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>.

Joel Robinson

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

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Auctions

<html><body>
Two homes, just a kilometre apart, in Aireys Inlet are among this year's Easter auction offerings.
The double storey home with ocean views in Fairhaven will be auctioned on Sunday 5 April.
Set on a 920 square metre parcel, the home perched atop a cliff has views of a 6 kilometre stretch of Fairhaven beach. The three bedroom house, renovated in 2010, has direct beach access. Natural materials feature prominently, with timber cladding, columns and ceilings.
Agents Marty Maher and Mim Atkinson of Great Ocean Properties Aireys Inlet are expecting $2.75 million to $3 million for <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/26-lialeeta-road-fairhaven/Property-Details-buy-residential-8401114" target="_blank">26 Lialeeta Road</a> (pictured above).
Nearby <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/8-river-reserve-road-aireys-inlet/Property-Details-buy-residential-8145724" target="_blank">8 River Reserve Road in Aireys Inlet</a> (pictured below) will be auctioned the day before by the same agents, on 4 Saturday April.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/aireys%20inlety%20march%2016%20one.jpg" alt="">
The distinctive house is marked by a glass atrium at the entrance, which holds a spiral staircase leading up to the upper level and the rooftop terrace. The four bedroom, four bathroom house includes a gas open fire and views over the river valley.
It comes with $950,000 to $1 million price expectations.
Victoria's coastal Easter long weekend auctions aren't restricted to Aireys Inlet. <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/148-150-back-beach-road-portsea/Property-Details-buy-residential-8445140" target="_blank">148-150 Back Beach Road in Portsea</a> (pictured below), a five bedroom home, will be auctioned on Sunday 5 March.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/portsea%20%20march%2016%20one.jpg" alt="">
Known as Lido, the two storey house and its gardens span two titles at 1,500 square metres, with views over Port Philip Bay. The house with a pool is mareted by Kay and Burton agents Liz Jensen and Linda Boulter.
Jensen is also marketing <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/4-benjamin-parade-blairgowrie/Property-Details-buy-residential-8444826" target="_blank">4 Benjamin Parade in Blaigowrie</a>, which is to be auctioned an hour later, with David Heathcote.
While some vendors have chosen to take their homes to auction on the traditionally quiet Easter weekend, it seems the bulk of Victoria's coastal auctions will occur the weekend after. The second weekend of April will see Sorrento's <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/3492-point-nepean-road-sorrento/Property-Details-buy-residential-8481806" target="_blank">3492 Point Nepean Road</a> (pictured below) go under the hammer through Max Prentice of Prentice Real Estate in conjunction with Hodges' Andrew Boyce.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/sorrento%20mar%2016%20two.jpg" alt="">
The two cliffside allotments will be offered through executor's auction. Lot 2, which is accessed through Netley Avenue, is 1,592 square metres. Lot 3 is 2,789 square metres, and accessible from Point Nepean Road.
</body></html>

jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Two Aireys Inlet homes among coastal Victorian Easter auctions

<html><body>
The Sunday Telegraph has revealed that NSW Fair Trading has accused the BresicWhitney agency of advertising two auction properties — in Double Bay and in Surry Hill — at prices below estimates that were given to sellers in written agreements.
The agency only learnt of the court action on Friday night and was yet to decide whether it would defend the claims, but accepts it needs to ensure future compliance.
The consumer watchdog will reveal its case in the Parramatta Local Court later this month.
The more serious price discrepancy alleged was at Double Bay, where the publicly published price guidance reputedly did not match the private agency agreement documentation in the office paperwork.
The Murilla apartment at <a href="https://www.bresicwhitney.com.au/buy/543-545-new-south-head-road-double-bay-9956" target="_blank">62/543-545 New South Head Road</a> had a reported price guide of over $1.5 million last November, but Fair Trading investigations revealed the selling price estimate in the agency agreement at the low end of $1.6 million.
The late 1950s, A.M. Bolot-designed, company title apartment (below) was reported in the Wentworth Courier as sold for $1.79 million (and at $1.76 million by the Sunday Telegraph) through agent Walter Burfitt-Williams. The three bedroom sub-penthouse had 176 square metres space in the eight storey block above Redleaf Pool at the corner of New South Head and Victoria roads. The previous time it was marketed for sale was in 1989.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/oduble-bay-march-16-one.jpg" alt="">
When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph cost of living editor, John Rolfe, before its front page splash, Walter Burfitt-Williams said: “The owner gave us instructions.”
At Surry Hills an 1890s terrace house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-surry+hills-118276043" target="_blank">14 Collins Street</a> was advertised last November with a price guide of over $1.05 million, but the estimate in the agency agreement was $1.1 to $1.2 million. The guidance was lifted from $1,025,000 during the marketing campaign.
The two bedroom terrace (below) actually sold for $1.07 million through Nic Krasnostein, so it appears, with benefit of hindsight, he may have been overly ambitious in his pitch to the vendor. It sold to an investor who sought to rent it out at $850 a week. It had previously sold at $610,000 in 2005.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/surry%20hills%20mar%2016%20one.jpg" alt="">
The prosecutions are the third in a decade.
“We believe we’ve found evidence to prove the agent has under quoted,” Commissioner Rod Stowe told The Sunday Telegraph who published a Warren cartoon too.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/cartoon%20march%2016.jpg" alt="">
Source: Sunday Telegraph
<a href="/news/sydney-agency-under-fair-trading-investigation-for-underquoting">Last December, Property Observer reported p</a><a href="/news/sydney-agency-under-fair-trading-investigation-for-underquoting">ossible underquoting activity</a> from an undisclosed agency was under investigation.
Operation Balaya, an investigation specifically developed to look at real estate compliance, was launched on agencies operating in the inner-city.
 Officers were also checking licences, certificates, current continuing professional development, professional indemnity insurance and current and past financial year qualified audits.
“During its inspections, NSW Fair Trading identified certain information that requires further investigation to establish whether or not representations made by a real estate agency in relation to a number of recent sales were misleading,” the Minister for Fair Trading Matthew Mason-Cox said.
“Agents who engaged in this illegal practice could face a maximum penalty of $22,000 or depending on the severity of the breaches an agency could have its license cancelled.”
The NSW Premier Mike Baird recently elevated the issue into an election policy.
<div>
NSW estate agents were reminded last weekend that they must tell buyers the same price guidance estimate they have given to their vendors.
Depending on the success of his re-election, Baird has vowed to crackdown on price underquoting… and overquoting too.
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/estate-agent-commissions-to-be-at-risk-as-nsw-premier-mike-baird-seeks-house-price-underquoting-review">Not only fines</a>, but also the loss of sale commissions for any such sale where there is intentional false feedback.
Property Observer gleans the genesis of the policy was when the Mason‐Cox was quoted a price on a Sydney unit, only for him to discover it sold for 25% more a few days later. 
There has, however, not been a fine on an agent for underquoting since 2004 when an agent was fined more than $14,000 by NSW Fair Trading. In 2008 another agent was disqualified from holding a licence for five years for underquoting, The Daily Telegraph reported.
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"There are some agents that bend the rules and waste everyone's time," Baird said.
"The practice of underquoting has to end."
"This is aimed at those who advertise a price that they know is not fair value for a property."
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

NSW Fair Trading prosecutes Double Bay and Surry Hills auction price underquoting allegations

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Even young first time investors are getting mum's money to secure their property purchases.
It was the case today when the one-bedroom house at 7 Little Bloomfield Street, Surry Hills, was bought by a first home buyer, with help from his mother.
Agent Marc Marano of Oxford Agency secured $840,000 for the single-storey worker's cottage at auction. 
It was marketed as a "diamond in the rough".
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/4.jpg" alt="">
Investor Doi Kim, 25, and his mother, Gina Lim will renovate before renting it out after paying $140,000 over the reserve, Fairfax Media reported.
The unrenovated, 63 square metre terrace had been in the same family about five decades.
The trend of traditional first time buyers investing instead as their first property purchase has been escalating in recent times.
Mortgage Choice has noticed a marked alternate trend of first time investor buying by the traditional first home buyer. 
"More and more are buying investments as their first time buy," Michael Russell, the Mortgage Choice chief executive said recently.
Their recent survey showed there were 21% of its first time buyers borrowing for an investment property rather than a home to live in.
Surry Hills' median house price sits at <a href="/news">around $1.26 million</a>, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
There was an $840,000 median back in 2010.
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Even first time investors need mum's money in Surry Hills

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The auction battle for 3-5 Fourth Street, Black Rock highlighted the escalating buyer intensity along the Melbourne sand belt and inner east suburbs today.
It fetched $1,010,000 over its reserve price setting a new $3.81 million record for a residential property in the suburb. 
"The previous highest that we could find being $3,775,000 for a contemporary home with pool and tennis court on around 1650sqm of land in May 2010," <a href="https://www.jacobsba.com.au" target="_blank">said buyers agent Nicole Jacobs</a>. Bidding began at $2,450,000, swiftly going past $2,800,000 when it was announced on the market (below) at the Marshall White auction.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/photogallery_new.ds?id=119054395&amp;theme=rea.sold" rel="photos" data-id="119054395"><img src="https://i3.au.reastatic.net/456x342/27c32b444fe77d755cfdb4ba1ec7ada742d91d315297878cea0ded67ba6e0cdf/image2.jpg" alt="3-5 Fourth Street, Black Rock" title="3-5 Fourth Street, Black Rock" data-index="2"></a>
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Once the $3,000,000 barrier was exceeded the increments started to decrease but the pace of bids didn’t, Jacabs noted as at $3,060,000 a third bidder joined the fray.
Selling agent Barb Gregory thought its architectural features including a large open fireplace in the family room, extensive use of cedar, wide eaves had Frank Lloyd Wright influences.
The final $3.81 million sale price was withheld, so it didn't feature in the REIV's top five sales.
A clearance rate of 78 per cent was recorded this weekend compared to 70 per cent last weekend and 72 per cent this weekend last year.
There were 939 auctions reported to the REIV today, the REIV chief Enzo Raimondo advised, the resumption of the auction market after last weekend's Labour Day holiday.
The Black Rock auctioneer Peter Kakos cheekily asked the two final bidders if there was any chance of the two of them moving in together, to which the second bidder quipped “not after this” – a light moment breaking the auction tension. 
It was a 1440 square metre corner block with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IrDlh0C4Zk" target="_blank">a large 1980’s architect designed home</a>.  
Meanwhile Malvern results topped both house and apartments on the REIV results.
Late week several parties gathered inside <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/106-stanhope-street-malvern/Property-Details-buy-residential-8312666" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">106 Stanhope Street, Malvern</a> (pictured above) for a private auction, which ranked as the week's highest house sale. 
Midlothian, the 1891 Malvern property had been renovated by the current vendors by Rosenthal, Munckton and Shields in 1997 and then further enhanced by the addition of a superb pool-side studio, with sub-floor heating, from the same architects in 2006.
Langley says just about every premium offering now has multiple buyers running on it, which is a sign of the depth and heat in the market.
Other Malvern sales included 6 Claremont Avenue at $2.51 million.
 
  
TOP 5 HOUSES 
1. 106 Stanhope Street, Malvern $5,080,000 2. 28 Rowland Street, Kew $3,840,000 3. 11 Collington Avenue, Brighton $3,520,000 4. 13 Springfield Avenue, Toorak $3,225,000 5. 42 Bogong Avenue, Glen Waverley $2,925,000 
TOP 5 BARGAIN HOUSES 
1. 43 Vista Drive, Melton $190,500 2. 1 Argyll Circuit, Melton West $223,000 3. 71 Hilton Way, Melton West $245,000 4. 19 Kynoch Street, Deer Park $291,000 5. 44 Mulberry Pass, Craigieburn $330,000
TOP 5 APARTMENTS
1. 17 Fraser Street, Malvern $3,690,000 2. 26B Shoobra Road, Elsternwick $1,500,000 3. 204/55-62 Beach Street, Port Melbourne $1,480,000 4. 2/48 Albany Road, Toorak $1,320,000 5. 5/20 Yarra Grove, Hawthorn $1,300,000 
TOP 5 BARGAIN APARTMENTS 
1. 501/2 Eastern Place, Hawthorn East $95,000 2. 5/160 Grange Road, Carnegie $240,000 3. 1/156 Station Street, Fairfield $270,000 4. 4/11 Wallarano Drive, Noble Park $275,000 5. 18/46 Baker Street, Richmond $290,000
<a href="https://www.reiv.com.au/Property-Research" target="_blank">Source REIV </a>
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Black Rock $3.81 million auction record, while Malvern makes clean sweep

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Sydney auctions stayed above 80% for the sixth consecutive weekend.
There was an 84% preliminary success rate at auction today, according to Australian Property Monitors.
Last weekend's revised figure was 81%.
A Kent Road, Rose Bay house (pictured above) at $6.5 million was the top notified sale amid the 525 results.
It was the first time it had been offered in 25 years when it sold through Hamish Robertson and Joe Aboud at McGrath Estate Agents.
The 22 Kent Road house had been updated by John Crawford in 1970s, then Michael Suttor in the early 1990s.
The Domain Group's senior economist Andrew Wilson described the weekend results as "Sydney's unstoppable auction market".
The Sydney market with 628 auctions scheduled was similar to the 625 conducted over the same weekend last year.
The most popular Sydney suburb for auctions this weekend is Surry Hills with 13 followed by Mosman 12, Maroubra and Epping each with 9, Drummoyne and Yagoona 7 each and Chatswood, Redfern, Baulkham Hills and Alexandria each with 6 auctions listed this weekend.
Auction listings will continue to rise with the pre-Easter Super Saturday of auctions now looming for the 28 March election day.
Well over 1,000 auctions are likely that day which might go close to challenge the all-time Saturday record of 1,111 set over the same weekend last year under threat. 
"Big auction numbers however are likely to continue to be a snack for a ravenous Sydney home buying public," Wilson suggested.
Strong weekend results included 1 Stansell Street, Gladesville which sold at $2.85 million through Paul Tassone &amp; Ahmad Malas of Professionals Ermington
Auctioneer Rob Trovato of Auction Services saw a huge crowd of around 300 people with 28 registered bidders for the small cottage nestled between a unit block and a service station.
It had a zoning of R4 Mixed Use for its 714 square metre holding.
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Ravenous Sydney buyers keep auctions above 80% for sixth consecutive weekend

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The Camperdown warehouse at 31 Australia Street (pictured above) was the week's fourth highest reported at $4,275,000 sale, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
The luxury steel-framed residence was offered by BresicWhitney agent Shannan Whitney, who had given it a price guide of about $3.5 million.
It was sold by Macquarie Bank executive Peter Lucas who bought the holding in 2007 for $1.45 million from property developer and restaurateur father and son team Leon and John Fink.
The design by architect Andrew Vingilis of Corben Architects was completed in 2009.
It bettered Camperdown's $3.65 million high paid late last year for a converted warehouse on Gibbens Street.
CoreLogic RP Data's top 10 home
<ol>
<li>7001/14 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise, QLD, 4217, four-bedroom unit, sold at auction on March 7 by McGrath Estate Agents for $7 million </li>
<li>10 Mirimar Avenue, Bronte, NSW, 2024, four-bedroom house, sold on March 3 by Phillips Pantzer Donnelley for $5.6 million </li>
<li>55 Darley Road, Randwick, NSW, 2031, five-bedroom house, sold at auction on March 3 by BradfieldCleary Double Bay for $4.7 million </li>
<li>31 Australia Street, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on March 5 by BresicWhitney Glebe for $4.275 million </li>
<li>28 Ranelagh Road, Burradoo, NSW, 2576, four-bedroom house, sold on March 3 by Drew Lindsay Real Estate Bowral for $4.175 million </li>
<li>1B Tara Street, Woollahra, NSW, 2025, three-bedroom house, sold at auction on March 3 by BradfieldCleary Double Bay for $3.85 million </li>
<li>25/501 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, NSW, 2037, three-bedroom unit, sold at auction on March 6 by Gavagna Group Stanmore for $3.75 million </li>
<li>47 Glenview Street, Paddington, NSW, 2021, three-bedroom house, sold at auction on March 3 by BradfieldCleary Double Bay for $3.31 million </li>
<li>73 Bannockburn Road, Pymble, NSW, 2073, five-bedroom house, sold at auction on March 4 by McGrath Estate Agents for $3.2 million </li>
<li>21 The Citadel, Castlecrag, NSW, 2068, four-bedroom house, sold at auction on March 3 by Richardson &amp; Wrench Castlecrag for $2.8 million</li>
</ol>
 
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Camperdown warehouse conversion sells at $4,275,000

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There were just eight sales at $500,000, or below, at Sydney weekend auction.
The sales ranged from $424,000 at Monterey to $500,000 in Darlinghurst.
There was another sale at Toukley, some 110 ams from Sydney, on the NSW Central Coast at $297,500. It was a two bedroom villa which was marketed by Raine &amp; Horne Charmhaven as a "great investment opportunity with a weekly rental return of $320pw to $345pw." It would reflect a yield of around 5.6%.
The 5/288 Main Road, Toukley villa had previously traded at $247,000 in 2007, reflecting around 2.6% annual compound price growth.
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Metropolitan Sydney's cheapest sale was a one bedroom at 15/53 Banks Street, Monterey (below) through PRD Woodward Ramsgate.
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Other Views 
The 22/6 Stanley Street Darlinghurst sale at $500,000 was an one bedroom unit in the art deco St James block through Belle Property.
The other six sales were:
$495,000 - 36 Melba Road, Lalor Park - three bedroom home
$487,500 - 36/155 Missenden Road, Newtown - studio apartment
$485,000 - 10/2 Phillip Street, Strathfield - one bedroom unit
$472,500 - 610/72 Henrietta Stree, Waverley - one bedroom unit
$467,000 - 30/29 Castlereagh Street, Liverpool - three bedroom unit
$448,000 - 22/48 Neil Street, Merrylands - two bedroom unit
Australian Property Monitors reported 99 auction sales above $1 million at the weakend amid the 558 reported results.
Auctions are typically pricier than the general private treaty market.
The weekend median auction house price was $1.19 million and $821,000 median auction unit price, according to APM.
APM put the Sydney median house price at $873,786 and the unit price at $597,688.
 
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Just eight sales at $500,000 or below at Sydney weekend auction

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McGrath agent Ben Collier secured a $15.3 million sale when 52A The Crescent, Vaucluse when to onsite auction today.
The art deco home on its 1016 square metre Kutti Beach holding was sold by the estate of the late bookmaker Albert Webster, who died late last year aged 94, having previously traded in 1965 for 31,600 pounds. The opening offer of $13.5 million matched the reserve.
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The sale to a local buyer - understood to be rag trader Bob Locke - ranks as the fourth highest price ever paid at auction. There had been two 2013 private treaty sales nearby at 48 The Crescent for $19 million and 52 The Crescent for $15 million.
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Albert Webster's death notice was tagged "My Last Bet" ahead of mass at St Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, Rose Bay last November. 
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There was an 83.3% preliminary success rate at Sydney's weekend auctions with 583 results counted.
The revised figure for last weekend came in at 80.5%, maintaining the whole of February 80% plus clearance rate.
There are 600 plus auctions expected over the next week, with March 28 looking like the predicted pre-Easter super Saturday 
"We look like we have a very big super Saturday just before Easter," Damien Cooley told 2GB.
Cooley Auctions clearance rate was 86% today selling 48 of its 56 offerings.
His auction agency reported high levels of pre-auction sales with February seeing 38% of properties ahead of auction.
<div>The 663 homes scheduled to go under the hammer across Sydney this weekend was slightly higher than the 622 auction listings reported over the same weekend last year, according to Australian Property Monitors.</div>
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<div>
<div>
Some 2319 homes had been listed for auction over the past five weekends compared to the previous record of 2290 recorded over the same period last year, Dr Andrew Wilson, the Domain Group senior economist noted.
</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The city and east again hosted the most number of auctions with 110 followed by the inner west with 93, the south 85, the upper north shore also 85, the lower north, 76 Canterbury Bankstown 48, the west 46 and the northern beaches 45. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The most popular Sydney suburb for auctions this weekend was  Mosman with 13 followed by Bankstown and Eastwood each with 10.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Melbourne notched up a 71% success rate on subdued Labour Day long weekend volumes.</div>
<div>
The clearance rate of 71 per cent was recorded this weekend compared to 77 per cent last weekend and 67 per cent this weekend last year.
There were 306 auctions reported to the REIV today, with the market gathering momentum from next week onwards.
There are two super Saturday weekends scheduled in the next fortnight – with 1,173 auctions scheduled next weekend and 1,265 the following weekend.
In the year-to-date, there have been more than 3,500 auctions held, Enzo Raimondo, the REIV chief said. 
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Sydney maintains its 80% plus auction success rate as Vaucluse bookie family bags $15.3 million

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NSW estate agents have been reminded that they must tell buyers the same price guidance estimate they have given to their vendors.
Depending on the success of his re-election, Premier Mike Baird has vowed to crackdown on price underquoting ….. and overquoting too.
Not only fines, but also the loss of sale commissions for any such sale where there is intentional false feedback.
Property Observer gleans the genesis of the policy was when the Fair Trading minister Matthew Mason‐Cox was quoted a price on a Sydney unit, only for him to discover it sold for 25 per cent more a few days later. 
There has, however, not been a fine on an agent for underquoting since 2004 when an agent was fined more than $14,000 by NSW Fair Trading. In 2008 another agent was disqualified from holding a licence for five years for underquoting, The Daily Telegraph reported.
</div>
"There are some agents that bend the rules and waste everyone's time," the Premier Mike Baird said today.
"The practice of underquoting has to end," Mike Baird said.
"This is aimed at those who advertise a price that they know is not fair value for a property. 
"We don't want to raise false hope, we don't want home-buyers to waste their time, we don't want them to spend money on strata inspections and building inspections if they have no chance of actually acquiring this property."
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Underquoting is where an agent intentionally quotes a low likely price estimate to reel in prospective auction buyers who face a vendor reserve price far in excess of the guidance, then typically concluded with the claim the auction was a great result.
For many years, NSW estate agents have been required to duplicate the price guidance they had advised the vendor on the agency agreement, which has generally seen a lessening of the underquoting issue across Sydney.
However it is possible that the agency agreement is an intentionally conservative estimate designed to encourage a greater pool of prospective buyers into the bidding process when all along the vendor's hopes were substantially higher when revealed on auction day.
Ofcourse many naive vendors continue to be tricked by agents who promise the world with an ambitiously high estimated selling price, as a strategy to get the listing only to then condition the vendor down in price in the lead up to the auction day, blaming the market.
Also another cyclical issue around underquoting is that in a strong market it is harder to predict where a sale price might finally fall, making genuinely held estimates considerably short of the sale price, a frustration for longtime lookers missing out yet again at auction.
Competition on the auction day can just blow a vendor's and agent's expectations out of the water. Some industry players believes the price estimate within the agency agreement between agent and vendor should be disclosed after the auction to make sure nothing shady has taken place, available to the registered bidders, not just the Department of Fair Trading whose well-announced raids on agencies have failed to yield any recent scalps.
Agents, of course, sometimes have little idea of where the vendor's true expectation is until the written reserver is handed over minutes before the auction.
Agents typically provide comparable recent sale prices elsewhere in the neighbourhood to both their prospective vendors, then prospective buyers to assist in informing the market.
“The existing laws are vague at best so prosecutions or fines have been few and far between. So, yes, greater ­enforcement is anticipated ­because the laws will be clearer,” a spokeswoman for Mr Baird told state political editor, Andrew Clennell in the Daily Telegraph exclusive front page Saturday story.
“The changes we’ll impose will require all ads to specify a dollar figure or price range as opposed to ‘offers over’.”
While disclosed price estimates are the cornerstone of transparent pricing, some agents don't like price ranges as they deem it to be almost price capping, setting an upper limit.
An aggrieved Fairfax Media quickly lashed out with follow-up Saturday afternoon headlines labelling the Premier's truth in advertising announcement in the Daily Telegraph as an "election stunt leaked to the tabloid press." However the Fairfax Media readers website vote on whether underquoting was an issue in NSW was tracking at 80% or more has having concerns. 
The minister also raised the prospect of over quoting in markets in decline.
Matthew Mason-Cox advised the changes will be made to clear up the confusion around what constitutes underquoting, also known as bait advertising.
“The laws will be changed to recognise underquoting has occurred if the advertised selling price of a property is less than the price indicated in the agent’s agreement with the vendor,” he said. “The new laws will also … require all property advertisements mentioning a price to now offer an actual dollar price or range.”
"As part of what we are bringing in if we are re-elected, there would be a very clear picture of how the price was arranged, how the price was actually come to by the agent," the Minister said.
"Everything will have to be in writing for the first time, as well as ensuring that that is communicated to the vendor and reflected in the file as well as in relation to the vendor contract."
The government is promising to set up a special hotline for underquoting complaints.
Underquoting became a political issue in Victoria during last November's state election.
The outgoing Coalition government said it would introduce new laws on underquoting if it was re-elected – a policy slammed as unnecessary by the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
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Estate agent commissions to be at risk as NSW Premier Mike Baird seeks house price underquoting review

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The Ray White Parramatta sales team notched up a strong month for new listings, private treaty sales and a 100% auction clearance rate.
"Auction results will always deliver a clear and measurable reflection of the strength and heat of the market," the office noted.
There were two new suburb records within their results:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://raywhiteparramatta.com.au/nsw/parramatta/1245588/" target="_blank" style="font-size: 12.1599998474121px; line-height: 1.3em;">17 Irving Street, Parramatta: $1,625,000</a> (pictured above)
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://raywhiteparramatta.com.au/nsw/south-wentworthville/1256019/" target="_blank" style="font-size: 12.1599998474121px; line-height: 1.3em;">72 Chelmsford Street, South Wentworthville: $1,325,000</a> 
</li>
</ul>
"With interest rates at historical low levels and lack of property on the market, March looks like continuing the current demand and competition for city apartments and family homes in the Parramatta district," it concluded.
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