b08c-af2b0a18073d" target="_blank" title="Australia’s Top 20 Brands">Australia’s top 20 brands</a> not one is directly involved in technology. On the other hand when one looks at <a href="https://www.brandz100.com/site/reports/global/2014/report/download-report.pdf" target="_blank" title="2014 BrandZ Top 100">2014 BrandZ Top 100 </a>(this is a PDF file so takes a little while to download but well worth the read) we get a pretty good idea of how bad we are performing on a global stage.
Following three years at the top, Google has bumped Apple from the number one position when, in 2014, Google’s brand shot up 40% in a year to US$158.84 billion (A$171.86 billion). All up The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2014 added $310 billion to reach $2.9 trillion in brand value. Prior to the BrandZ Global 2014 results, the Top 100 had increased an average of about 6%, $125 billion annually, since the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. This year, led by apparel, with a 29% overall increase, all categories rose in brand value. And 10 of 14 categories experienced double-digit growth, indicating that brands across the economy have moved beyond recovery into a period of new growth. In the meantime, Australia sits in a mental void trying to work out what to do following the mining downturn.
<blockquote>
The rise of China as a superpower could see it control as much as half the world’s financial assets by 2030.
</blockquote>
For those who recently raised concerns about China’s attraction to Australian property, Secretary of Treasury, Martin Parkinson, told a forum this week in Hong Kong that China’s foreign exchange reserves now approach $4 trillion. Today, China now accounts for around 11% of both world trade and global GDP but only accounts for 3% of gross holdings of overseas assets and liabilities. He went on to say that this figure, which includes foreign exchange reserves, could triple to $16 trillion. The rise of China as a superpower could see it control as much as half the world’s financial assets by 2030.
Puts the Australian budget into a different perspective, especially when you read how China is preparing for its ageing population – <a href="https://www.economist.com/news/china/21600160-pensions-crisis-looms-china-looks-raising-retirement-age-paying-grey" target="_blank" title="Paying for the grey.">paying for the grey.</a> Although Australia is a long way off telling families they have a limit of just one child.
For the second time in 2014 Mosman houses for sale managed to stay above the 100 mark which either tells us more people are selling or houses are not selling as fast. It will be interesting to see in coming weeks, what the correct reason is, although we should note that clearance rates have dropped significantly. Sceptics no doubt, will attribute that to the federal budget!
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robertsimeon-hRNTwJyXkQ

Australia has one almighty brand problem

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The Urban Taskforce has said the federal government's review of foreign investment in residential real estate must be blind to the nationality of the foreign investor.
"While this review is said to consider foreign investment in residential real estate, we fear that the review will focus on Chinese investment. 
"Focusing on a particular country’s investment is counterproductive and dare we say, xenophobic," Urban Taskforce Australia chief, Chris Johnson warned.
He said the Urban Taskforce urges the standing committee to consider foreign investment generally.
"It must resist pressure from those who would have us believe that it is simply Chinese investment in real estate that is driving increases in the cost of housing.
"Media coverage on this matter has been one- sided, suggesting that there is a flood of unregulated money from China causing real estate prices, especially in Sydney, to soar. 
"The claims are that foreign investment, in residential real estate, particularly from China is on the increase," he said.
Their submission said foreign investment in residential real estate was on the decline.
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"The evidence provided in the recent Foreign Investment Review Board Annual Report 2012-13 does not support claims of ever increasing foreign investment.
"For instance, total foreign investment in residential property in Australia has actually been falling from a high of $20.92 billion in 2010-11 to $19.7 billion in 2011-12 to $17.2 billion in 2012-131.
"Reports based on the Foreign Investment Board and Australian Bureau of Statistics data suggest that the Chinese contribution of the total foreign investment in residential real estate to be approximately $5 billion per annum.
"However this is in a market that saw $250 billion in residential property being sold.
"While 2% of the market is a worthy contribution to new housing, it is not considered to be at a level to warrant the community concerns and intense media scrutiny of late.
"There is no doubt that residential property investment from China is the highest with Chinese investors purchasing $5.9 billion in all real estate, which includes commercial real estate.
"It should be noted that commercial real estate is almost twice that of foreign investment in residential real estate.
"Other countries invest in Australian real estate.
"Canada invested just under $5 billion in Australian real estate and the Americans invested $4.4 billion.
"Based on these figures alone, the focus on Chinese investment is not warranted," Chris Johnson suggested.
"Notwithstanding any of the above, the overarching principle of Australia's foreign investment policy, as it applies to residential property, is that the investment should increase Australia's housing stock.
"We support such a policy and agree that it brings benefits to the local building industry and its suppliers.
"The data provided in the Foreign Investment Review Board Annual Report 2012-13 shows this. 
"In the 2010-11 reporting period only $3.77 billion of foreign investment went to existing housing while $12.54 billion went to new developments."
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