One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<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/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Industry News

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The emerging national estate agency The Agency has reported it expects its core business units to be profitable within the next 12 months.
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The network has expanded to 300 sales representatives across Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast (across nine offices, following the closure of Coogee premises).
The company now has 4209 properties under management, 1394 listings and a mortgage book of over A$1.2 billion.
The Agency East Coast recorded 402 residential sales (with a combined value of A$805 million), along with a property management portfolio in excess of 3,300 properties, having a team of 117 sales agents.
Commenting on the results, The Agency managing director Paul Niardone said with a reduced cash burn rate, the expectations are its WA operations (real estate, mortgage, and settlement businesses) will be cash flow positive from the start of the 2019.
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It reported its national net revenue from continuing operations of $10,479,073 for the six-month period ending 31 December 2018, representing a 52 per cent increase on the previous comparative period 31 December 2017 revenue (HY2017: $6,877,278).
Its commissions for the six-month period totalled $7,011,868, representing a 46 per cent increase on the previous comparative period 31 December 2017 revenue (HY2017: $4,798,945).
It reported a loss before tax of $2.11 million which was lower that the prior period. (Dec 2017: $2,148,445 loss).
Some $615,000 were one-off costs associated with legal expenses and corporate advisory incurred in relation to the acquisition of Top Level Pty Ltd, the Matt Lahood lead Bondi Beach based agency. 
The reported to shareholders noted revenue and commission growth "will be maintained during the upcoming period and significantly enhanced as a result of the acquisition of Top Level Real Estate Pty Ltd which settled post 31 December on 11 January 2019."
On 17 January 2019, The Agency completed its acquisition and settlement of Top Level Pty Ltd (“Top Level”), by The Agency’s wholly-owned subsidiary Ausnet Real Estate Services Pty Ltd, after all conditions precedent to the transaction were satisfied. The total cost of the acquisition was $5,000,000.
As announced on 12 February 2018, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ausnet Real Estate Services Pty Ltd, entered into an amended and restated option agreement with Top Level Real Estate Pty Ltd and Top Level’s majority shareholders for Ausnet to acquire all of the Top Level Shares held by the majority shareholders and offer to acquire all of the Top Level Shares held by the minority shareholders.
 The total cost of the acquisition was $5,000,000.
As part of the post-acquisition settlement process, the company has re-negotiated the existing Top Level Macquarie Bank financing, with a new debt facility executed, for a term extending from 17 January 2019 to July 2019. 
It advised the Macquarie Bank debt facilities total $12.65 million.
It reported it had also re-negotiated an extension of the repayment date on an existing $1,350,000 loan until June 2019The Agency also completed the acquisition of Vicus Residential - the residential sales and management division of The Vicus Property Group – in January 2019 with settlement of 2,666,667 shares and a $75,000 cash payment as payment for all of Vicus Residential’s issued shares.
The total acquisition cost was $875,000.
 
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

The Agency renegotiates $12.65 million Macquarie Bank debt

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Developer Consolidated Properties Group has recruited industry professionals for three key roles.
The recruits, Chelsey Blount, Clinton Amble and Rob Clifton (pictured left to right) will take on major roles in retail, development and marketing. recruits have been appointed as
Consolidated Properties Group is entering it's 40th year, with a $2.1 billion portfolio of more than 200 residential, retail and commercial projects.
Chelsey Blount will run the company's communications strategy, utilising seven years of experience in the profession, most recently with Ray White and SSKB.
Rob Clifton has 20 years of experience in the retail leasing field, including senior positions with Stockland and QIC.
He has been appointed as National Manager for Retail Leasing.
Project Director Clinton Amble, formerly of Lendlease and Mirvac, has more than a decade of industry experience.
He will take charge of the developer's residential work book, including the $850 million Yeerongpilly Green urban village and the $600 million Cornerstone Living project in Coopers Plains.
Consolidated Properties Group Executive Chairman Don O'Rorke says all three appointments are a major coup for the company.
"As we have approached the 40 year milestone this year, it's the right time to ensure our most important asset - our team - is the best it can be, with the capacity and capability to drive future growth."
"The year ahead promises to be even bigger than 2018, which saw the launch of our new small commercial projects division, the start of upgrade and expansion works on three neighbourhood shopping centres in South East Queensland and the beginning of Yeerongpilly Green," he concluded.
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Developer Consolidated Properties Group expands team

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McGrath Estate Agents has recruited the Brisbane agent Roxanne Liu as it continues to bolster its Brisbane inner city team.
Kon Stathopoulos, head of sales for McGrath’s company owned offices, said she will join the existing team of 20 agents in the Paddington office.
He suggested it was "one of the most exciting property markets in the country".
“This is in line with our plan to restock our agent pool.”
Liu embarked on her real estate career in 2006, and within the first year proved to be the rising star at LJ Hooker Sunnybank Hills.
From 2008 to 2015, Roxanne’s sales performance saw her join its Multi-Million Dollar Chapter.
In 2016, she achieved its highest accolade, Gold Medalist and 2nd Highest Achiever in Sales for LJ Hooker internationally.
Liu said that after 10 years working six days a week, she decided to take a gap year, reassess her career path and also focus on her teenage daughter.
She moved to Paddington to be closer to her daughter’s high school.
"For the past five years we have immersed ourselves in the lifestyle that Paddington offers and love its inner city sophistication," adding she was seeing an emerging trend of local Chinese families relocating to inner city areas of Brisbane.
"Inner city prestige property is very attractive to my Chinese clients and I see this as a great opportunity for vendors wishing to sell their home," she said.
"Naturally I will market to those on the south side of Brisbane who wish to relocate."
Liu will focus on servicing core suburbs of Paddington, Red Hill, and Kelvin Grove.
In the five years before her hiatus period, Roxanne Liu sold between $30 to $45 million in residential sales per year.
Charles Higgins, at McGrath Brisbane had worked previously with Roxanne Liu, at LJ Hooker Sunnybank Hills. 
The McGrath Report 2019 labelled Brisbane: "as one of the world’s great cities. Liveability, affordability, scale and future economic prospects all suggest that Brisbanke is a market in which you can confidentally invest. The value gap between the East Coast capitals is compelling..."
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McGrath adds Roxanne Liu to its Paddington, Brisbane sales team 

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New home owners in NSW will be better protected, according to the NSW government's recently announced plans to improve the building and construction industry.
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean (pictured) said the plan, which includes appointing a Building Commissioner, has been months in the making.
The Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) commissioned an independent report into the industry in August 2017.
“Professor Peter Shergold AC and Bronwyn Weir spent six months examining building regulatory systems around Australia and delivered a thorough and insightful report to the BMF,” Kean said.
“They found that there are national problems in the construction industry. We’ve taken their findings on board and we’re taking strong action to further protect NSW home owners.”
In response to the Shergold Weir Report, the government will support the majority of recommendations, including requiring that:
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<li>building designers, including engineers, declare that building plans specify a building that will comply with the Building Code of Australia;</li>
<li>builders declare that buildings have been built according to their plans; and</li>
<li>requiring building designers and builders to be registered.</li>
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In addition, the NSW Government will appoint a Building Commissioner to act as the consolidated building regulator in NSW, including with responsibility for licensing and auditing practitioners.
The plan will also clarify the law to ensure there is an industry-wide duty of care to homeowners and owners corporations so that they have the right to compensation where a building practitioner has been negligent.
“We’re making tough new laws to ensure buildings meet Australian standards, and to guarantee that people who build and design buildings have the proper qualifications to do so,” Kean said.
“This plan will ensure those who control the risks – building practitioners – are held responsible for their work. People deserve to feel safe in their homes and have confidence that they are buying a quality building.
“The NSW Government is committed to getting these reforms right and will continue to consult with both industry and community stakeholders to make sure we get the best results for home owners.”
Certifier laws were recently strengthened by enacting the Building and Development Certifiers Act 2018, a modern planning system was created under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and unsafe building products banned with the Building Products (Safety) Act 2017.
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NSW government to appoint Building Commissioner following industry reform report 

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Stone Real Estate has launched in Queensland with former McGrath executive Scott Kelly at the helm.
Kelly moves across from his former position as head of franchise performance at the McGrath network to establish Stone’s boutique model throughout the Sunshine State. 
The Queenslander said he is thrilled to join Stone Real Estate, saying his move was inspired by Stone Real Estate’s agility and forward-thinking approach that allows franchisees to expand their businesses in a way that until now has been previously unavailable.
“The agility of the Stone franchise platform gives the brand enormous appeal,” Kelly said.
“This is a franchise platform that enables businesses to grow - and offers technology, marketing, coaching and training to assist franchisees and agents.”
With almost 20 years industry experience, and a decade in residential sales, Kelly said he is relishing the challenge to "start from scratch".
“This is a brand that draws people who are aspirational, smart, bold and have an ability to think and act big – and then gives them the geographical scope to grow their businesses to their proper potential. 
“Stone’s franchise model is unique is the way it allows owners to grow and expand their businesses beyond the territories that they’ve been limited to. With Stone they can expand and not be compromised.”
Welcoming Kelly into the Stone Real Estate fold was head of franchise, Luke Cameron.
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Former McGrath executive Scott Kelly launches Stone Real Estate Queensland

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Little Projects has announced that chairman, Paul Little will sell his portion of the property development business to existing directors Leighton Pyke and Paris Lechte (pictured above).
They will take over controlling interest in the company effective 1 January 2019.
The decision comes as Little Projects seeks to implement a site acquisition strategy with a focus on growing a diverse pipeline across medium scale residential, industrial, hotel and student accommodation sectors. 
"It's just that property is very lumpy and it's also very time consuming and it's a good time to transition out of a full development role into an investment role," Little advised.
Pyke and Lechte have both worked alongside Little at executive level and on the board of Little Projects, which has delivered award winning residential and commercial buildings within Australia and New Zealand during the last decade. 
Little will remain an advisor to Little Projects and will continue to invest in new projects that meet the group’s overall objectives.
He will retain ownership of his other businesses including Little Real Estate, aviation and the subdivision that owns broadacre sites at Suffolk Park and Dayton, north-east of Perth. 
"The market in WA has been through a more difficult phase but it appears to be straightening out now," he said. "It would probably be a mistake to look at selling out of the estates we currently have."
The restructure in the business will not affect the ownership and delivery of the current project pipeline in any way, Pyke said.
"The strong synergistical fit of Little Projects and Little Real Estate will continue to deliver a seamless solution for our customers," he said.
Little confirmed that the Little Group Offices would still be keen to invest in the property development sector via Little Projects where strategic benchmarks were met.
Little also confirmed that other activities within the expanding Little Group would be unaffected this announcement.
Little, who turned 71 this week, said the sale of the business to development director Mr Pyke and construction director Mr Lechte would allow him to stop playing a full-time development role and focus on investing in his current projects and some new ones. 
"There's no scaling down at all," Little told Nine's The Australian Financial Review.
Financial documents filed with regulator ASIC show net profit after tax for the company in which Mr Little is the sole shareholder more than halved to $10.3 million in the year to June from $24.8 million a year earlier. 
Sales revenue jumped to $60 million from $12.7 million as site acquisitions also jumped to $52 million from $10 million.
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Paul Little to sell out of Little Projects to existing directors

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NSW real estate agent recruits halved last year, Office of Fair Trading figures show.
The halving in the issuing of new real estate agent certificates in NSW meant the total with the basic qualification was down to 26,390 from 26,737.
The total would continue to fall, Tim McKibbin, chief executive of the Real Estate Institute of NSW told the Australian Financial Review.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/8/29/Real%20Estate%20Agents.JPG" alt="">
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Victoria has yet to show any similar slowdown.
The total number of registered real estate representatives climbed to 16,720 in the year to June from 15,779 as the number of new applications lodged picked up to 1800 from 1581, Consumer Affairs Victoria figures show.
In SA and in Tasmania, the equivalent totals rose for a fifth year.
The WA numbers have continued to decline with total real estate and business sales representative registrations down for a fourth straight year to 11,198.
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New NSW estate agent recruits halve as lean times hit

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Purple Bricks and agency groups like them are not “proper agents” as their television ads claim, industry leader Hayden Groves has claimed. 
"They are not properly negotiating the sale on behalf of the seller, taking on the risks nor managing the sale through to settlement because there’s no incentive for them to do so," he blogged this week.
"They’re not using ACCC approved contract documents either and if you want to use your own settlement agent, you’re forced to pay extra.
"That’s just weird," the Freemantle-based agent suggested on a blog which appeared on the REIA-funded website, the Real Conversation.
It renewed the campaign by the Deputy President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia who had previously attacked “pseudo agent” models.
Groves pointed out that “proper agents” are incentivised through the payment of a commission at settlement which ensures they work for their client from beginning to end to procure the best result possible.
"That is our responsibility by law."
Appropriately, an agent that fails to complete their task doesn’t get paid, he said.
"Comparatively, Purple Bricks charge no commissions but incentivises their agents to list your property for about $5,000 (including advertising), then effectively you’re on your own unless you pay for “extras”. 
The REIWA governing council re-elected Hayden Groves as the Perth institute’s president last October.
Groves claims WA Purple Bricks agents are not employees of the parent company and therefore must hold their own agent license.
He suggested of the 90 registered Purple Bricks participants in WA, "only three hold a license (sic) that enables them to act on a behalf of a seller; with the remainder (if not employees) breaking State laws." 
He pointed out Purple Bricks has fallen fowl of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in Queensland for alleged breaches of the Australian Consumer Law and Property Occupations Act (Qld 2004). 
Queensland’s regulator claim consumers were misled by Purple Bricks about additional services offered by them, despite the agency advertising ‘low, fixed fees’ for their services when selling property.
"Purple Bricks also failed to fulfill some of it's regulatory obligations around properly accounting for funds held in trust and some other technicalities that “proper agents” need to comply with."
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Purplebricks aren't offering proper agents: Hayden Groves

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<div>Ray White has appointed Adam Downes in its new national role, Head of Performance Management.</div>
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<div>Downes, currently Ray White’s head of agency operations in Queensland, will start his new role on July 1 after designing a benchmarking program called Pulse for the group’s business owners to measure themselves against. </div>
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<div>With more than 1000 business owners in the Ray White family, Ray White Group director Dan White said he was delighted with the gusto that Mr Downes’ had embraced this new opportunity. </div>
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<div>“This new specialist role has been created to improve the way we measure, recognise and assist the performance of all our business owners and the businesses they lead,” Mr White said. </div>
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<div>“Adam’s primary responsibility will be to introduce a new level of sophistication in this key area, which will in turn create more motivated leaders, improve our efficiency of focusing internal resources to improve office performance and measure the improvement we make as a whole.” </div>
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<div>Downes developed the new Pulse dashboard in collaboration with Harvard Professor Boris Groysberg to determine the lead indicators which drive results, plus the lag indicators which show where support was needed. </div>
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<div>“At Ray White are lucky to work with one of the best minds in organisational behaviour in the world in Prof Groysberg. So we have translated our sales agent recognition level now to the business as a whole, with Chairman’s Elite, Elite, Premier, Qualified and Unqualified businesses,” he said. </div>
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Ray White appoints Adam Downes in new national role, Head of Performance Management.

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Perth real estate agent Brian McKiernan has joined the national real estate network @realty.
McKiernan is the former operations manager and national recruitment manager of Sell Lease Property, which was acquired in December 2017 by The Agency Group.
At the time of acquisition, Sell Lease Property had 210 agents nationally and a revenue of $8.1 million.
McKiernan said he made the move to @realty, which has recruited more than 500 agents nationwide over the past four years, to continue to operate independently with the support of an administrative team.
"The Perth market is in a recovery phase - it's no secret that we are not in stride with the East Coast - and that's why it's even more crucial than ever to choose an agent who understands the local market and takes a tailored approach for each listing.
"Having said that, there is plenty to be optimistic about, with the economy improving and projected population growth looking solid, paving the way for growth in the market over the coming years."
@realty director JJ Taylor says it's a coup to have experienced agents like Mr McKiernan on board.
"Our 500 agents have an average  9.6 years of experience, which shows that we are attracting some of the best in the industry," he said.
"We offer commissions of 93 per cent compared to the industry average of 45 per cent, so there is a real incentive for our agents to work to their potential and to collaborate with other agents where necessary to get a faster result for the client.
"We also offer hundreds of hours of training and workshops, free of charge, to our agents each year to allow them to upskill and keep pace with the latest skills and techniques required to perform at the top level in the fast paced industry."
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