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.

Joel Robinson

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

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

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

Property market

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Crown Group CEO Iwan Sunito has been named Urban Taskforce Australia’s 2015 Property Person of the Year, making him the youngest recipient of the accolade.
"Honored and Amazing Grace is the thought that came to my mind when I reflected on my life's journey from the remote place of Pangkalan Bun Kalimantan to the honor of receiving and be the youngest recipient," said Iwan.
Born in Indonesia in 1966, Iwan spent his childhood in Central Kalimantan on the island of Borneo before migrating to Australia to study architecture at UNSW, where he won the UNSW Eric Daniels Prize for Residential Design in 1992. 
Early in his career, Iwan gained experience with Cox Richardson Architects.
He co-founded the Crown Group with business partner Paul Sathio in 1996.
“Iwan has grown the Crown Group in less than 20 years into one of Sydney’s major developers of upper end apartments with a portfolio worth more than $4.5 billion,” said Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson.
Iwan said the award was a celebration of Crown Group’s journey; from its first development in Bondi to an internationally-recognised global brand.
“It is an acknowledgement of many years of commitment to innovative design and quality in everything we do. Our philosophy is not ‘bigger first then better’ but rather ‘better first and bigger will follow," he said.
Crown Group broke company sales records when it sold more than $380 million worth of apartments in one day at the launch of its latest development in Green Square Infinity on August 29.
Its major projects which are underway include a 29-storey V in Parramatta, a 20-storey Skye in North Sydney, an inner-west project Oasis and a 25-storey residential tower at Clarence Street in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.
Iwan has received several awards and significant coverage in the print media and on television in Australia. He has also appeared on Bloomberg Television in Indonesia, on Channel News Asia and numerous media outlets across Asia.
Among his accolades, include the 2013 Ernst &amp; Young Entrepreneur of the Year Eastern Region Industry Category Award, Indonesia’s Property &amp; Bank Magazine Golden Leadership Award 2013 and the 2013 Congress of Indonesian Diaspora Entrepreneur award. Iwan was also appointed to the Global Indonesian Diaspora Board in 2013.
He has authored a book, From Borneo to Bloomberg. A Comeback Story and 13 Principles for Success.
Urban Taskforce Chair Peter Daly said: “Iwan Sunito represents a new wave of entrepreneurial developers who are creating apartment buildings that convey the excitement of urban living."
Past winners include Tony Perich, MD of Perich Group of Companies (2014); Steve McCann, group CEO and managing director, Lend Lease; Ross McDiven, chairman, Brookfield Multiplex; Garry Rothwell , founder and principal, Winten Property; Bob Rose, CEO of Rose Property Group; Harry Triguboff, chairman and MD of Meriton Apartments; Wal King, CEO, Leighton Holdings; Greg Goodman, group CEO of Goodman; Bill Moss, group head and CEO of the Banking and Property Group, Macquarie Bank; Liam Forde, CEO of Baulderstone Hornibrook and Lang Walker, chairman of Walker Corporation.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Iwan Sunito named property person of 2015 by Urban Taskforce

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Christmas always puts a deadline on things. For Property Bloom this year it's completing four development projects before the big man with the white beard arrives.
Of course our builder and all their tradies are under the pump at this time of year and our job as project managers really comes into play.
Our goal is not only to have the dwellings completed with Occupation Certificates (OCs) issued, but also tenanted before Christmas. And I've found a way to achieve this.
It's called supporting your site manager.
Rather than micro manage our site managers which just drives people crazy, we try to help them by giving them a hand. They feel supported and at the end of the day, we are all on the same team striving for the same result: Happy clients.
Here's an example. I'm doing two Practical Completion (PC) inspections this week and I have a tool I'm going to take along that should help. It's a bottle of Spray and Wipe.
Because we are pushing the process, we'll often get asked to move the PC date so they can be completely ready. But I don't want to give our builder another few days. Because right now, we literally don't have them.
We want tenants settled in before Christmas, we need the properties to look their best because on the same day we do our PC inspection, our appointed property manager will be taking photos and uploading the properties onto the Internet. This way we can advertise for tenants during the PC and Handover period.
The Handover period is the time after PC when the builder has seven days to complete any outstanding items we've picked up and before the bank pays the builder's final drawdown. Once the builder receives their payment, they release the keys to the owner and the dwellings come off construction key. That is literally the Handover date and of course a tenant can't move in before Handover.
Once asked to pay the final invoice, the bank typically take about a week, sometimes longer to send their valuer to check construction has been completed then transfer the money to the builder.  Before they release the final payment, they will have conditions such as receiving a copy of the OCs, and a copy of a building insurance policy in the name of the owners. 
This week or two is valuable and we use it to show potential tenants and hold open homes. We can do this because we have a great relationship with out builder and they will allow access BEFORE Handover. That's pretty unusual for a builder. But it means tenants are lined up as keys are handed over, which results in zero vacancy time for our clients.
So back to the PC inspection. My theory is that we set a date for PC and we do all we can to get the project to that stage. By having a deadline, more action is taken. I've found that there ends up being only minor items to attend to if any at all, because the site manager has done all he could to meet the deadline.
Short of bringing a pair of white gloves, I am fussy at these inspections. But some things just need a bit of elbow grease. So the bottle of Spray and Wipe comes out and we can clean the spots as we go through the property. It's so much easier than adding it to a list and having to wait for cleaners to come back. Of course I do draw the line at mopping floors, but small marks can easily be removed along with the fine layer of dust that always seems to settle on the kitchen benches a day after the construction clean is done.
I'm looking forward to Christmas this year but there's still a bit of work to be finished before the champagne is poured and prawns are peeled. 
Jo Chivers is chief executive officer of property development project managers <a href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/about" target="_blank">Property Bloom</a>.
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jochivers-wq5Bp59R5a

Countdown to construction completion: Jo Chivers

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Those Stenmark twins look set to untwine just a little.
Model Zac Stenmark is on the move looking to buy a place so he won’t be living with his brother, Jordan.
They’ve never lived separately, spending most of their time growing up in Mosman and weekending at Palm Beach.
They still expect to see each other every day.
"We just won’t be in adjoining rooms,’’ they were heard telling friends at last weekend's opening of the Rolex boutique at Crown Towers in Melbourne.
‘‘We’ll be saying ‘Good night’ over the phone instead of through the wall,’’ Jordan Stenmark said. 
The guys say they don’t have a telepathic connection.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Model Zac Stenmark looking to buy in Sydney 

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The Mornington Peninsula property, Fargeet at Flinders, has been listed for December expressions of interest sale.
<a href="https://www.abercrombys.com.au/flinders-485-meakins-road-ab2767/">Abercromby’s agents Tim Bennetts and Jock Langley</a> has $9 million plus hopes for the property with gun-barrel views of Bass Strait.
The contemporary 2003-built home sits on a rise overlooking the ocean.
b.e Architects designed the house which builder Gary Hutchins sold the 37 hectare property in 2008 for $6.53 million to the Bittar family.
Offers close on December 14.
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Mornington Peninsula's Fargeet listed for sale

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There have been fewer cases of underquoting and more cases of overquoting as the Sydney auction market softened during the bumper spring and into summer.
Underquoting had been rife for a while as many disappointed buyers missed out of their desired purchase during what was been an especially fast rising market. It has been subject to fresh legislation enforced from 2016 onwards.
But overquoting by agents to potential sellers is something of a sleeper issue as it typically relates to the private discussions between the vendor and their agent.
Overquoting is typically referred to as an agent securing the auction listing by misinforming the vendor that their property will sell for a lot more than what the market is likely dictating at the time.
Vendors who choose an estate agent solely on their suggesting the highest likely selling price of the property, will run the risk of ending up with a home that went unsold this spring. Or at least very grumpy as the agent seeks to lower the auction day price expectations to match the emerging weaker market conditions.
Any inflated auction price indications given by the listing agents saw the property passed in with the property possibly left sitting on the market until its agency listing expires possibly in the new year.
Expertise of estate agents, albeit trickier in a turning market, is to sense the probable and best selling prices of any prospective listing. 
They do themselves, their vendor and the market a disservice if they over inflate the likely sale price estimate to simply secure the listing.
Agents ought be familiar enough with the suburb and property type to get the buying market interested, not shaking their head in disbelief.
Ofcourse auctions are designed to get the vendor the best price on the day and that depends on a few things - demand on the day, the depth of bidder interest, how much they are prepared to spend, comparable homes that have sold or are for sale and, finally, what the vendor wants.
Most prospective vendors call in two or three local agents to get their own property appraisal ahead of the auction marketing. Yes a vendor wants to achieve the highest possible price for their property and too many vendors will base their decision on which agent to select based on the price forecast alone.
But in order to win the listing and win their vendor’s confidence agents ought be able to substantiate their property forecast.
The agents ought provide the most updated of sales in the neighbourhood, reports known as comparative market analysis (CMA). These reports can analyse and compare properties with the predictive price functionality. 
With just two weekends to Christmas, the Sydney auction housing market is tentatively poised and vendors won't want an unsold property over the long summer break.
There can be nothing worse as the weeks pass, unable to sell your property, of you getting tired of having the house on the market.... let alone the florist bill.
As the home sits on the market for so long, possibly without price change, it can start to appear cheaper in the eyes of ever vigilant, but keen buyers.
Of course price assumptions are not just not mathematical or scientific desktop calculations — the best agents work on the emotion of human buying behaviour. And that's when ambitious hopes can be sometimes realised despite contrary market conditions and comparisons.
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Overquoting to potential sellers the sleeper issue

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The final Sydney Burgess Rawson portfolio auction of the year raked in nearly $65 million in sales with an 80% clearance rate.
All eight commercial buildings put up for sale by the <a href="/expert-insights/investing/nsw-government-selling-eight-properties-through-burgess-rawson-auction">NSW state government</a> were sold, indicating investor confidence in the NSW economy. 
The sale of these properties, all in regional centres outside of Sydney and leased to tenants such as Services NSW and Roads and Maritime Services offering five-year leases with fixed annual rent increases of 3%, will boost the state's coffers by almost $17 million.
The properties were at Bathurst (Robin Hill), Cessnock, Deniliquin, Grafton, Mittagong (Welby), Penrith, Unanderra (Wollongong) and Tweed Heads.
Net incomes were in the range of $23,445 per annum to $335,760 per annum, with the yields ranging from 4.3% for a Motor Registry office in Mittagong in the Southern Highlands, which fetched $1.88 million, to 6.7% for a Motor Registry office in Wollongong, which sold for $3.34 million.
A Sydney buyer paid $5.71 million for a Motor Registry office in Penrith, translating to a yield of 5.9%. 
In all, 20 out 25 properties up for auction were sold under the Burgess Rawson hammer.
The highest price of $8.1 million was a retail property in Armidale in the NSW Northern Tablelands, which has a Woolworths-owned Dan Murphy's liquor store and a Dick Smith electronics outlet. The yield works out at 6.9%.
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All 8 NSW government properties sold at Burgess Rawson auction

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The casino tycoon James Packer and his wife Erica stood unchallenged when it came to the windfall price secured for their Vaucluse mega-mansion, La Mer earlier this year.
(1) No other Sydney trophy home sale came close to the $70 million paid for the six storey mansion, La Mer which was sold to the Hunters Hill-based billionaire Chinese property developer Dr Chau Chak Wing.
The surprise Packer exit was an imposing Alex Tzannes-designed architectural gem that had been updated from the original Guilford Bell-designed home.
It had the requisite gun barrel views back to the Harbour Bridge. 
<a href="/news/james-packer-and-erica-baxter-sell-vaucluse-trophy-la-mer">Title Tattle wrote about the Packer sale in August.</a> 
But despite all the record price excitement surrounding the August sale, which The Daily Telegraph broke exclusively, the prestige property market had its quietest spring in living memory, with just three spring selling season sales amid the top 10 for the year to date. 
The list of the 10 highest house sales across Sydney saw seven buyers of Asian descent, a marked escalation in the trend to foreign prestige home buyers.
"The La Mer sale has recalibrated the market from an international perspective as, currencies aside, the price spread between prestige and trophy is not as condensed," Christies International agent Ken Jacobs said.
<div>Ken Jacobs' forecast was Sydney will see continued strong interest from off-shore buyers. But veteran agent Bill Malouf, who said it was the quietest spring he'd had in two decades or so, thought the prospect of official FIRB investigations into most top end sales had turned some of the Chinese buyers gun-shy.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The top 10 house sales are evenly split between harbourfronts and hillside, all but one - Cate Blanchett's Hunters Hill home - situated in Sydney's pricey eastern suburbs. Around $18 million was the cut off for entry this year to the trophy home list.</div>
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<div>Last year's top 10 topped out at $39 million, with the 10th place price also at around $18 million. Mosman disappeared from the list this year, with its highest sales coming in at $16 million.</div>
(2) Mandalay, a non-harbourfront at Point Piper sat in second place at $39.9 million this year. The Wolseley Road sale had set the prior record for a non-waterfront house in Sydney, until James Packer trumped it a three months later. 
Mandalay was sold by the Toorak-bound former tobacco executive Bill Webb with the five bedroom, five bathroom European style villa sold through Bill Malouf of LJ Hooker to road construction developer Phillip Dong Fang Lee and his wife. It had last sold in 2004 for $20 million. 
The three-level, 900 sqm property has an east wing and a west wing and comes with unobstructed views of the Sydney harbour.
(3) Then Treasurer Joe Hockey's dampening crackdown on illegal foreign ownership triggered the sale of Villa Del Mare, Point Piper at $39 million in May with the Wolseley Road six bedroom, eight bathroom luxury mansion sold at the same price as its had been bought in October 2014 without FIRB approval by Chinese real estate developer Xu Jiayin.
(4) The top harbourfront sale this year was at Gladswood Gardens, Double Bay at $38 million.
The Double Bay waterfront mansion of former Multiplex chief Andrew Roberts and his wife Andrea sold in April to the property tycoon and Malaysian-born Mulpha billionaire Seng Huang Lee and his wife.
Inspired by the work of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the contemporary home has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms.
The 1145 sqm of land includes a jetty, an infinity pool and a large waterfront garden.
(5) Spring's highest sale was Leura at Bellevue Hill for an as yet unconfirmed $30 million. The buyer of the Victoria Road property was an unidentified Australian Chinese buyer who did not need FIRB approval. 
The Bellevue Hill trophy home Leura sold in November after having only six owners over the last 125 years.
The eight bedroom, eight bathroom heritage home sits on a 4260 sqm block with tennis court and a swimming pool.
The packaging company businessman Ken Allen and his wife, Christine sold the day before its scheduled private Ray White auction.
(6) The buyer at Wolseley Road, Point Piper which sold at $28 million was Qingling Wang from the longtime property developer Juliana Lim. It was a knockdown house close but not on the harbour, coming with plans approved for an Alex Tzannes-designed new home.
(7) Indah at Rose Bay sold at $27.08 million on Bayview Hill Road in May after a contemporary makeover of the five bedroom home to an expatriate.
The property was bought by UK barrister Georgina Black, the wife of Graham Edwards, chief executive of the UK’s property giant Telereal.
(8) Loch Maree at Vaucluse sold for around $24 million with its noteworthy Leonard French's stained glass windows a key feature.
The 2311 sqm holding was sold by entrepreneur Duncan Saville and wife Julie to cosmetic surgeon and hotelier Jerry Schwartz and his wife Debbie who have sold at around $18 million not far from their purchase. It had been on and off the market for many years.
(9) Actor Cate Blanchett sold Bulwarra at Hunters Hill for $19 million plus - almost $20 million - in September to Chinese buyers who currently own in Point Piper. 
The 1887 sandstone residence is set on one of the sandstone suburb's largest privately held blocks at 3642 sqm. 
The heritage home has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a pool pavilion and a championship sized tennis court.
(10) Sitting on the list amid a few unconfirmed $18 million plus sales is the Wunulla Road, Point Piper waterfront home bought by the Bellevue Hill based South African billionaire and co-owner of Nandos, Dick Enthoven and his wife Karen.
This article was first published in the Daily Telegraph.
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James Packer's La Mer unchallenged atop Sydney's top 10 trophy home sales in 2015

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Experian Marketing Services Australia, provider of customer-centric information services, will add geospatial elements to its range of customer marketing services by leveraging the real estate-related information assets of global information provider CoreLogic.
The partnership will give Experian access to property attributes, historical sales and other value data, and property trends across Australia.
“Our core philosophy is to provide data to help companies connect to communities,” said Vic Hodge, principal ponsultant, Experian Marketing Services.
“Smart companies are using data to improve their ability to connect with the consumers of today, and to be at the forefront of the planning and interaction with the consumers of the future.”
By integrating detailed information about Australian real-estate industry trends into its data offerings, Experian will be able to better tailor its products and services with a geographic element that reflects demographic and societal changes over time.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Experian leverages rich property data from CoreLogic to expand customer-centric information services

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Australia 108, to be home to the highest residences in the southern hemisphere, will commence construction this month, with a ground breaking ceremony held December 8 to mark the milestone.
When completed in 2020, the $1 billion tower will rise 319 metres and feature 1105 apartments as well as what's billed as the most extensive and opulent residential amenities in Australia, including two infinity pools located 210 metres above ground.
About 60% of the Australia 108 buyers are thought to be intending owner occupiers. The split between offshore and local buyers sits at around 50:50.
It was designed as a sister tower to the nearby gold-topped Eureka Tower.
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Australia 108 ground breaking ceremony

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Amelika, the Byron Bay hinterland trophy home designed in the white-box architectural style, has been sold.
Tom and Emma Lane had their Federal home listed with $3.5 million plus hopes through Unique Estates agents Nicolette van Wijngaarden and Ruth Gotterson.
It is a 10 hectare Blackbean Lane property which the Manly businessman bought for $4 million in 2011.
Tom Lane is from the family who founded the Oroton fashion empire, but left the family business, and now is a Byron Bay agri-tourism entreprenuer heading up The Farm.
They currently have their Manly home listed with $10 million plus hopes with McGrath agent Jake Rowe.
Designed by its previous owner, architect Sharon Fraser, Amelika is a bespoke single-level house built on a flat block of land where only a 100-year-old cudgerie tree blocks some of the 360-degree views of the northern NSW coastline and surrounds. After its 2008 completion, it received recognition in the Australian Institute of Architects in its NSW country division awards.
The 10-hectare holding came with two minimalist sculptures by Melbourne artist Peter McLisky, along with a windmill and dairy converted to an artist's studio.
There is also an 18-metre pool. It has been available at $4000 plus a week rental.
The home's green initiatives include solar-heated hydronic underfloor heating in its polished-cement floor and on-site waste management. It has retractable shading on external western walls that double as mosquito screens.
Down on the beach at Wategos come whispers of a $9.5 million sale. The directors of the Evolve College, formerly Australian College of Massage, Robert and Deborah Wild, have sold their beachfront reserve duplex on Marine Parade which they bought in 2012 for $7.25 million. 
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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