Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

Joel Robinson

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

First look: Winx billionaire’s beachfront Surfers Paradise apartment development greenlit

Off the plan

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A Brisbane developer has announced a settlement package before the end of the financial year on June 30 for its off-the-plan apartments in the inner city suburb of Woolloongabba.
Construction is about to start on the <a href="https://projectpropertysales.com.au/sabre-apartments/" target="_blank">Sabre project on Sword Street</a> which will comprise 25 apartments.
There will be one and two-bedroom luxury apartments.
The settlement package available on contracts offers two choices from the following: 
<ul>
<li>one year free body corporate</li>
<li>one year rental guarantee</li>
<li>blinds and security screen package</li>
<li>Fisher and Paykel white goods package (fridge, washing machine and dryer)</li>
</ul>
The developer says that 25 percent of the project has been sold out before construction. 
Two bedroom apartments are available from $440,000.
The apartments have open plan living areas with kitchens and private balcony. 
The location is near retail and dining precincts being developed within the Woolloongabba area.
 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Brisbane developer offers incentives for off-the-plan apartments in Woolloongabba 

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Off-the-plan property listing site iBuyNew has announced a new chief executive to helm the firm as it looks to expand its sales volumes.
Founder Mark Mendel is making way for a new CEO, Alex Caraco, who has more than 35 years of sales leadership experience in the real estate sector and will be handling the day-to-day affairs of iBuyNew.
Caraco has deep connections in China, where iBuyNew recently set up a satellite office, adding to its three offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 
Mendel said he would be taking on the role of head of strategy as the company looks to ramp up its presence.
“While I have worked tirelessly for almost a decade on different iterations of what you now know as iBuyNew, it is now time to hand over the CEO position to someone that has over 35 years of sales leadership and experience that will not only build a larger salesforce within our business but also deliver a better result for those that we work with,” Mendel wrote in a letter released to the media.
 
 
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Founder Mark Mendel makes way for new CEO at iBuyNew 

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The rate of housing market turnover, or transactions, is on an “unusual decline” with a sharp rise in off-the-plan sales of apartments — which are difficult to measure in a timely manner — likely to be a factor, according to the central bank.
Other potential reasons could be lower rates of home ownership, particularly for younger households, and migration trends. 
A fall in housing market transactions directly affects the economy as it hurts tax revenue - which made up about 40 per cent of total state tax revenue in 2014/15, besides impacting the creation of more jobs and related occupations such as real estate agents, lawyers and the finance industry, the RBA notes.
The RBA’s latest bulletin says the decline in the national housing turnover rate in recent years has come despite “the strength in a number of housing market indicators such as national housing price growth, which has historically been positively correlated with the turnover rate”. 
It says part of the recent weakness could from measurement issues arising from the increased share of apartments in new housing construction. 
Approvals for higher density housing have increased sharply since 2009 and now account for around half of all approvals. 
As a majority of new apartments are purchased off-the-plan, well before construction has commenced, they have settlement lags of around two or three years. With limited data about these sales until settlement, the RBA bulletin suggests that reported housing turnover is likely to be understated.
More approvals could only increase this understatement, according to the central bank.
Apartment transactions rose sharply through the second half of 2014 and early 2015, before declining to around 2 per cent of the housing stock. 
“The aggregate housing turnover rate would have also increased through late 2014 and early 2015 under these assumptions, before declining to be below its decade average rate,” says the bulletin.
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prateek24-ezbwHMbNAk

Off-the-plan settlement lags play a part in understanding the housing turnover maze: RBA

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The Treasurer, Scott Morrison, has made changes under the foreign investment framework to allow foreign buyers to purchase an off-the-plan dwelling when another foreign buyer has failed to reach settlement.
The Turnbull Government advised last November it was set to implement changes under the foreign investment framework to allow foreign buyers to purchase an off-the-plan dwelling when another foreign buyer has failed to reach settlement.
"This change addresses industry concerns, and means property developers won’t be left in the lurch when a foreign buyer pulls out on an off-the-plan purchase," the Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison advised.
"This action will ensure that markets will not be impacted negatively by an increased amount of off-the-plan sales, particularly from foreign purchasers, not being completed."
He said it was common sense that an apartment or house that has just been built, or is still under construction and for which the title has never changed hands, is not considered an established dwelling.
In the event of a failure to complete settlement, the dwelling should revert to its previous status – that is, a new dwelling.
For individual applications made by potential purchasers this policy change will be implemented immediately.
Foreign persons who apply to purchase a dwelling that is considered established, only due to a failed settlement, will be assessed as if it was a new dwelling.
These issues also affect the current New Dwelling Exemption Certificates, which act as a pre-approval mechanism for foreign persons purchasing new apartments in a specific development.
A regulation change will be made at the next opportunity to enable developers to acquire a certificate that covers foreign persons purchasing a dwelling that is considered established only due to a failed settlement.
The Commissioner of Taxation has advised no compliance action will be pursued against persons who, if not for a failed settlement preceding their purchase, would otherwise have been covered by an existing New Dwelling Exemption Certificate until the regulations are changed.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Off the plan FIRB rule change by Scott Morrison

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<div>
GUEST OBSERVER
Lenders failing to provide off the plan apartment purchasers with a funding pre-approval which lasts until settlement could prove costly for thousands of buyers in Victoria.
Victorians who bought off the plan apartments scheduled to be completed this year face losing their deposits due to new design standards requiring more space.
The big four banks have made a policy in line with the new standards by refusing to lend for one-bedroom apartments smaller than 50 sqm.
The situation is unfair as banks had applied different standards for the developers of the apartment projects.
If banks are prepared to fund a development for construction then they should take the same stance on providing finance when it comes to the buyers of those off-the-plan apartments.
Many Melbourne apartment projects due to be completed in 2017 were designed in 2014 or prior, before the discussions about the new designguidelines had even been made public.
The banks should be offering to fund the buyers of those apartments under the same policy that exists when the construction started.
Buyers of off-the-plan apartments should be able to go to the bank that funds the construction and take out a pre-approval that will last them until settlement.
This reduces a part of the risk for the buyer as they don’t have finance risk. It also reduces problems for the developer as they don’t have settlement risk and overall it’s a win/win situation for the bank.
</div>
<div>
Mark Mendel, is founder and chief executive officer of iBuyNew.com.au and can be contacted <a href="https://www.ibuynew.com.au/">here.</a>
</div>
<div> </div>
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Lender design stance just hurts buyers: iBuyNew's Mark Mendel

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/69487/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The government is proposing changes to the foreign investment framework that will allow a foreign real estate investor to purchase an off the plan dwelling when another foreign investor has failed to reach settlement.
In announcing the changes, Treasurer Scott Morrison deployed a familiar narrative about foreign investment increasing housing supply and making “housing more affordable for more Australians”.
This idea is in keeping with property development lobbyists, who are focused on getting government to release more land to solve the complex long-term housing affordability problem in cities. 
However, researchers have debunked this idea before (see here and here). Their conclusion is that government cannot supply its way out of the housing affordability problem in major Australian cities.
The government’s focus on the concerns of the property industry renders invisible a broader set of interested parties and a much more nuanced suite of contributing factors and solutions.
The current foreign investment rules are a blunt set of regulatory tools, held captive to the housing supply and global competitiveness debates. 
<h2>Not all foreign real estate investors are the same</h2>
There are important differences between individual foreign real estate investors, which are regularly conflated in foreign investment policy and the public debate.
In broad terms, there are four investor groups. A class-based distinction defines people from the expanding middle class in countries like China. They are called the new middle class.
A disposable asset distinction, which excludes primary residences, separates the three remaining groups. High net worth individuals have disposable assets that exceed US$1 million. Ultra high net worth individuals have asset holdings in excess of US$30 million. Ultra, ultra high net worth individuals have a minimum of US$50 million in disposable assets in a wealth management fund.
In the absence of fine-grained data about which groups are investing and their differential impacts on cities and housing, the treasurer has opted to protect the development industry rather than the people and places within cities. 
A regulatory environment that is sensitive to various investor groups is important in Australia because different investors impact their host cities in diverse ways. 
<h2>Regulating foreign investors, sales or capital</h2>
How foreign capital intersects with local real estate markets depends onon who is investing capital, the properties in which the capital is being invested and the investment vehicles through which the capital is being transferred.
The arrival of foreign capital is not always accompanied by the arrival of new permanent residents for the city. Therefore, the investors interact with local infrastructure and shape housing supply in diverse ways.
There is a big difference between the impacts of new middle class and high net worth investors in cities compared to ultra and ultra, ultra high net worth investment.
Ultra, ultra high net worth individuals can be “free-floating” investors who travel around the world, purchasing real estate in various global cities. Rowland Atkinson argues this group has little allegiance to the host neighbourhoods. 
Ultra high net worth investors might move between multiple residences and have attachments to the neighbourhoods their properties are in. The new middle class and high net worth investors might live in, or send their spouse and/or children to live in, the house they have purchased. They often have an allegiance to the cities or neighbourhoods their properties are in.
The personal motivations of foreign investors are important too. They can extend far beyond financial considerations.
Foreign investors are motivated by the opportunities that exist in Australia and how these relate to their own migration plans, their children’s education and the financial security that Australian real estate supposedly guarantees. 
Therefore, who is investing and their residency status will shape the neighbourhood, city and perhaps even the country into the future. 
Neighbourhoods with high concentrations of ultra high net worth investors in London appear to be (or may be) devoid of people. Local businesses in these suburbs have become untenable as local patronage declines. 
New middle class and high net worth investors might change the social fabric, educational institutions or employment landscape of a neighbourhood or city through habitation, for good or ill. 
International evidence shows that some investors will occupy their property, others place it on the rental market, some buy multi-million-dollar trophy homes, while others increase the housing supply in a neighbourhood of absentee owners and fading businesses. 
Therefore, the impact of foreign investors on housing supply is related to the investment practises of each investor, the amount of capital they bring into Australia and how they invest it. 
<h2>More dynamic foreign investment rules needed</h2>
Housing supply and global competitiveness arguments have captured the foreign real estate investment debate. Both are too simplistic and need to be augmented with additional voices, policies and data. 
Governments justify their pro-foreign investment and business immigration policies through “financial benefits” arguments in times of prosperity and “economic necessity” arguments in times of hardship. 
These top-down narratives position foreign real estate investment as good for the local economy, with secondary benefits such as increasing housing supply and jobs growth through targeted skill migration and business development. 
The government needs to understand how foreign investment is shaping cities from the ground up. This includes: how foreign investment impacts people in the local neighbourhoods where these properties are located; how developers change the dwellings they build to suit foreign investors; how changing educational institutions are shaping foreign student investment; and the experience of first homebuyers who are looking for a home in the same property markets.
Dallas Rogers is urban studies researcher: Institute for Culture and Society &amp; Urban Research Program, Western Sydney University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dallas-rogers-5269" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Changes for off the plan foreign buyers rely on a broken supply argument

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The Reserve Bank has noted there is a danger that apartment buyers will default on off the plan purchases because of falling ­prices along with the difficulty of obtaining ­finance.
“These risks appear greatest in inner-city Brisbane and Melbourne, where the new supply is largest relative to the existing dwelling stock,” the Reserve Bank said in its latest review of the ­stability of the Australian financial system, released on Friday.
The RBA said the chance of developer sales falling through had been ­increased by new bank restrictions.
These included the restrictions on lending to buyers with foreign incomes, aimed mainly at Chinese investors, and also the more rigorous requirements now being ­imposed by the local banks on mortgage borrowers generally.
“There are signs that some settlements are taking longer and lending valuations are coming in below their contract price, though settlement failures to date remain low,” the bank noted.
The Reserve Bank’s concerns were shared by the banking regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
But APRA's chairman Wayne Byers told a parliamentary committee on Friday that the biggest lending exposures to the east coast apartment boom were taken on by Asian banks, rather than by the big four Australian banks.
The Reserve Bank estimated that 16,000 new apartments in Melbourne over the next two years would add around 18 per cent to the city’s stock of inner-city housing, while an additional 12,000 in Brisbane would add 15 per cent to exisiting stock levels.
Sydney's increase is only around six per cent and the 10,000 new ­apartments scheduled for completion over the next two years spread across the city.
The RBA noted apartment ­prices and rents were weaker in Melbourne and Brisbane, while vacancies were higher.
“If apartment markets were to turn down and settlement difficulties become more widespread, banks would be more likely to incur some loan losses,” the ­bank said.
It said housing default rates in Australia had historically been very low, about 0.5 per cent, with home buyers having a high level of collateral.
The Reserve Bank noted that during the post 2008 global financial crisis, house prices fell by between 30 and 50 per cent in the most affected nations.
“However, Australia is not facing the same economic and financial headwinds as Spain or Ireland did during the financial crisis,” it added.
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RBA fears off the plan apartment non-settlement jitters especially in Melbourne and Brisbane

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Off-market selling, where a property is sold without any public advertising, is an emerging trend in some suburbs across Sydney although it represents a very small proportion of the properties sold.
Given Sydney's auction market strength, there are fiscal risks for vendors selling off-market because there’s no way every possible buyer will have known the property was for sale.
Such an outcome will leave that lingering doubt as to what what your home was ultimately worth.
But for some vendors it is still worth the risk, estate agent John McGrath recently noted.  
He says there are some circumstances where the importance of getting a deal done quickly for a reasonable price outweighs the alternative of going to the open market and negotiating with buyers over several weeks for the best price.
Such circumstances include relationship breakdown and financial stress, he suggested.
Off-market selling often enables privacy too especially for prestige clients. 
They typically don’t need a quick deal and are happy to wait while avoiding the public advertising campaigns and especially the intrusion of open for inspections. 
Off-market offerings can possibly generate an electric air of exclusivity.
Australian estate agents have adopted the term "off-market", though they have been occasionally dubbed "pocket listings." That's a real estate term used in United States. The never advertised pocket listing data is hard to come by, but sits at around 8.5% in some US states.
The off-market Sydney offerings are the domain of savvy estate agents who dip into their extensive database for potential buyers. 
Sure some time-wasting clients list off-market simply to test the waters, with the ambition of achieving their amazing dream price.
But there are genuine reasons some vendors go off-market especially if their property is tenanted with preparation for the perfect property photo shoot quite difficult to achieve.
Others do it to avoid the cost of a marketing campaign, but ultimately, McGrath thinks sellers "pay" for this strategy with a reduced sale price due to reduced competition.
It is the big numbers of buyers who've handed over their phone and email contact details that has assisted the current surge in off-markets.
Well-organised estate agents have created this ability to sell directly through their database. 
The best agents are staying intouch with forlorn buyers - dedicating time to developing relationships with the purchasers they meet at opens, auctions and online.
Another reason for off-markets has been the buyers’ agent industry which seeks out time-poor families and executives especially in markets that are undersupplied. 
That's much of Sydney this spring.
I monitored 22 property sales from across Sydney last weekend which fetched a combined $37.5 million under the hammer. 
The $37.5 million was around $5.25 million above the top price guide indication. That's a 16 percent premium that buyers paid on top of estate agent estimates.
It represented $6 million more if the properties had only sold at the price guidance or at the lower end of the price guidance for the 22 properties.
The biggest premium sale was in Drummoyne when a four bedroom waterfront fetched just over $8 million, smashing its price guide of $6 million to $6.5 million.
Some 20 of the 22 sold for above expectations. Only one, a three bedroom $582,000 Blacktown home, sold at $8000 less than the guide given pre-auction.
It sold for $582,500, having quoted a price guide of $590,000 to $630,000.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Off-market property sales come with risks

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GUEST OBSERVER
Today’s millennials are fast turning their backs on traditional marketing, instead choosing to consume and interact through virtual reality, but their willingness to buy into the imaginary and immaterial has real life conversions.
Long before the Pokémon renaissance took full effect, Marshall White Projects was reinventing the way off the plan properties are marketed and sold to Gen Ys and Millennials. 
This generation has changed the game; they are heavily reliant on the digital sphere and entrust it with major life decisions.
People plan dates, book accommodation and apply for jobs with people they’ve never met and in places they’ve never been, online every day – so why would we expect any less of them when it comes to purchasing property?
This demographic is more accepting of the off-the-plan model and accustomed to investing in sites unforeseen, so what is it that makes them take the plunge, swipe right and commit to the unknown? 
Aesthetics. They say a picture speaks a thousand words and for a time-poor generation with a shorter attention span than a goldfish, it isn’t any wonder that digital assets are outperforming traditional marketing strategies. 
These buyers are far savvier for having grown up in a digital landscape, their discerning tastes transcend the physical with renders, fly throughs and 3D floorplans of greater value to them than a stagnant display suite.
With this in mind, Marshall White Projects took 308 Carlisle Street to market without a display suite nor budget for print advertising. Each of the 45 apartments were sold in under six weeks, with the majority of purchasers aged between 25 and 35. 
Drawn to the bohemian Balaclava location, buyers were enticed by a refined sales campaign that simply put forth the advantages of a well-connected lifestyle and an apartment of prestige. 
It’s not the first time Marshall White Projects has proved its ability to earn, not buy results in an overly saturated market. Earlier this year the agency sold all 27 luxury apartments at High&amp; Spring in the same timeframe without any traditional or digital advertising and achieved a staggering sales average of approximately $1,050,000 per apartment. 
Buyers are overloaded with choice and bombarded with advertisements, which has made them less perceptible to traditional marketing tactics. This as an opportunity to better invest the hundreds of thousands of dollars developers would spend on lavish display suites into innovative alternatives that are not only cost and time effective, but more authentic and impactful. 
In order to be effective you must know your audience, what they value, who they trust, where they source their information – these things often hold more significance than their gender or profession and allow us to develop tailored marketing strategies that resonate with our buyers on a deeper level.
Our integrated approach simplifies the sales process and leverages technology, videography, photography, renders, brand partnerships, and direct marketing to achieve a far more cost effect result within the shortest possible time frame.
Leonard Teplin is director, Marshall White Projects and can be contacted <a href="https://www.marshallwhiteprojects.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Gen Y changes the property game

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Off-the-plan property portal Investorist has launched a B Round Capital Raising, seeking up to $7 million to further expand its global activities.
Investorist, with a valuation of around $30 million, comes with more than $45 billion in apartment listings and over 5,000 customers in 25 countries. 
Headquartered in Melbourne, Investorist was initially bootstrapped by Ellis before attracting seed investment from David Tarascio, chief executive of Salta Capital to fund expansion into China as well as other Australian cities.
The company undertook its A Round Capital Raise in July 2015, raising $ 2.5 million. 
<img src="/images/2016/09/08/Jon-Ellis.jpg" alt="">
 “We are currently in rapid global scale up mode, and the company is undertaking this next Capital Raise to drive further penetration into new and existing markets and fund the resources necessary to achieve this,” said Jon Ellis, founder and CEO of Investorist (above). 
“In Australia, about 60-70 percent of all apartment sales occur 'off market' or pre-launch with the remainder sold 'on market' after public launch.
"Whilst our platform has captured a healthy slice of these project listings, we have very ambitious targets, especially for the UK which is double the size of Australia's OTP market, and the US which is five times the size,” he added.
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