Buyers considering a residence at boutique Gordon townhouse development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lume-gordon-43-47-dumaresq-street-gordon-nsw-2072">Lume</a>&nbsp;now have another reason to bring forward their decision.

For a limited time, purchasers of a residence at Lume will receive a BMW iX3 50 electric SUV, valued at more than $120,000, as part of their purchase. The offer is designed to add value for buyers while complementing the lifestyle envisioned for the architecturally designed Upper North Shore development.

Scott Timmins, Development Manager at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/winim">WINIM</a>, said the partnership was created to provide buyers with a compelling reason to act.

"In today's market, buyers need a compelling reason to act now, and the BMW partnership was designed to create that catalyst. We wanted to add genuine value for our future purchasers. Choosing the all-electric BMW iX3 50 also reflects the values behind LUME, forward-thinking design, innovation and a more sustainable way of living. It's a premium incentive that complements the lifestyle our buyers aspire to and rewards those who commit early."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374893]

Delivered by WINIM in partnership with Burtonwood Investment Partners, Lume comprises 14 architecturally designed two, three and four-bedroom townhomes created for families seeking the space of a freestanding house with the ease of modern, low-maintenance living.

The three-storey residences, designed by award-winning architecture practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, have been tailored for families and multi-generational living, featuring private internal lifts, flexible lower-level spaces, generous open-plan living and entertaining areas, media rooms, and landscaped outdoor spaces with custom outdoor kitchens.&nbsp;

Inside, engineered oak flooring, bespoke dining joinery with integrated wine fridges and backlit bars, sculptural porcelain bathrooms, Parisi freestanding baths and Astra Walker tapware create interiors that balance functionality with refined finishes.

Each townhome has been designed to combine generous internal spaces with sustainability initiatives such as EV charging infrastructure, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>'s landscaped communal areas, centred around a restored creek line and native planting, encourage residents to connect with nature and spend more time outdoors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=269527]

Rothelowman's Gary Tsui said the architecture was conceived to respond carefully to its Upper North Shore setting.

"Our vision was to create elegant, uplifting homes that draw on and positively contribute to the local character through meticulously considered design and an interaction with the surroundings."

The communal landscape has been designed as more than an open space between homes. Arcadia's Ben Newell and Kate Phillips said the adjoining reserve provided an opportunity to create a distinctive natural retreat for residents.

"Just as waterways carve their way through Ku-ring-gai's landscape, a raised boardwalk weaves through the reserve, connecting the homes to this tranquil oasis."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374892]

Located just 300 metres from <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/gordon-nsw-2072">Gordon</a> Village and Gordon railway station, Lume offers convenient access to Sydney's CBD while placing residents close to some of the North Shore's leading schools, including Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College and Knox Grammar. Lane Cove National Park, Gordon Golf Club and a range of cafés and restaurants further reinforce the family-focused lifestyle on offer, with the BMW iX3 50 complementing everything from local trips around Gordon to weekend drives and city commutes.

Construction is underway with completion expected in mid-2027.

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Joel Robinson

Boutique Gordon townhomes now come with a BMW iX3 50

Two apartments have sold for more than $10 million at EADE Byron Bay, setting some of the highest apartment prices ever achieved in the coastal town and underlining the growing appetite for luxury beachfront apartments in Australia's most popular coastal locations.

The $210 million project by Vitale Property Group has now secured more than $70 million in sales, led by residences that changed hands for $12.75 million and $11.75 million.

The record-breaking transactions reinforce the shift occurring in Byron Bay's premium property market, where affluent downsizers and lifestyle buyers are increasingly opting for high-end apartments over large beachfront homes.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/eade-byron-bay-29-shirley-street-byron-bay-nsw-2481">EADE Byron Bay</a> occupies a rare 6,000 sqm absolute beachfront site on the corner of Shirley and Milton Streets overlooking Main Beach and The Wreck surf break, just 350 metres from Byron Bay's town centre.

The 25-residence development is the first beachfront apartment project approved in Byron Bay in more than a decade and is currently under construction, with completion expected in May 2027.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359521]

The project has attracted a mix of local Byron Shire residents downsizing from larger homes, alongside interstate buyers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane seeking a permanent coastal lifestyle without compromising on space.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a> and with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/alexander-co">Alexander &amp; Co</a>, EADE comprises&nbsp;10 garden apartments ranging from 284 sqm to 622 sqm, nine with private pools, five full-floor apartments and 10 rooftop residences with private plunge pools, expansive outdoor entertaining areas and uninterrupted ocean views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359527]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/vitale-property-group">Vitale Property Group</a> Managing Partner Chris Vitale said the project's combination of scale, location and limited future supply was driving buyer demand.

"There isn't another beachfront holding in Byron Bay of this size and position that could be developed again," Vitale said.

"Buyers are responding to the scarcity and the irreplaceability of a site of this calibre and to floorplans they can't find elsewhere in the market.

"We are seeing buyers place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of the location. The sales achieved to date demonstrate that discerning purchasers recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay.

"Many are coming from larger homes in the Byron region, or from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and are after the space, security and convenience, without the upkeep of a house."

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359523]

The Byron Bay project follows Vitale Property Group's delivery of the Mondrian Hotel and Private Residences at Burleigh Heads, with EADE continuing the developer's focus on luxury coastal developments.

Residents will have access to a resort-style swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, cold plunge pool, concierge services and dedicated workspaces, while the project is targeting an 8-Star Green Star rating.

EADE Byron Bay is being exclusively marketed by Projx Australia in conjunction with WHITEFOX Projects.

WHITEFOX National Projects Director Phillip Rand said demand had been driven predominantly by owner-occupiers.

"We are seeing buyers at EADE place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of this location," Rand says.

"The sales achieved to date demonstrate that purchasers at this level recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay."

Residences at EADE Byron Bay are currently priced between $4.75 million and $15.95 million.

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Vitale breaks Byron Bay records with EADE sales flurry 

When buying an apartment, most people compare the big-ticket items first. Floorplans. Kitchens. Balcony size. Natural light. The view.

But there's one everyday consideration that often doesn't come up until after moving in: how parcels are delivered.

As online shopping has become part of everyday life, parcel deliveries have shifted from an occasional event to a regular occurrence. Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally.

For apartment residents, that can present a challenge.

If nobody is home to accept a delivery, parcels may be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in a building lobby or common area, or require building management to step in. In higher-density buildings, where dozens or even hundreds of residents may receive deliveries each day, parcel management has become an increasingly important part of everyday living.

That can create a range of frustrations. A missed delivery often means making time to collect a parcel elsewhere, while packages left unattended in foyers or mail areas can create clutter and increase the risk of theft. What seems like a minor inconvenience can quickly become a recurring issue for residents who shop online regularly.

It's one of those details that rarely features in a display suite but can have a noticeable impact once residents move in.

As a result, buyers are beginning to look beyond traditional apartment features and consider how a building supports day-to-day convenience, including whether there are secure options for receiving deliveries.

Australia Post's Parcel Lockers provide one solution.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CkF2oKmlACg?si=C50sDaoUUn2nuLmq" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than having a parcel delivered directly to an apartment, eligible deliveries can be sent to a nominated Parcel Locker. Once the parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can collect it using a QR code or one-time PIN at a time that suits them.

The Parcel Locker network now includes more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with installations at Post Offices, shopping centres, transport hubs and an increasing number of residential developments. By providing a secure collection point, Parcel Lockers help reduce missed deliveries and avoid parcels being left unattended in common areas.

For developers, parcel infrastructure is becoming another way to improve the resident experience. Rather than relying on concierge staff or leaving parcels in communal spaces, secure collection points help streamline deliveries while preserving the presentation and functionality of shared areas.

For buyers, it's a reminder that the best apartment features aren't always the most obvious.

A generous floorplan or quality finishes might help narrow the shortlist, but the conveniences that simplify everyday life, whether that's EV charging, secure bike storage or reliable parcel delivery, often become the features residents appreciate most once they're living there.

The apartment feature many buyers don't think about, until their first missed delivery

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hg-developments">HG Developments</a> is doubling down on Maud Street in Newstead, filing plans for a new apartment tower just a few doors down from its under-construction Aire Newstead development.

Recently submitted to Brisbane City Council, the proposal is for an 18-storey building designed by bureau^proberts, which has drawn heavily on Brisbane's subtropical design principles while referencing the suburb's industrial heritage.

A total of 64 apartments are planned for the amalgamated 1,518 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-21-maud-street-newstead-qld-4006">17–21 Maud Street</a>, a short walk from the Brisbane River and Newstead Riverwalk.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a400c7fd-bd15-48f8-a63b-10ede92efe00" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20bldg.png?VersionId=.0vPmjpbC7CNP7kqGWa6L7rGIwsNExaw" />

"The building is defined by a series of vaulted motifs that reinterpret the arches, colonnades and layered facades evident throughout Newstead's historic built fabric," the Urban Design Report states.

"Combined with recessed glazing and generous balconies, these elements create a layered building envelope that provides shade, weather protection and opportunities for natural ventilation whilst establishing a distinctive architectural identity."

The proposal comprises 64 two, three and four-bedroom apartments across 18 residential levels, positioning it alongside a growing number of taller residential projects transforming Newstead's northern precinct. The tower incorporates extensive subtropical landscaping, with cascading planter boxes, deep planting at street level and a landscaped rooftop recreation area.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d8140f4-8b98-45cd-b1b8-1efe8c8e266b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=VAZtbCoD44YCJ57N99fQCAKeSJx7ldZs" />

Bureau Proberts has prioritised passive environmental design throughout the project, with generous balconies, recessed glazing and operable façades helping reduce solar heat gain while maximising natural ventilation. River views become available from the upper levels, while the building has been orientated to capture prevailing breezes from both the Brisbane River and the west.

The architects say landscape is intended to be integral to the building rather than an applied element.

"Vertical greenery, cascading planter boxes and elevated gardens are woven throughout the architecture, softening the built form and strengthening the connection between residents and the subtropical environment."

"Through the integration of landscape, high-quality materials and passive design principles, the development delivers a refined residential address that celebrates Newstead's heritage character while contributing positively to Brisbane's evolving subtropical identity."

Newstead has remained one of Brisbane's most active apartment markets in recent years, with a number of developers continuing to back the inner-city suburb.

HG Developments is currently delivering the 40-apartment Aire Newstead at 25 Maud Street. Fortis recently launched the 65-apartment <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> on Kyabra Street, while builder-developer BPG and Don O'Rorke's Consolidated Properties are both expected to launch their respective Newstead projects before the end of the year.

HG Developments doubles down in Newstead with second Maud Street apartment development

Walk past a new apartment development promoting its sustainability credentials and it's easy to picture rooftop gardens, mature trees, landscaped courtyards and residents surrounded by nature.

But in many cases, that's not actually what those sustainability ratings guarantee.

Australia's leading environmental rating tools have played a significant role in improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of buildings. Yet despite their focus on reducing emissions, many don't require developers to include trees, biodiversity or meaningful green space.

In other words, a building can achieve one of the country's highest sustainability ratings while containing little more than concrete, glass and hard landscaping.

That disconnect has led to the emergence of a new movement across Australia's property industry: nature-based cities.

The concept goes beyond designing buildings that consume less energy. Instead, it encourages developers to treat nature as essential infrastructure, integrating biodiversity, tree canopy, living landscapes and green spaces into projects from the earliest stages of planning.

Research has consistently linked access to nature with better physical and mental health, cooler neighbourhoods, improved biodiversity, stronger climate resilience and more connected communities. As Australia's cities continue to become denser, advocates say those outcomes should be considered just as important as energy efficiency.

Nature Based Cities (NBC) was established in 2022 to help accelerate that shift.

Founded by Hamton Executive Chairman Paul Hameister OAM, the not-for-profit was created after research highlighted a significant gap in Australia's sustainability framework. While existing environmental rating tools rewarded energy performance and emissions reductions, they placed little emphasis on the inclusion of living landscapes.

"We've always wanted to do more, and we know other developers who want to do more, but the ESD rating tools just aren't there," Hameister says.

"In Australia, you can have a five-green-star rated building that's concrete and glass with not a blade of grass.

"The focus is on reducing emissions, which is laudable, but there hasn't been enough attention paid to protecting and re-establishing nature. We need both for the health of the environment and for communities."

Since its launch, NBC has developed independent design guidelines and accreditation frameworks that encourage developers to prioritise ecology, biodiversity, tree canopy, walkability and living landscapes alongside traditional sustainability measures. The organisation first focused on medium and high-density residential developments before recently expanding into precinct-scale communities and masterplanned neighbourhoods.

Jan Talacko, founder of sustainability consultancy Ark Resources and a member of the Nature Based Cities Advisory Council, says the initiative addresses an area that has largely been overlooked by the property industry.

"Throughout my 25 years of working collaboratively with all stakeholders in the property sector, I've always favoured a pragmatic approach to sustainable design which encourages initiatives that not only meet environmental expectations but also improve amenity," Talacko says.

"Whilst we are making steady progress in relation to energy and carbon emissions from buildings, there has been much less emphasis on encouraging biodiversity and tackling the urban heat island effect.

"The Nature Based Cities initiative responds to a gap in the suite of tools currently used by the property development sector, which don't provide sufficient incentive, or recognition, for the integration of landscaping and greenery."

For apartment buyers, the shift is also changing the questions worth asking.

Rather than assuming a sustainable building will naturally include abundant green space, buyers are increasingly being encouraged to look beyond environmental ratings and ask what nature is actually being delivered. How much tree canopy will the development create? Has biodiversity been considered? Are landscaped spaces designed for people as well as appearance?

As Australia's cities continue to grow upwards and outwards, the next generation of sustainability may not simply be measured by lower emissions, but by how successfully developments bring nature back into everyday urban life.

What does it really mean for a building to be 'green'?

Banks

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Consumer satisfaction at the four major banks increased marginally during April, taking the current levels well above the long-term average.
The latest Roy Morgan research polled more than 50,000 consumers and found that consumer satisfaction with the big four was at 80.1% in the six months prior to April.
The small increase of 0.3% from the same period in 2016.
It sits above the long-term average of 74.9% recorded since 2005.
However, home loan customers are less satisfied with levels sitting at 78% compared to 80.5% for other types of customers.
Home loan customers at CBA experienced the highest satisfaction levels at 78.8%. This was followed by Westpac (78.5%), NAB (77.3%) and ANZ (77.0%). The biggest improvement in this area was for ANZ (up 1.0%) and NAB (up 0.9%).
Over the past year, the big banks have closed this gap marginally, researchers found.
Amongst the big four banks, consumer satisfaction levels are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA): 81.4%</li>
<li>National Australia Bank (NAB): 80.2%</li>
<li>Australia &amp; New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ): 78.7%</li>
<li>Westpac: 78.1%</li>
</ul>
Westpac experienced the largest improvement in April, Australian Broker noted, moving up 0.7% as a result of increases in scores for both home loan and non-home loan customers.
For non-home loan customers, CBA again leads at 81.9%. This is followed by NAB (81.0%), ANZ (79.1%) and Westpac (78.0%).
“Roy Morgan data shows that customer satisfaction with the big four banks remains well above their long term average and after trending up strongly for more than a decade, for the last two years it has plateaued rather than showing any real signs of declining,” said Norman Morris, industry communications director at Roy Morgan Research.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Home borrowers the least satisfied bank customers: Roy Morgan

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Studies of European countries show that bank taxes similar to the 0.06% bank levy introduced by the government in the 2017 federal budget will be largely borne by customers, not shareholders.
The levy could also make the banking system more, rather than less risky. The fact that a bank is asked to pay the levy is a confirmation that it is “too big to fail”. This could in turn encourage riskier behaviour. The levy might also trigger a higher probability of default by reducing a bank’s after-tax profitability
But it is difficult to say whether banks will pass the levy on to customers by increasing their loan rates, fees or both.
In its response to the levy, NAB confirmed it will not just be borne by shareholders:
The levy is not just on banks, it is a tax on every Australian who benefits from, and is part of, the banking industry. This includes NAB’s 10 million customers, 570,000 direct NAB shareholders, those who own NAB shares through their superannuation, our 1,700 suppliers and NAB’s 34,000 employees. The levy cannot be absorbed; it will be borne by these people.
Aware of this problem, the government has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to undertake an inquiry into residential mortgage pricing. The ACCC can require banks to explain changes to mortgage pricing and fees.
When banks pass on these taxes
The bank levy is similar to taxes recently introduced by some G20 economies, including the UK. These had the dual purpose of raising revenues and stabilising the balance sheets of large banks in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
An analysis of bank taxes in the UK and 13 other European Union countries shows that the extent to which taxes are passed on to customers depends on how concentrated the banking industry is.
The more the industry is dominated by a small number of banks, the greater the share of the tax that is passed on to customers and the less that is borne by shareholders. In more concentrated industries customers have relatively fewer alternative options and therefore tend to be less mobile across banks. This in turn gives the large banks greater market power to increase interest rates and fees without losing customers.
Australia’s banking industry is quite concentrated. In fact, we’re around the middle of the pack of OECD countries, much higher than the US, but lower than some European countries. From this we can surmise that at least some of the cost of the bank levy here will be passed on to borrowers through higher loan rates, fees or both.
An IMF study of G20 countries suggests that a levy of 20 basis points (i.e. 0.2%, approximately three times higher than the Australian government’s bank levy), could lead to an increase in loan rates of between 5 and 10 basis points. This means that the monthly repayment on a loan (assuming an initial rate of 5.5%) would increase by approximately A$6 for every A$100,000 borrowed.
The IMF also found that the bank levy doesn’t just hit customers. A 0.2% levy would reduce banks’ asset growth rate by approximately 0.05% and permanently lower real GDP by 0.3%.
The impact on customers
If the banks pass on the levy to customers then it becomes just another indirect tax, similar to the GST. The question then is whether this is regressive - does it have a greater impact on those on lower incomes than higher incomes.
Lower income earners are likely to borrow less than higher income earners. However, lower income earners are also less able to bear an interest rate increase. They are also more likely to be excluded from borrowing when the cost of borrowing increases.
In this sense, then, if the bank levy is passed on to customers it could become a barrier to home ownership for some lower income borrowers.
More generally, if the value of bank transactions is a higher proportion of low incomes than of high incomes, then the bank levy would operate as a regressive tax and contribute to sharpening (rather than smoothing) inequalities.
Both of these would be unintended, but undesirable, consequences of the levy.
Fabrizio Carmignani is a Professor at Griffith Business School, Griffith University. 
Ross Guest is a Professor of Economics and National Senior Teaching Fellow, Griffith University.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/77782/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.3em;">
All authors are for <a href="https://theconversation.com/research-shows-the-banks-will-pass-the-bank-levy-on-to-customers-77782" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Research shows the banks will pass the bank levy on to customers

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Customer-owned Greater Bank has won the Bank of the Year Award (non big 4 bank) at the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards in Melbourne.
The bank noted customer satisfaction ratings of 95 percent during 2016.
Scott Morgan, chief executive officer, Greater Bank said the result is a fantastic achievement given it could only enter the bank of the year category from May 2016 when it changed its name from Greater Building Society.  
"Greater Bank won more monthly customer satisfaction awards than any other non Big 4 bank during the year despite the late start," he said.
“We changed our name to Greater Bank to better reflect what we offer, but in changing our name we never lost sight of why we exist.
“We let our customers determine how they want to be served by us – whether it is in branch, on a mobile or tablet, via LiveChat, on the phone to our Australian based customer centre staff or via social media.
Roy Morgan sourced the data for the awards from a survey of more than 50,000 people.
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Greater Bank named Bank of the Year in Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards

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An efficient market relies on rational customers being willing to change suppliers when there’s good reason to do so.
But what happens when customers stay put regardless?
This issue is particularly acute in the banking industry.
Even when bank customers have a very good reason to switch, behavioural economics research shows they’re often reluctant to make the move.
For example, big scandals that affect banks have a weak impact on consumer behaviour.
However, there is a greater propensity to act among customers who are directly impacted.
Behavioural economics also shows bank customers are often slow to switch to take advantage of better offers from competitors.
In 2016, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority lamented that only “3% of personal and 4% of business customers switch to a different bank in any year” in the country.
In 2013, Canstar suggested the figure is slightly higher in Australia at 5%.
Despite the slightly higher propensity to switch banks among Australian consumers, there’s much we can learn from the UK’s use of behavioural economics to nudge customers to act in their own best interests.
In particular, financial technology companies can provide information platforms to make it easier for customers to switch.
Behavioural economists have shown that consumer decisions are not rational. In particular, there is a “sunk cost bias” that affects consumer decisions.
That is, consumers tend to place more value on any previous effort or expenditure they’ve made rather than judging economic value when they make decisions.
If you have left a 20% deposit on an item in a store, you will probably buy it, even if you found the same item for sale at 75% of the price elsewhere.
So, customers will tend to stick with the bank they’ve got, despite scandals.
Competition authorities, led by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, are increasingly trying the “nudge” options offered by behavioural economics as a way to help persuade an irrational consumer to do what is in their best interests.
A nudge is simply a mechanism to encourage people. It might be a reminder as to the consequences of not taking the action or benefits of going ahead.
Regulators have examined ways in which nudges can be given without unintended consequences.
For example, should the nudge be a carrot or a stick? And which works best? The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority’s chief economic advisor, Mike Walker, advises regulators to “test, learn and adapt”.
A critical part of any nudge is presenting information in a way that can be used easily by consumers.
Intermediaries, comparison tools and other financial technology services can provide this information.
One of the barriers at the moment to getting customers to switch in Australia is a lack of information on all bank products and financial technology businesses to manage this information.
Although the UK implemented services that make it easier to switch between retail bank accounts, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority found that this didn’t improve competition in the sector.
To resolve this problem, it has ensured that customers have information on other banks and their account options as part of new account-switching regulation.
The way that this works is that customers can compare their existing offering with alternatives using an app that talks to an open electronic interface to the bank.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has mandated that the retail banks provide this interface, known as an applications programming interface, to both consumers and to financial technology businesses.
The effect is a space for new businesses to provide comparison tools.
These new financial technology businesses will not impose a significant cost on the banks.
Each of the UK banks has spent around £1 million each to create these open electronic interfaces, according to the UK Open Data Institute.
The open electronic interfaces will be associated with the European Union Second Payment Services Directive, which will be implemented before Brexit takes effect.
This directive will help automate parts of the switching process.
The Australian banks and the Reserve Bank under the auspices of the Australian Payments Clearing Association are trialling a New Payments Platform to try to make it easier for customers to switch.
But it’s not likely to have the same degree of flexibility and consistency as the approaches adopted in the UK, as it focuses on financial institution needs, rather than consumer ones.
Regulators in Australia should use behavioural economic analysis to learn more about how consumers use any new information on bank switching or services on this offered by financial technology businesses.
We’re still waiting on evidence on how these new financial technology companies will change consumer behaviour in the UK.
But it is likely that in the very least it will increase the intensity of rivalry between the retail banks, this can only be a good outcome for consumers in the UK.
This could also inform a similar implementation in Australia, particularly after a parliamentary committee’s first report on the four major banks is released.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rob-nicholls-91073" target="_blank">Rob Nicholls </a>is a lecturer in Business Law at UNSW and is an author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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If scandals don’t make us switch banks, financial technology might: Rob Nicholls

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The Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens is confident Australia’s banks would survive a large fall in house prices.
Mr Stevens told the The Australian and The Wall Street Journal that whether a property price fall was damaging depended on how much debt was behind it.
“You care, of course, whether asset prices seem divorced from their fundamentals. That’s often in the eye of the beholder,’’ he said.
“But the thing you most care about is, ‘is there a lot of borrowed money behind the assets’. “(With) housing, the debt being carried there is pretty significant now, but I don’t think we’re seeing another massive step up in leverage at the moment, and, as you know, we’ve been watching that fairly carefully. Every attempt to stress-test housing portfolios that I’m aware of ... none of those show a very bad outcome for the system.
“Now, some losses get incurred, but by and large the system manages with that OK.
“We wouldn’t have major institutions getting even close to failure. Not even close.
“They’d wear some losses and they’d have to, again, strengthen balance sheets at some point, but you wouldn’t have a systemic event,’’ he said. “Whatever you thought the risks posed to financial stability and macroeconomic stability might’ve been from the housing sector a year ago, they’ve probably diminished a bit since then,’’ Mr Stevens said.
 
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Banks would survive large house price fall: Glenn Stevens

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The <a href="https://www.greater.com.au/" target="_blank">Greater Building Society</a> has confirmed it will change its name to Greater Bank in May after receiving approval from the regulator, APRA, to better explain what it does.
Chairman Wayne Russell said the new name would help The Greater position it for further growth and stressed there is no change to ownership structure.
He said research shows an increasing number of people don’t understand the term ‘building society’ so they don’t know all the financial products and services The Greater offers. 
“Using ‘bank’ takes the work out of explaining what we do as it is well understood and makes sense to customers of all generations,” Russell said. 
The name change was approved at the Greater’s AGM last November. The Greater has changed its name a number of times in its 90-year history.
Unlike the major banks, Greater Bank will still be customer-owned and not by shareholders.
“The name change is part of continuing changes we’re making to our products and services to remain a viable challenger to the big banks for local people,” added CEO Scott Morgan.
“As a customer-owned bank our focus on customers and community will remain the same.” 
“We will still be offering the same great rates, low fees and outstanding service.”  
The Greater currently provides banking services to around a quarter of a million customers in NSW and South East Queensland.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Greater Building Society to become Greater Bank in May

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Is it a case of banks don’t know what’s going on, or is it more a statement they don’t want to know? Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee and read on. Don’t forget, your comments are welcomed and be sure to share them.
There are three main issues that banks appear to be very silent on and the question that is fitting in this property-climate is simply: “why are they so quiet?” A question which begs a straight answer; especially with the concerns surrounding foreign and local property investors buying newly built property and pricing local first-time-home-buyers out.
The three concerns and issues I refer to are:
·     Rental guarantees
·     Overly inflated commissions and
·     The scourge of the financial industry sector, selling property without a real estate industry license.
My immediate guess is, if you are riding the “Gravy Train” of “Overseas &amp; Local Investors” why should these seemingly illegal practices be of concern to banks? Again and for now, I’m just speculating that; it’s best to turn a blind eye than it is to confront what may well be considered unfair and unjust to local home buyers. After all, first-time-home-buyers aren’t the flavor of the month to all concerned, now are they?
It is my strong belief that the three topics noted, create an unfair advantage that has driven property values sky-high as developers reach for the skies.
Why is this unfair? I have previously discussed in other articles, “Rental-Guarantees” and “Overly-Inflated Commissions” are ultimately paid by the investor.
<a href="https://mail.privatemedia.com.au/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=buh8exBazU3bNSloPOr0rrJNNQesJNSotxGFO7YMkRixynWPdWzSCGgAdAB0AHAAOgAvAC8AdwB3AHcALgBsAGkAbgBrAGUAZABpAG4ALgBjAG8AbQAvAHAAdQBsAHMAZQAvAGkAbgB0AGUAcgBuAGEAdABpAG8AbgBhAGwALQBpAG4AdgBlAHMAdABvAHIAcwAtAGIAZQBpAG4AZwAtAGQAdQBwAGUAZAAtAHMAeQBkAG4AZQB5AC0AYQB1AHMAdAByAGEAbABpAGEALQBlAGQAdwBpAG4ALQBhAGwAbQBlAGkAZABhAA..&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.linkedin.com%2fpulse%2finternational-investors-being-duped-sydney-australia-edwin-almeida"> </a>Ha! And you thought the developers were generous and paid for these right? Therefore, driving the values of the newly built properties upward.
Now allow me to break it down for you.
Rental guarantees:
What is common amidst most of the activity surrounding the sales of newly built property is the rental guarantees. Some rental guarantees are lasting for as long as 3 years.
It is my belief that any incentive made by the vendor or the agent to enhance the sale, the incentive has to be disclosed and must also form part of the contract of sale. The inducement being the rental guarantee but this is not limited to a rental guarantee.
In my time I have also seen cars and furniture packages form part of sales incentives, all in the aim to entice the investor to buy.
Inflated Commissions:
Yes, I know I speak out a lot about this very subject but when spruikers earn 5 times what the local agent earns in one sale, there has to be something wrong. If I don’t speak out, will the REI NSW step in or any of the REI’s for that matter?
I stopped holding that breath 4 years ago.
Nevertheless, the banking bodies should take note as their clients (the investors) are ultimately paying for this.
I also note that most of my endeared friends that have created this negative impact on the local home front, all sell newly built property. An arena where highly inflated commissions can and are paid out.
Selling without an industry license:
The temptation is just too great and the grass is greener on the other side. When so much money is at stake we have seen; brokers, accountants, financial planners and advisers jump the fence to moonlight as real estate agents as they lead their clients astray.
Again, this is an area where the banks should focus on, as local investors fall prey to the rogues within the financial sector.
A closer eye and perhaps a magnifying glass should be used to review contracts especially when the buyers are: Trustee Companies for Self-Managed-Super-Fund (SMSF) Trusts. More to the point when the property is new as this is the territory where these rogues, feast and boast about the high commissions earned.
Rental guarantees, overly inflated commissions and spruikers selling real estate without a license under the guise of calling themselves property-marketers: should send alarm bells ringing through the banking sector. But once more, why is there so much silence surrounding the very issues that have overly inflated the value of a new property in Sydney?
Getting to the nuts and bolts
Unethical real estate agents, spruikers, property marketing companies and the scourge of the financial sector; all have been ensnared by the prize of the high commissions and in turn lure investors by creating false perceptions of property: growth, demand, under-supply and high return on investment. How? By the simple use of instruments (such as rental guarantees) outside of the contract of sale and therefore, making the transaction questionable and unconscionable.
The falsely represented, high priced, new property sales ultimately filters down to established homes and we have what I refer to as “property-osmosis”. Property osmosis is an upward pull of established property's prices, caused by the exaggerated values of the surrounding new developments.
Most people are also under the impression that Overseas-Investors are paying for their properties with 100% cash. However, that it is not the case. Most investors buy property with a high deposit and borrow 50-60% through a loan vehicle.
In actual fact, Chinese citizens can only take up to $50,000 out of China through legal channels. However, there are means and ways to take $200K-$400K without much fuss.
Therefore, banks are more than happy to lend at 60% Loan to Value Ratios, as they are well secured even if the market dips by 20-30%. As you can see, there is very little risk for the banks.
Then there are our home grown Local-Investors that have been enticed to buy. Their property investment guides as previously mentioned are mainly, property spruikers and financial experts that assist in creating (SMSF) schemes to buy property. These vehicles also requiring low LVRs to purchase.
Typically, the SMSF schemes may borrow 70-80% to buy the investment property. Again the banking sector feeling secure on all counts.
What banks and Industry bodies need to do
The first and foremost prudent demand banks should place on the real estate industry is, for the “Sales Inspection Report and Agency Agreement” to be disclosed. Disclosure of what the “AGENCY” is being rewarded for the sale, will provide a twofold and strong indication to the valuer if there are any hidden agreements not being revealed.
·     Overinflated commissions
·     Payments made to agent/agency to cover rental guarantees and other incentives not disclosed in the Contract of Sale, which are passed on to the investor.
A copy of the agency/corporation license, should also accompany the contract of sale when providing the relevant documentation to the valuers. For the bank valuers to properly asses the true value of the property.
·     An agency or business name on the front page of the contract inserted after "Vendor's Agent" does not represent that the agent holds an industry license.
Perhaps at this very moment there is simply too much at stake to curve these questionable practices. The banks, financial institutions, real estate agents and we may also include the government, are all making too much money on this gravy train, to really care about our local first home buyers.
I am troubled nonetheless to think that all these practices that may be considered highly questionable if not illegal, have and continue to go on and right under the very noses of the banking institutions.
EDWIN ALMEIDA is licensee in charge of <a href="https://www.just-think.com.au/" target="_blank">Just Think Real Estate</a>.<a href="https://www.just-thin.com.au/"> </a>
He is also the creator of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JustThinkProperty" target="_blank">Oz Real Estate.TV</a> and a presenter for <a href="https://propertyinvestingvault.com/" target="_blank">propertyinvestingvault.com</a>.
 
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