Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

Government

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Jill Garner has been appointed as Victoria's new government architect, set to have a major role in assessing major development and infrastructure projects across Victoria. 
Ms Garner, the associate Victorian Government architect since 2010, replaces Geoffrey London, who stepped down last year after two three-year terms.
Prior to working for the state government, Ms Garner was at an architecture firm she co-founded, <a href="https://garnerdavis.com.au/" target="_blank">Garner Davis Architects</a>.
She has also taught design, architectural history and contemporary theory at Melbourne University and RMIT. 
Garner Davis Architects is a St Kilda based architecture studio, established by Jill Garner and Lindsay Davis in 1990.
"I am also happy to announce today that the Office of the Victorian Government Architect's Design Review Panel will be given a stronger role in the development of our city, and will be charged with independently assessing new significant development applications in the central city," the Planning Minister Richard Wynne said.
"Their assessment will be made publicly available."
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Jill Garner appointed Victoria's government architect

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The ACT government has appointed Ray White Commercial to market the Kingston Arts Precinct, an urban renewal project in Canberra’s oldest suburb.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the project offered developers the opportunity to transform the four-hectare area around the Canberra Glassworks into a arts and creative hub.
The 40,295 square metre site would include about 22,000 square metres of commercial space, 7,000 square metres of arts amenity, apartments and public space.
A master plan for the Kingston Foreshore was approved last year, and an independent feasibility study into the arts hub came out in June.
Ray White Commercial Canberra director Andrew Smith expects developers - local, national and international - to express interest. 
“The staging of the project will be proposed by developers in their tenders, but the public realm and arts deliverables are expected to be delivered in the first stages,” he said.
Expressions of interest have been sought by early December and the preferred developer is expected to be announced in mid-2016.
“It will be a place where artists, cultural organizations and creative businesses make, teach, exhibit, perform and sell their work,” Barr said.
“The area is already home to leading arts organisations the Canberra Glassworks and Megalo Print Studio + Gallery, and the Old Bus Depot markets.
"We expect others will relocate to the precinct."
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Ray White to market Canberra's Kingston Arts Precinct

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Consumers have been told they will receive greater protection when purchasing a property, after a bill aimed at strengthening the law against underquoting passed the NSW Parliament this week.
Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello said the reform fulfilled a NSW Government election commitment.
NSW Fair Trading and REINSW are working in partnership to prepare real estate agents for the new laws, which take effect on 1 January 2016, with information sessions already underway.
“The NSW Government committed to overhauling the current laws to crackdown on the practice of real estate underquoting – and we have delivered,” he said.
“Underquoting is illegal and misleads potential buyers looking for their dream home.”
The amendments to the Property Stock and Business Agents Act 2002 include:
·         Agents will be required to provide evidence of their estimated selling price to the vendor and this estimate must be stated in the agency agreement;
·         When marketing a property an agent must only use the estimated selling price provided in the agency agreement;
·         Estimated selling price can be a single figure or a price range. If a price range is used, the highest price must not be more than 10% higher than the lowest price;
·         Advertisements and representations that say “offers over” or “offers above” or any similar statement will be prohibited;
·         Agents will be required to keep a register of prices quoted on a property whether these are provided to the vendor or prospective purchasers.
In addition to the existing penalty of $22,000, agents found guilty of underquoting will now be liable to forfeiture of any commission or fees from the sale.
“There have been no successful prosecutions related to underquoting made under this Act in 13 years, so this reform is long overdue,” Mr Dominello said.
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Property underquoting bill passes NSW Parliament

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Developers who are councillors should not be allowed to vote on any planning instrument that they could benefit from. 
It is important that the approval of planning changes that could affect property values are not undertaken by councillors who could be perceived to gain from those changes. This means that any councillor with a pecuniary interest in a property in the local government area should not vote on development applications or on the rezoning of precincts affecting that property.
If a councillor is involved in development, or owns land that could change in value, or could gain an increase in their own land value by opposing more housing supply, then that councillor should not be able to vote on any change to the planning rules.
The Urban Taskforce believes that it is preferable that full time developers do not become councillors as they will be perceived to be involved in increasing the value of land they may own.
There should also be stronger controls on the role of councillors elected to council on an anti-growth platform as they are clearly concerned to maximise the value of existing properties by stopping more supply. Their pecuniary interest is less direct but it would be best for them to not vote on development applications or rezoning of precincts.
If all those who are conflicted on planning issues are excluded from voting it is likely that a quorum of voters may not be achieved. The answer should be to move to a fully independent process of approval of planning issues by Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels (IHAPs) or for the proposed Greater Sydney Commission to take over this role. IHAPS are used successfully in many areas and would negate any real or perceived conflict of interest and result in a clear, transparent decision making process. 
It will be better for Metropolitan Sydney to move planning away from the competing interests of factions in local government to an independent process run by experts.
 
Chris Johnson is chief executive officer of property development industry group Urban Taskforce and can be contacted <a href="https://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=97&amp;Itemid=126#.Vdaart55dFI" target="_blank">here</a>.
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cjohnson-8xfqfuuCSq

Councillors should not vote on plans they can benefit from: Urban Taskforce

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At a time where it would seemingly be an unfortunate game of “free-for-all” in the real estate and property arena that has negative-compounding effects on the public, the question remains; what institution or governing body, should take centre stage and curve the unethical practices of many agents, by adopting and implementing higher standards in new-training curriculums, before issuing licenses? 
Will it be the Real Estate Institute NSW (REINSW) or should Fair Trading and NSW Government offices alone handle the accreditations and certifications? Perhaps it should only be handled by specialists groups that are privately owned. Bodies that are licensed and empowered by the respective State Government.
No matter what the right or wrong answer may be, one thing is clear: it is presently a free-for-all in training provided to upcoming would-be real estate agents, as it is in the same agent’s behavior in and on their field of practice. It appears the answer is not closer today than it was yesterday. 
The reason for this article continues to center around current practices followed by real estate agents. Behavior that stems from practices adopted by agents in falsely presenting property to market and to bait consumers. Also further alarming discoveries of property not being properly represented. I have heard of property that has sold for 10 percent it’s true worth under a “forced legal auction [campaign]” and this being one of many that warrants further investigation and an article of its own. 
Staying true to this article and not being tempted to discuss our findings about these forced auctions, as I’m sure they will also make a great piece to read later on over another coffee; allow me to briefly discuss the anomalies around our industry’s state of affairs when it comes to training.  
The Real Estate Institute’s role
Admittedly, very little is known about the level and standard of training provided by REINSW. The actual course is not dissimilar to any other certification or licensing course found outside its walls. 
One thing for sure is that there is a common thread occurring, as most of the recipients of allegations and accusations labeled at agents for bad and unethical behavior, are actually members of the REINSW themselves. So the question is, how many have been trained and licensed through the REINSW's classrooms?
Yet, it is the voice of the REINSW that mainly calls on reform and changes to education but it appears in their eyes this will work, only if they are in control of the course curriculum and standards. 
I find it difficult to see how organizations with so much to offer as a lobby group, want to corner the market in so called implementing “ethical-training” measures but only as they see it. I won’t even venture into notions of parliamentary representation as a political party which has come from my friends in office at the REINSW.
My question to REINSW is simple. What other industry organisations and lobby groups train and license the work force they represent? 
The NSW Government
It is no secret and we all understand that our NSW Government Institutions are sadly under-resourced and therefore unable to maintain what I thought was once a well-controlled and monitored training and licensing unit. 
It’s not to say they don’t provide the service through TAFE courses. Again sadly, with privatization, options that are more readily accessed are available and the latter being the path of least resistance to many wanting to enter the industry. It is a no brainer to guess, where the wannabe real estate agents obtain their accreditations from.
The Private Sector
Most of the private Training Facilitators I know are both ethical and provide rigid and structured programs. I say most but despondently not all. 
Sadly, I feel it is in this lack of oversight by the government that some private institutions run what may well be questionable programs and courses to license an individual to sell and manage, the most valuable assets people have. 
However, this oversight cannot be blamed entirely on the current system, again how can governing bodies run proper audits when they are understaffed? 
What I am aware off is this: an audit is conducted on a private facilitator once every 5 years.  Please do tell me how this does not dissuade operators from implementing free-for-all training programs with very little accountability? 
I do not have the answer to what is the ideal solution but: if the real estate institute wants to rule the nest in providing training, again I say clean out your own house before preaching to the masses. If the Private Training Facilitators is the answer, then the governing bodies should implement auditing measures that are less susceptible to low rate training practices. Finally, if the government is to resume control, perhaps it’s also time the Federal Government got involved and laid down the law. Legal requirements with more stringent penalties and levels of accountability and all, before licensing individuals to deal with major assets.  
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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Curbing the free-for-all mentality of the real estate industry: Edwin Almeida

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From social housing to successful property speculators. 
The first government-sold heritage terrace at Millers Point that fetched $1,911,000 just 10 months ago has been sold for around $650,000 more.
The 1880s terrace was the first of scheduled 293 public housing properties to be sold off by Government Property NSW in August last year.
In between some very ordinary renovations were undertaken, with some argy-bargy with council who were rightfully concerned to ensure the best for the precinct.
<a href="/expert-insights/buying/vacated-millers-point-four-level-terrace-fetches-1-911-000-at-private-state-government-auction">The then rundown four-bedroom heritage-listed</a> home had been vacant since early 2011 with the last public housing tenant paying $77.20 a week rent at the property which has water views over Walsh Bay.
The resold <a href="https://sydneysothebysrealty.com/5095303/119-Kent-Street-Millers-Point" target="_blank">119 Kent Street, Millers Point </a><a href="https://sydneysothebysrealty.com/5095303/119-Kent-Street-Millers-Point" target="_blank">home</a> sits on a 109 sq m block with no parking.
The house has original fireplaces and floorboards, 3.25m high ceilings and a sandstone-walled sunlit courtyard.
It was marketed by Harriett France a Sotheby's as "recently refreshed with new kitchens and bathrooms - scope for further improvement."
Around $2.5 million was expected by the Sfeir family, but with the sale price withheld from publication.
The controversial sell off, which has resulted in the relocation of public housing tenants, is tipped to set off a major gentrification in the historic suburb.
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Millers Point speculator profits from initial government sell-off

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Commercial estate agents Burgess Rawson have cleared $47 million in one afternoon of property sales, with the highest being a $5,920,000 NSW Government sale in Hornsby with a yield of 1.89%.
The highest figure paid for a non-government client was for an Aldi supermarket in Dural, with a $4,600,00 sale representing a yield of 5.92%.
<a href="/images/2015/07/01/240615.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/07/01/240615.jpg" alt="">
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

Commercial agents Burgess Rawson clear $47m in one afternoon 

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Back in my distant and naive past, I regarded Time Magazine as a quality publication. It had the aura of authority and integrity in the presentation of global news. Until one day it published an article on a subject I knew well. I was appalled at the inaccuracies and the sensationalism.
It was the worst kind of tabloid journalism in a publication with pretensions to quality. I could never again see the magazine in the same light, because I began to wonder about the authenticity of its information on other subjects.
I’ve just had a similar experience with GetUp. I’ve admired the achievements of the GetUp movement as an expression of people power and I’ve supported many of its campaigns, particularly those related to environment. My support of some of these campaigns was based on the assumption that the arguments they presented were anchored in facts.
That all changed this week when GetUp launched a campaign against negative gearing. I received the GetUp email letter asking for my support and could scarcely believe what I was reading. It was a dishonest and emotive rant littered with falsehoods and unsubstantiated claims.
Sadly, it was based on the kind of misinformation that is rife in real estate media. The people who wrote it are either unethical or incompetent - probably a mix of both.
Everything the organisers of this movement tell me on any subject henceforth will be tainted by the suspicion the information has been distorted or fabricated.
Because that is certainly the case with the “information” presented on negative gearing.
The people who wrote the GetUp statement smelled the blood of Joe Hockey following his alleged gaffe about housing affordability. I say “alleged” because there is nothing in Hockey’s statements (that the key to affording a home is a good job that pays well and enhances your chances of getting a loan) that justifies the media hysteria that followed. Further proof that a rational debate on any subject is beyond the scope of Australian media.
The GetUp statement began with the claim that there are “millions of frustrated first home buyers priced out of a skyrocketing housing market”.
This is plain wrong and easy to disprove. Australia has 8.6 million households, of which 6 million are home-owners and much of the rest (according to the research) are renters by choice. The research shows that 25% of all current residential sales are to first-time buyers, which means around 120,000 households bought their first property in the past 12 months. The two affordability indexes published quarterly indicate affordability overall is strong and, if you remove Sydney from the equation, the best it’s been in 12 years.
It’s impossible on those numbers to substantiate the claim that there are “millions of frustrated first-home buyers” across Australia.
The claim about “a skyrocketing housing market” is patently absurd, given that only one of the eight capital cities has a boom market. Of 16 major markets (eight cities, each with a house market and a unit market), based on the latest annual price data, six are going backwards (prices decreasing), seven have price growth below 3.5% and only one has double-digit growth. One big growth market out of 16 does not, by any definition, constitute a skyrocketing property market.
This suggests the campaign is based on two false premises: that we have a skyrocketing market and that there are millions trying to buy who can’t.
And the GetUp argument goes downhill from there.
It takes a further leap of imagination in claiming that negative gearing is “one of the root causes” of the alleged affordability problem. This, like all the sweeping statements in the GetUp letter, is not supported by any factual evidence.
An 18-month federal parliamentary inquiry was unable to produce any evidence that negative gearing had any bearing on the cost of housing for first-home buyers. The final report said they suspected it might, but couldn’t provide any definitive evidence that it did. After 18 months of inquiry, which included four time extensions.
Then there’s this statement: “Negative gearing forces everyday Aussie home buyers to compete with investors armed with generous tax breaks looking to buy their second or third property. It reduces home ownership and locks many out of the housing market, increasing the gap between the haves and have-nots.”
The claim that investors are commonly buying second or third investment properties is contradicted by ATO data showing that three-quarters of investors own only one property. The statement also assumes that all property investors are negatively-geared, whereas the ATO evidence shows that 640,000 Australians own investment property but don’t claim negative-gearing deductions. I’m one of them.
It further claims: “A massive $4.2B in negative gearing tax breaks per year go to the top 10% of income earners.” That is another lie. There are many different figures bandied about in terms of how much is claimed in negative gearing benefits - the Green have quoted two different figures this week, $2.9 billion and $4.2 billion, but to suggest it all goes to the biggest income earners is, once again, clearly false. The ATO data shows that most Australians who own an investment property earn less than $100,000.
The GetUp statement also lies when it claims: “There's consensus among housing experts and economists that negative gearing is one policy area driving unaffordable housing in Australia.” No such consensus exists, nor anything remotely like it. In my reading of media, those who see a link between negative gearing and housing affordability are very much in the minority, albeit a very noisy one populated by people from the lunatic fringe, like dodgy forecaster Saul Eslake.
Beyond the inaccuracies and sweeping political statements, the GetUp campaign is based on the notion that eliminating negative gearing will somehow make housing cheaper. The process by which that would occur is not explained - possibly because it makes no sense.
There is also the furphy that increasing housing supply will somehow, again miraculously, bring down the cost of housing. There’s evidence that a massive oversupply will cause prices to fall but how we convince large numbers of developers and builders to be willing to lose money to create such a scenario is not explained. There’s no evidence that an orderly increase in supply, which is what we’ve had in Australia for three years now, will lower prices.
There’s also this statement: “The thing about bubbles is that they eventually burst. If we don't take some heat out of the property market now, we could see a crash that would devastate homeowners and investors alike – with dire implications for the Australian economy.” 
Well, actually, no. Media has been writing about alleged bubbles in our property markets – constantly - for the past 15 years but there has been no property crash - which suggests those bubble claims were false. What we have seen throughout history is that boom markets eventually stop growing and prices level out. But we have never seen a crash, not in the history of this nation.
Finally we have this statement: “It’s high time we saw Government leadership to make housing more affordable for all Australians.” But eliminating negative gearing simply won’t achieve it. The tax benefits of a small number of people are not the problem, if indeed there is one.
GetUp has been an interesting experiment in ordinary people using modern media resources to lobby for worthy causes. But they’ve crossed the line with this dishonest and misguided anti-investor campaign and I wonder how many people, like me, will withdraw their support.
TERRY RYDER is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a> 
Terry is presenting a free webinar with Property Observer editor at large Jonathan Chancellor on Tuesday June 16 at 12.30pm titled on why research is the key to successful property investing in 2015. Sign up here.
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Present arguments anchored in facts: Terry Ryder

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GUEST OBSERVER
The plaudits for Joan Kirner, who died on Monday, highlighted her achievements as a teacher, education activist, feminist and politician. It is also worth noting her pivotal role in the development of <a href="https://www.landcareonline.com.au/">landcare in Australia</a>.
Joan Kirner’s first ministerial role was as Victoria’s Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands in the Labor government under <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cain_%28junior%29">John Cain</a> from 1985-88. She was a very effective minister, working very hard, travelling tirelessly, seemingly remembering the name of every public servant and community volunteer she ever met. She brought in the <a href="https://www.depi.vic.gov.au/environment-and-wildlife/threatened-species-and-communities/flora-and-fauna-guarantee-act-1988">Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act</a>, delivering Victoria’s first effective controls on land clearing.
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However in the views of many, including me, Joan Kirner’s most enduring legacy will be Australia’s landcare movement, beginning in Victoria and spreading nationally.
I worked as the first National Landcare Facilitator from April 1989 to August 1992. This coincided with Joan Kirner’s time as Victorian Premier, and from meetings with her during that time and in conferences and airport lounges since, I know she was extremely proud of her landcare legacy.
<h2>The birth of landcare</h2>
In 1985, Kirner’s new department of Conservation, Forests and Lands brought together five separate agencies (the Forests Commission, National Parks, Fisheries and Wildlife, Lands, and the Soil Conservation Authority) that had apparently overlapping roles but very different institutional cultures and a track record of collaboration that was patchy at best.
It required considerable strategic nous and political skill to get this new department working cohesively, and Kirner proved to be a good fit as minister.
The new department needed to work across private and public lands to tackle issues at a large scale (such as erosion, salinity, pests and weeds), and they needed to involve the community.
From prior experience in soil conservation, senior officials knew that individual landholders and local communities need to “own the problem” and be involved in designing and implementing solutions in order to ensure lasting environmental improvement. Joan Kirner understood this implicitly, possibly from her long grassroots community experience with State School mothers’ clubs.
Senior soil conservation staff designed a new program in late 1985 to support voluntary neighbourhood groups to tackle land degradation problems, that they proposed to call Total Land Care. When the Minister saw the acronym, she stated that she definitely did not want to be known as “the Minister for TLC!”. So it became Land Care, soon shortened to LandCare.
The pioneering Victorian <a href="https://www.landcarevic.net.au/" target="_blank">LandCare</a> program was born, and the first LandCare group was launched at Winjallok near St Arnaud on 25 November 1986.
Crucially, Joan Kirner understood from the outset that the new program needed to have bipartisan support, and that this was most likely if it was seen to be led and owned by the farming community, working with conservationists. Joan Kirner invited Heather Mitchell, then President of the <a href="https://www.vff.org.au/" target="_blank">Victorian Farmers’ Federation</a> to co-Chair the program. This formidable duo emphasised the partnership at the heart of LandCare.
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Community-based catchment planning through LandCare: Andrew Campbell
The number of LandCare groups grew rapidly, building on the network of Farm Tree Groups and soil conservation groups across the state, and the innovative community education work in schools pioneered through the Victorian Salinity Program. Within five years, LandCare involved more than one third of farming families — an extraordinary achievement on a relatively modest budget.
<h2>Landcare goes national</h2>
Joan Kirner was quick to promote the Victorian program as a model for the nation, recommending it to Peter Cook, then Minister for Resources in the Labor government under Bob Hawke.
Around this time another unlikely but extremely strategic alliance was forming, between Rick Farley of the National Farmers' Federation and Phillip Toyne of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
I was asked by Toyne and Farley to work with Jane Elix of the ACF and Philip Eliason of the NFF on a proposal for a national initiative based on the Victorian model of facilitating partnerships between farmers and conservationists.
In late 1988, the ACF and NFF jointly proposed to Prime Minister Bob Hawke a A$340m, ten-year program for a Decade of Landcare. This represented a radical boost in Commonwealth funding - the then National Soil Conservation Program was about A$1m per year.
Bob Hawke agreed with alacrity, and the new national program was launched at the junction of the Murray and Darling rivers in July 1989. Crucially, both Labor and Coalition ministers stood on the podium, emphasising the bipartisan thread that began with Joan Kirner and Heather Mitchell and extended through Farley and Toyne.
As it had done in Victoria, the new program took off nationally, and in the 25 years since the Australian landcare model has spread to more than 20 <a href="https://theconversation.com/www.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/B16017.pdf">other countries</a>. Landcare is an unsung Australian export success story - a great example of soft diplomacy.
 
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Landcare tree planting, Molonglo Catchment Group: Andrew Campbell
Forging bipartisanship
From this distance, those early days of landcare seem both inevitable and extraordinary.
It seems common sense now that farmers need to work together to tackle problems that cross farm boundaries, that planting trees on farms and protecting creeks and rivers is good farming practice, and that looking after the land for future generations is in the interests of the whole community, so it is fair that the whole community contribute to this effort — even better if such help can be practical as well as financial.
But this was not so obvious in the mid 1980s. Joan Kirner instinctively “got” landcare from the outset. She understood its community base and the dynamics of voluntarism.
She reached out. She understood the political potency of bipartisanship and unlikely alliances — she and Heather Mitchell were more than twice as powerful working together than either could be working from within their own political tribe.
She understood the importance of community ownership of problems, and empowerment to develop and implement solutions. She took the long view. Given the right information and support, she trusted grassroots community groups to do the right thing on the ground.
Against this backdrop, today’s politics seem depressingly partisan, glib, austere and myopic.
Government programs tend to be prescriptive and paternalistic, rather than imaginative, catalytic and empowering. Government agencies (more closely coupled with Ministerial offices than ever) seem allergic to risk, wedded to incremental tweaking of the status quo and fearful of anything transformative.
After years of cuts, redundancies and “efficiency dividends”, too many agencies lack sufficient technical expertise to be intelligent purchasers or to take well-considered risks in developing innovative new programs with a clear eye on the long-term public interest.
Perhaps landcare has simply been lucky over the last 30 years to have grown under the wise political stewardship of people such as Joan Kirner and Heather Mitchell among many others, matched at a grassroots level by countless community leaders across the continent.
But I’d like to think that when wise leaders design policies that deliberately make space for people at lower levels to innovate, to own their own agenda and to grow, then great things happen and lasting benefits can be delivered.
Andrew Campbell is Director, Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods at Charles Darwin University. He can be contacted <a href="https://riel.cdu.edu.au/people/profile/prof-andrew-campbell" target="_blank">here</a>.
<h4>DISCLOSURE STATEMENT</h4>
Andrew Campbell does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
If you’re interested in reading more on landcare, see the following titles:
Campbell, Andrew (1994) <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236627393_Landcare_communities_shaping_the_land_and_the_future" target="_blank">Landcare: communities shaping the land and the future</a>. Allen &amp; Unwin, Sydney. ISBN 1863735550
Catacutan, Delia, Constance Neely, Mary Johnson, Horrie Poussard and Rob Youl (Eds) (2009) <a href="https://www.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/B16017.pdf" target="_blank">Landcare: local action-global progress</a>. World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi. ISBN 9789290592457
Youl, Rob (Ed) (2006) Landcare in Victoria. Rob Youl, South Melbourne. ISBN 0977524000
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Joan Kirner united farmers, legacy remains

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When Australia’s head cashier Joe Hockey proudly announced that he had nailed an illegal foreign purchase with the $39.000 million sale of Villa del Mare or Villa del Nightmare as I prefer to call it he would not have realised he had opened the largest can of worms in Australian property history. Mark my words this is a now a major election issue that must be intelligently resolved given what is actually happening now is unprecedented and will cost a party an election if it continues to go unchecked and ignored.
I have said for many years now that the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) is right up there in terms of the most hopeless departments in Canberra. As was the case with Villa del Mare you don’t need to contact FIRB all you need to do is just buy it and if investigated once the divestment order is issued just phone a friend (as was the case with Villa del Mare) and transfer the property into an Australian residents name – which is totally legal and requires no further questions. 
This now opens the flood gates for all illegal purchases to follow suit as this is the legal precedent thanks to this approved divestment order. We can also expect criminals from all over the world will be eyeing Australian real estate as a wonderful vehicle to wash the proceeds of crime. What we have now is a person on unemployment benefits can appear as the owner on say a twenty plus million dollar home due entirely to the many legal loopholes. 
When we look back on federal governments in action we note that they only act quickly on three things – terrorism, natural disasters and wars. When you look at what’s happening to Australian property you could say that today it has a bit of all three in its DNA. 
The burning question is how do you fix this to ensure that the loopholes are closed once and for all? Well that’s easy as I have always been mystified as to why federal governments are so backwards and lazy in keeping records on Australian property. 
All that needs to be done is when a property exchanges the lawyer or conveyancer immediately after exchange logs onto the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website under Australian Property Register (password protected of course) and provides the name(s) of the purchaser, their address, who acted for them, the address of the property and wait for it – their tax file number. Then the ATO can wash this data as well as providing the information to the FIRB for review. 
If you have a divestment order and the owner phones a friend to transfer the property into their name in order to hold onto the property. Then Joe Hockey should immediately get rid of his stupid $5,000 fee on a foreign purchase and replace it with an annual Federal Property Holding Tax at 1.75% of the calculated land value. In the case of Villa del Mare that would be a $525,000 annual tax – so get the foreign buyers to assist Australia in getting its budget back to surplus faster.
But sadly it’s just not that simple given from July 1 the Abbott government is set to release its Premium Invest Visa (PIV), which is for sale at $15 million. Once an applicant has completed their PIV and handed over the required $15.000 you are rewarded with permanent residency in less than twelve months. The PIV replaces the SIV (Significant Investor Visa) which required $5.000 million investment over a four year term to then get permanent residency. You could be excused for asking oneself just who exactly does the SIV and PIV benefit? But I’m sure you already know the answer to that. 
In the meantime the House of Representatives Economics Committee has announced a “new” inquiry into home ownership. I find that simply fascinating given none of them would actually know what exactly they are looking for. The Chair of the Committee, John “Love ‘n Deuce” Alexander, said that ‘home ownership is an issue that lies at the core of the Australian dream and represents the largest investment that most taxpayers will make during their lifetime.
The importance of this issue throughout our nation makes it worthy of a detailed inquiry.’ Well isn’t that riveting? Submissions to the inquiry are requested by 26 June 2015, and the proposed reporting date is 03 December 2015. 
Oh I get it the Abbott government will release its action plan just before the next election. See I told you foreign ownership is an election issue. 
I wonder what will happen when I email them this blog titled ‘My Submission’.
MOSMAN – 2088
• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 102
• Number of houses on the market last week – 57
• Number of houses on the market this week – 57
• Number of apartments on the market this time last year – 72
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 50
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 49
CREMORNE – 2090
• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 7
• Number of houses on the market last week – 3
• Number of houses on the market this week – 4
• Number of apartments on the market this time last year – 27
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 13
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 10
NEUTRAL BAY – 2089
• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 7
• Number of houses on the market last week – 3
• Number of houses on the market this week – 3
• Number of apartments on the market this time last year– 48
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 31
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 27
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