The Victorian Government has secured the passage of the Building Legislation and Treasury Legislation (Tax Relief) Amendment Bill 2026, introducing a suite of reforms aimed at improving consumer protection and confidence in the apartment market.

Resilience Insurance, Australia’s leading Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) provider, has welcomed the move.

The LDI elements of the Bill passed with bipartisan support and now moves to the Legislative Council where debate and passage are expected later this month. It represents a significant milestone in the national shift toward stronger, longer-term protection for apartment buyers.&nbsp;

The reform would deliver practical benefits across the housing system. Apartment owners will have stronger protection if major defects emerge, developers and builders will have a clearer quality framework to work within, and the State will reduce the risk of serious building failures becoming a long-term financial and social burden for households, communities and government.&nbsp;

LDI helps support apartment delivery while providing stronger protection for buyers and encouraging better construction outcomes.&nbsp;

Resilience LDI provides apartment owners with 10 years of insurance-backed cover for major structural defects from completion, with direct claim access to the insurer. This means owners are not required to first pursue developers or builders through costly legal action before accessing protection.&nbsp;

Resilience Insurance has been operating in Australia since 2022 and has already insured hundreds of development projects covering many thousands of apartments across Australia.&nbsp;

At approximately 1.8 per cent of build cost, it is a cost-competitive alternative to the traditional two per cent Strata Bond, bond while delivering significantly broader and longer protection.&nbsp;

“The Victorian Lower House vote shows that reforms like this succeed when they are practical, evidence-based and supported by industry," says Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

"Victoria is moving quickly on a reform that will make a real difference for apartment buyers, while supporting better building outcomes and greater confidence in apartment delivery.

“This is step one. We look forward to the Bill completing its passage through the Legislative Council and to working with government and industry to implement the framework effectively.”&nbsp;

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI): Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Consumer-first: Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Cost advantage: At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Market leader: Resilience Insurance is the first approved LDI provider in NSW.</li>
</ul>

The Building Legislation and Treasury Legislation (Tax Relief) Amendment Bill 2026 has passed the Victorian Lower House, putting Victoria on track to become the first state to legislate an industry workable LDI framework as a formal alternative to the Strata Building bond. 

Joel Robinson

10-year Latent Defects Insurance for new apartment buyers set to land in Victoria

Just a few months after acquiring a prime Broadbeach site on the corner of First Avenue and Surf Parade, family-run developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/raptis">Raptis</a> has filed fresh plans for a new apartment development.

Raptis is seeking to deliver a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-19-first-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4217">29-storey tower with 73 apartments</a> on the 818 sqm site. It will be the developer's seventh project in the suburb, as they are approaching completion of The Sterling on George Avenue.

There will be a pool, barbecue and outdoor dining area, residents lounge and dining, sauna and steam room, gym, and a Yoga and Pilates studio.

<img alt="Raptis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b554da3f-7344-49aa-b1c9-44cf459af0d7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%2010.41.45%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=zzjWu1iO1wnuYv4EV4fyOyf5nSXjGYut" />

Raptis Joint Managing Director, Evan Raptis, says they remain&nbsp;committed to developing quality infill sites across the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

"This project continues our long track record of delivery in Broadbeach, and we look forward to bringing another premium development to this thriving precinct."

The announcement follows strong delivery momentum for Raptis, with The Sterling Broadbeach nearing completion and construction well underway on the final stage of the Waterpoint community adjacent to Harbour Town. The developer's continued investment in the Gold Coast reflects confidence in the region's apartment market fundamentals, underpinned by sustained Southeast Queensland population growth.&nbsp;

The outlook for the region is further bolstered by infrastructure investment tied to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, which is expected to drive continued economic and population growth across the SEQ corridor.&nbsp;

Subject to a favourable response from Gold Coast City Council, construction on the new First Avenue tower is targeted to commence before the end of 2026.&nbsp;

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/it-s-all-in-the-family-four-decades-later-raptis-continues-to-shape-the-gold-coast-skyline">It’s all in the family: Four decades later, Raptis continues to shape the Gold Coast skyline</a>

Read more: <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/raptis-secures-prime-surf-parade-site-for-next-broadbeach-apartment-development">Raptis secures prime Surf Parade site for next Broadbeach apartment development</a> 
&nbsp;

Gold Coast developer brings seventh Broadbeach project to market, targeting construction commencement before year end

First look: Raptis lodges plans for new 29-storey Broadbeach tower 

Brisbane development veteran Kevin Seymour's Seymour Group is set to deepen its presence on one of Brisbane's most tightly held riverfront addresses, lodging revised plans for a luxury apartment development on Oxlade, just a few doors down from The Oxlade, which it completed in 2024.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/70-72-oxlade-drive-new-farm-qld-4005">new project at 70-72 Oxlade Drive</a>, directly north of The Oxlade, will have 27 apartments across a seven-storey building&nbsp;overlooking the Brisbane River and Merthyr Park. It's a revision from a 2021-approved design.

Designed by bureau^proberts, the project has evolved from the previously approved 26-apartment scheme, introducing an additional penthouse level while maintaining a low-density, boutique character. The development will comprise 26 three-bedroom apartments and a single four-bedroom penthouse, supported by two basement levels with 86 car spaces and 34 bicycle spaces.

The architectural response is centred around two distinct building forms separated by a landscaped open-air atrium.&nbsp;"This dual composition captures and embraces Brisbane’s subtropical environment whilst breaking down built form and scale," the submission to the Brisbane City Council noted.

<img alt="First look: Seymour Group returns to Oxlade Drive with revised riverfront apartment plans in New Farm" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c12d84d0-bc11-4067-b46f-5bd2d786a34d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/new%20farm%20landscape.png?VersionId=YEPc2k5CAdh6aAPlu4uVpgZadh4MEfRd" />

A defining feature of the design is a deep landscaped void running through the centre of the building, creating what bureau^proberts describes as a "natural ravine" that enhances airflow, daylight penetration and resident amenity. The design report notes that the separation of the two building volumes is intended to maximise natural light, cross-ventilation and outlook while strengthening connections to the surrounding riverfront setting.

Curved balcony edges, integrated planting and extensive landscaping throughout the façade reinforce the subtropical design approach. The building's façade is softened by elevated gardens and planter beds, creating a green edge that complements the established landscape character of Oxlade Drive and neighbouring Merthyr Park.

New Farm has become one of Brisbane's most sought-after suburbs for developers delivering premium downsizer-focused apartments.

GRAYA has been particularly active in the precinct, completing both Chalk and York in recent years, while construction of Moray House, being delivered for Spyre, is now nearing completion. Architect-turned-developer Joe Adsett recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/arcilla-new-farm-by-joe-adsett-28-maxwell-street-new-farm-qld-4005">Arcilla on Maxwell Street</a>, an exclusive collection of just nine apartments.

First look: Seymour Group returns to New Farm's Oxlade Drive with riverfront apartment plans

A new residential tower will be the first piece of a broader mixed-use precinct set to reshape a prominent Newcastle West site, with local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> bringing its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cambridge-quarter-newcastle-west-12-denison-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Cambridge Quarter</a> vision to market.

The first release, Tempo, will introduce 87 apartments across a 24-storey tower, marking Stage 1 of the residential component of a larger urban regeneration project planned for the western end of Newcastle's city centre, encompassing the former Cambridge Hotel site.

Positioned on Denison Street, Tempo has been designed as the inaugural building within Cambridge Quarter, a precinct that will ultimately combine apartments, retail activation and revitalised public spaces including the revamping of the Cambridge Hotel.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368853]

The tower will comprise a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including layouts with multipurpose rooms, catering to a broad cross-section of owner-occupiers. Apartment sizes range from around 60 sqm to 192 sqm, with a number of residences oriented to capture views across Newcastle Harbour, the city skyline and coastline.

GWH has emphasised liveability in the design, with open-plan layouts extending to generous balconies and terraces. Residents will have a choice of two interior palettes, while specifications include engineered stone benchtops, SMEG appliances, full-height bathroom tiling and secure building access. Premium upgrade packages will also be available.

Multiple rooftop resident retreats will provide communal outdoor space overlooking the harbour and city, offering an elevated amenity layer above the activity of the precinct below.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368851]

The broader Cambridge Quarter vision extends beyond the residential tower itself. Ground-level retail activation and landscaped public areas are planned throughout the precinct, creating a walkable neighbourhood environment connected to the surrounding renewal of Newcastle West. The Cambridge Hotel is also earmarked for future redevelopment into a family-friendly hospitality venue integrated with the new precinct.

The project is strategically positioned within walking distance of Newcastle Interchange, providing access to light rail, regional rail services and direct connections to Sydney. Residents will also be close to Honeysuckle, Newcastle Harbour and the city's beaches and coastal walkways.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368852]

For GWH, Cambridge Quarter represents one of its most significant Newcastle developments to date. The locally based developer, which has operated in the Hunter region since 1995, describes the project as a new chapter in the ongoing transformation of Newcastle West.

GWH Executive Director Jonathan Craig said the project had been shaped by a focus on creating lasting community connections.

"We take pride in creating places that last. Spaces where people feel connected, comfortable and a genuine sense of belonging," Craig said.

"Cambridge Quarter is something we are truly proud of, a place shaped by local knowledge, built with care and designed to be part of Newcastle's next chapter."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135876]

GWH unveils first release at landmark Cambridge Quarter precinct in Newcastle West

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ss-projects">S&amp;S Projects</a>,&nbsp;Rainbow Bay's busiest developer,&nbsp;has officially lodged plans for the largest development in its booming local portfolio, seeking approval for a further 88 apartments on Boundary Street.

The proposal&nbsp;at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">209–213 Boundary Street, Coolangatta</a>,&nbsp;marks the next chapter in the developer's transformation of the southern Gold Coast beachside precinct. It will be its fifth in the area, having already delivered Flow, Awaken and Esprit, while construction continues on the 38-apartment Radia. The new project would rise 57 metres above a consolidated 1,518 sqm site, on the same street as Radia and Esprit.

&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, the proposed development comprises 88 two and three-bedroom apartments across a contemporary podium-and-tower form that integrates extensive landscaping from street level through to the rooftop.

The tower would be delivered above a basement and multi-level podium accommodating resident and visitor parking, with the residential component commencing from level three. The design incorporates cascading planting throughout the façade, landscaped podium edges, and deep planting zones along the Boundary Street frontage.

<img alt="First look: S&amp;S Projects lodges plans for 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="677e6615-b5c0-4b6c-b4f9-efb14fcde1a6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ss%20da%20pers.png?VersionId=YOnPKQm7IFXv0M5H326djEpxk80500Hi" />

A key feature of the development is its expansive rooftop wellness and recreation precinct. Plans reveal a resort-style pool deck, gymnasium, sauna, steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, rooftop terraces, barbecue areas and landscaped relaxation spaces positioned to capture views across the southern Gold Coast coastline.

The rooftop wellness focus builds on the vision S&amp;S Projects first outlined when it acquired the site for $20.25 million last year.

"We are taking every advantage to create a truly unique rooftop wellness experience with a natural feel for residents, offering stone features throughout and an underlying theme that emulates a botanical garden," S&amp;S Projects founder and director Paul Gedoun said at the time.

The proposal seeks a 57-metre building height, representing a 50 per cent uplift on the site's mapped 38-metre height limit. Planning documents argue the additional height is consistent with recently approved and emerging towers in the immediate Boundary Street and Rainbow Bay precinct.

Urbis, acting as planning consultant, said the development would provide "88 dwellings, comprising a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments, contributing to housing choice and supply within an established medium to high-rise coastal urban neighbourhood."

The scheme has undergone extensive pre-lodgement consultation with the City of Gold Coast, with the design refined following feedback relating to architectural expression, landscaping, traffic access and podium treatment.

<img alt="S&amp;S" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a2d70fd-62ac-4b83-97c6-b798fc1243dd" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%209.16.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=yHmghUwKM3IVGpBktQU1mE.0Lpf3WimG" />

The architectural team is led by Brisbane-based Cottee Parker, one of Australia's most active residential design studios, with landscape architecture by Dunn + Moran. The consultant team also includes ADG Engineers, Windtech and Acoustic Works.

S&amp;S Projects has become one of the most influential private developers operating on the southern Gold Coast. Since entering Rainbow Bay in 2022, the company has assembled a portfolio exceeding $1 billion in end value, establishing itself as a key player in the area's evolution into a premium apartment destination. Pezet Matheson will again handle the sales for S&amp;S.

Coolangatta is entering another wave of apartment development, following the delivery of several prominent residential projects in recent years.

John Kearney's Immerse Projects will launch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kaiya-kirra-beach-5-haig-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Kaiya on Haig Street</a>&nbsp;soon, meanwhile, Palm Beach-based Sherpa Property Group is preparing to bring its debut Coolangatta development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-viver-87-griffith-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Flourish Viveré</a>, to market later this year, subject to approvals.

First look: S&S Projects proposes 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street

Industry News

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The former Wallabies player Brendan Cannon has joined the CBRE Capital Markets team in Brisbane.
Brendan Cannon is a former development manager at Charter Hall.
Cannon joins the metropolitan investments team in an associate director position.
He had been a general manager role with telecommunications group Digicel.
Cannon played for the Australian Rugby Union team from 2001 to 2007, earning 42 caps for the Wallabies. 
Cannon has also played professional rugby for the Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs and Western Force in the Super 12 and Super 14 competitions.
CBRE director, capital markets, Flint Davidson said Cannon’s appointment would bolster the team’s already strong presence in the Brisbane market. 
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Brendan Cannon joins CBRE's capital markets team

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Harry Triguboff’s former longtime right-hand man, Peter Spira, has joined the board of Retire Australia.
He has also started a property consultancy, Spira Consultants.
Retire Australia has its headquarters in Brisbane. It has 3,700 plus independent living units across 28 village in three states.
Last year Spira departed Meriton having joined the firm as an architect in 1978.
His last day as as the general manager of the east coast developer, Meriton was Friday, 11 December. He has been the general manager since the 1980s.
Spira joined Meriton in 1978 as the company’s first in-house architect, leading the architecture department before being appointed general manager, and finally a director, of Meriton Group. He was always the low key lieutenant.
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Peter Spira joins Retire Australia

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James Symond, the nephew of Aussie founder John Symond, is the new chief executive of the home loan group.
He replaces Ian Corfield in the top role, who joined Aussie from Bankwest <a href="/expert-insights/finance/aussie-home-loans-appoints-bankwest-executive-ian-corfield-as-new-ceo">in mid-2013</a>.
"It was clear after a rigorous international search and comparing a number of external candidates, James was the candidate with the best industry knowledge, track record and passion to be Aussie's CEO," executive chairman John Symond said in a statement.
Working his way up to be an executive director, James Symond has been with the company since his uncle established it in 1992.
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James Symond takes CEO job at Aussie 

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Precinx, a suite of urban design and planning software, has won the judges award of the Weapons of Mass Construction innovation competition at Green Cities 2015.
The project, a collaboration by Urban Growth NSW and Kinesis, models the performance of residential, commercial and mixed-use developments and makes assessments according to a range of criteria. It has been used by major government land authorities as well as private developers.
The software models the potential economic, commercial, environmental and social impact of developments, using local data sources and environmental metrics.
Users can compare the impact of their potential project against local standards. Users using the software can model the effect that additional parking, certain designs or building materials might have on the environment or on the behaviour of people who use the project in the future.
For example, <a href="https://www.kinesis.org/ccap-precinct/" target="_blank">Precinx</a> can be used to assess how improved access to public transport might affect household spending and car use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Urban Growth NSW and Kinesis hope the technology will drastically reduce the time needed to devote to modelling when planning urban renewal projects, and allow a more evidence-based approach to the process.
The software, also known as CCAP Precinct, will be featured in the Property Council of Australia's Property Week and the Green Building Council of Australia's (GBCA) Green Building Voice. It was picked as the competition favourite by judges Caitlin McGee, research principal, Institute of Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney, Robin Mellon, chief operating officer of the GBCA and Geoff Dutaillis, group head of Sustainability, Lend Lease.
The people's choice award was given to Sydney University's Indoor Environmental Quality Lab for SAMBA, a monitoring system that allows building operators to assess a building's indoor environmental quality in real time.
The Green Cities 2015 conference has now finished, after three days of discussion, networking and education around sustainable property practices. The event was sponsored by the GBCA, Lend Lease and the Property Council of Australia.
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Urban planning software wins Green Cities 2015 innovation award

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CBRE has appointed of Ray Pittman (pictured above left) as president and chief executive officer of the firm’s Pacific operations.
In tandem, CBRE’s long-standing Pacific president and chief executive officer Tom Southern (pictured above right), has been promoted to a new role as executive chairman, Pacific with overall responsibility for the region. He will concentrate on strategy, recruitment and clients.
Pittman is its Colorado, US senior managing director, one of the 52,000 global staff.
He has 28 years' experience in commercial real estate, both in agency and development, having initially joined CBRE in 1985
He had his own Pittman Development Group before rejoining CBRE in 2011.
Photo: Supplied. 
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CBRE's Tom Southern becomes executive chairman as Ray Pittman appointed CEO

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GUEST OBSERVATION
One of the biggest frustrations I have with the financial industry is the inability and general exclusion of property discussions by financial advisers and mortgage brokers alike.
I know this general lack of care and foresight in itself is affecting clients in life changing and sometimes irreparable ways. Whether they have not benefitted from the huge growth in the property market in the last five years as the adviser thought it was "too expensive", have unfortunately bought wrong assets with huge risks because they didn’t know who to ask, or they have gone ahead and not purchased anything at all because the adviser never discussed it with them.
One of the most cherished parts of my day to day role as a trusted adviser is to help my clients think through their property related decisions.
For example, this daily discussion could be helping my clients to understand whether they should or should not buy an investment property today, or when they want to buy a home in the future. It might be to discuss whether they should sell and buy a new family home or if it is better to renovate the one they live in today. It may be a strategic plan on how to build a multiple property portfolio over the next 30 years or it could be whether they should be buying a property at all.
All of these conversations are highly interesting and add huge measurable value in the future life of my clients. I love to help them think through their decisions and help them go deep in to the property market psyche. Let me be clear, this is not recommending individual properties on individual streets, but educating them on what drives the market and what type of properties suit their plan at this stage. I leave the hard work of finding the right property to professionals who know what they are doing - called buyer's agents. They are the ones who will find the right property to suit them long-term and not just today - not me.
Unfortunately however, I know I am rarity in the financial planning and mortgage industry. I would prefer that I wasn’t but due to being a financial planner, my previous experience in a property firm and also a mortgage broker I have had exposure to the many different areas of the property market. This experience while invaluable is also unique but I believe this should be a necessity and obligation for any aspiring financial planner.
Property has been an asset class that financial advisers have never had, and purposely not had, on their radar.
While completing initial qualifications it is barely mentioned and let alone tested in any way. The major financial institutions do not have any desire to encourage or educate their financial advisers to recommend property. To put simply, it would hurt their profits and shareholders would not like that.
Why has it not been discussed? Why have the majority of the advice industry decided to ignore a recommendation for over 20 years?
Internally within the industry, we all understand that the reason financial planners do not discuss it is because they do not get paid.
Financial planners have always been paid a commission for recommending investment share based products. If they recommended clients to purchase a property, they would not get paid. Sounds simple and maybe a rhetorical question; but is that advising or selling I ask?
If they recommended their client to consider purchasing a property and not shares, they would in affect rule themselves out of a nice paycheck today and to compound the issue further a lot of income in the future.
You see the ongoing fee package for the vast majority of financial planners is based on a percentage based fee. It is called an Asset Based Management Fee and has been around 1% for a long time.
Therefore, the more an adviser recommends for you to invest with them in shares and the less for you invest in property – the more money they make every year. If you a noticing a slight conflict here, you could be on to something?
To make you aware, there are legislation restrictions on advisers from recommending individual direct property and importantly professional indemnity insurance usually does not cover this advice. I am in complete and resounding support of advisers not recommending individual property. It would be highly conflicted and we are not the right people for the job in the first place.
Property is not an investment Australians would generally go to a financial planner to discuss. I would argue however that it one of the most important things they should be able to and need to discuss.
Property has been a great asset class for investors and homeowners. An important part and only a part of an adviser role is to help their clients to invest wisely, safely and in line with their future aspirations. The property market has been a great asset to help clients achieve their aspirations. But why do so many advisers choose to avoid this asset class entirely. In my eyes this should be called either insanity or greed. I’ll let you decide.
Lets put that to one side.
If financial planners are not advising property investors; where do they go?
Unfortunately the vast majority they make this key investment decision themselves. They may ask their friends and family what to do or quickly read a property education magazine, which is full of property developers selling property.
On first glance the property market seems simple, but the more clients understand it, they realise it is not as simple as everyone tends to believe. The first big mistake is that the property market is not one market. Just like the share market every property will perform very differently to every other property over the next 10 or 30 years. Some will do better than others, some will go down in value and some will go up significantly in value. Every property is different, that’s the biggest mistake.
What can be very complex to understand is also exponentially magnified, as the industry is unregulated. Every man, woman and their dog can sell property. They can tell you how amazing growth will be and how outstanding your rental yield is.
Three years ago I was telling clients to avoid mining towns like the plague and sure we all knew a crash was coming. There are houses selling at 20% of the value they were selling three years ago.<a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/realestate/news/property-prices-in-once-booming-mining-towns-crash-providing-lesson-in-where-not-to-invest/story-fni0cly6-1227210791143" target="_blank"> </a>
There are more horror stories of people buying the in the Docklands in Melbourne, Gold Coast and Noosa. There are fundamental risks with huge developments in apartment heaven near Sydney Airport.
You see people have bought all these properties, people are making all these horrible and life changing mistakes. They are real people and they are real losses.
Clients need guidance, clients need protection and clients need help. Unfortunately the property market can say whatever they want to say. Its buyers beware people.
For most Australians, their biggest asset is their home. Therefore their biggest investment decision would usually be the purchase or sale of their home. This decision alone will without doubt have huge impacts on their future wealth and prosperity. If a planner or mortgage broker is not skilled in talking about this decision nor makes an effort to help them with it then whom I ask does? Who are clients getting help from for the biggest financial decision in their life?
The issue I have is that very few planners or mortgage brokers are educating their clients on the property decision. Is it training, conflicted remuneration, education or general lack of care? Unfortunately the consumer society we live in and the significant growth we have witnessed has caused all sorts of problems in the property market. We now believe that anything new is better than old, we now believe that the property market only goes up and we all watch the block thinking renovating and making money in property is simple. I argue however that all three of these are incredibly wrong.
The biggest reason why so many people have made money in property is not through buying smart but it is due to the fact that they have owned property in the first place. This feeling has made people think that any property will do and society pressure to get on the ladder is causing investors to take the line of least of resistance when purchasing. Something new.
The purchase or sale of the property is huge decision. This decision has a whole list of other decisions it also brings. There are hundreds of different strategies, issues and opportunities that an investor needs to understand and consider.
Chris Bates is a director at boutique financial advisors <a href="https://www.canopyprivate.com.au/" target="_blank">Canopy Private</a>.
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ChrisBates-qgpJqFG5wJ

Greed or insanity? The financial advice industry is ignoring a key problem: Chris Bates

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GUEST OBSERVATION
It appears the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) is resigning from the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA).
In my opinion it is a very short sighted move.
I am opposed to the move because the issues that impact on and influence the real estate industry in Australia, and therefore the real estate industry in Queensland, are increasingly coming from outside the state and often across national boundaries.
Foreign investment review, federal taxation, money laundering, and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regulatory guidelines and laws are just the tip of the iceberg.
All the more reason for the industry needing a national unified front.
Technology is one of the greatest pressures to bear on the industry. There should have been a 100% industry owned portal well before now, for instance.
Licensing and related activities are just about the only significant priority of the state.
To its credit, the REIQ did an outstanding job in recent negotiations with the Newman government in introducing Queensland’s new Property Occupations Act.
The REIQ is being extremely short-sighted in thinking that it can handle national and international affairs.
This decision to separate from the REIA is not in the interest of REIQ members and also disconnects REIQ members from their industry peers in other states.
For some members, the ability to compete in awards at national levels is a personal and professional goal - the national auctioneering titles, for example. Such national opportunity will disappear as an outcome of the REIQ decision. To take it away from Institute members is a massive blow.
The current real estate institute model – a federation style structure – hasn’t been relevant for years.
As a past president of both REIQ and REIA, I have been involved in many discussions over many years relating to how our Australian real estate industry should have evolved.
The Australian real estate industry’s natural progression should have been toward a fully funded and resourced peak body, which is a model that has served a number of industries well. One example is the pharmaceutical industry where the Pharmaceuticals Industry Council (PIC) was established in 2006 as the peak body for Australia's pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
PIC represents a whole-of-sector approach to addressing opportunities and threats to investment in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries sector.
This is where the real estate industry should be. Under the peak body model, it would put the industry in a position to show a unified national stance and in the best position to deal with a plethora of major challenges.
While I do not support the path the REIQ has chosen – and am disappointed by its lack of communication with its members around this issue - the REIQ’s actions leaves the door wide open for an alternate peak-performing national body to replace what has gone before. 
If this occurs, it could attract a lot of support from the industry.
Michael Davoren is managing director of <a href="https://www.remax.com.au/about-us" target="_blank">RE/MAX Australia and RE/MAX New Zealand</a>. He is a past president of both REIQ and REIA.
REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella responded to the column pre-publication with: "The REIQ remains a member of the REIA and our chairman Rob Honeycombe is attending an REIA board meeting today. "Our sole focus has always been and always will be to represent the best interests of REIQ members. "Over the last 12 months our central focus has been to serve our membership, and we've delivered exceptional results in this regard.   "The legislative reforms we negotiated for the Queensland real estate profession speak volumes about the strength of our advocacy and our commitment to the REIQ membership."
 
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Any REIQ split from REIA is short-sighted: Michael Davoren

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

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Toga Group's Charlotte Vidor leads the property representation amid Australia's top female entrepreneurs

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International experts, from developers to urban planners, architects to politicians, will be in Melbourne next month to speak about building sustainable environments.
<a href="https://www.greencities.org.au/" target="_blank">Green Cities 2015</a>, co-hosted by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and the Property Council of Australia (PCA), will be taking place on 17-19 March. Experts will be speaking about how to build cities that people fall in love with, design inspired by nature and the economic benefits of good design. Attendants will have the opportunity to learn from international examples of urban planning, technological innovation and development to learn about how to contribute to sustainable environments in Australia.
Headlining the event will be urban planner Larry Beasley CM. Widely considered one of the world's best urban planners, Beasley has been responsible for much of the shape of Vancouver's inner city, heading up suburb revitalisation projects and heritage conservation projects in what has since been called the "Vancouver model of new urbanism". He's advised planners in Dallas, Rotterdam, and Abu Dhabi. At Green Cities 2015, he will be speaking on "Rekindling the urban love affair", explaining how to create cities that are not just economically and environmentally viable, but also comforting and engaging.
Panelists will also discuss ethical investment strategies, and how insurers manage climate change related risk. Green Cities, as much a networking opportunity as a series of presentations, will host a women's leadership breakfast among other events.
As part of this year's event, Green Cities launched a sustainable innovation competition, called Weapons of Mass Creation 2015. The competition saw submissions from companies and organisations such as Stockland, Mirvac and the University of Sydney. The 23 organisations pitched technology innovations, planning strategies and novel designs to the judging panel, which will be presented to the audience on Wednesday 18 March. The winning innovations will receive national publicity in the GBCA's Green Building Voice and the Property Council's Property Week.
On the third day, attendees will get up close to sustainable buildings, with a tour of Melbourne's Green Star sites.
The event itself will be as "green" as possible, with energy use and waste offset.
Urban planners, architects and landscape architects including representatives from Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria, HASSEL, ASPECT studios, Fit Landscape, Cox Architecture, Conrad Gargett and Exploration Architecture will all be present at the event. Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle will launch Green Cities 2015 on 17 March.
Since its launch in 2007, 9,000 people have attended Green Cities.
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