<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, Castile, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

Joel Robinson

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

Australia’s online shopping habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. As eCommerce volumes surged, so too did the frustrations that came with traditional parcel delivery: missed deliveries, long Post Office queues, parcel theft and the challenge of being home during business hours.

Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers emerged as one of the more practical responses to that changing consumer behaviour.

What started as a relatively niche delivery option has evolved into a nationwide network of more than 1,400 self-service Parcel Lockers positioned at train stations, shopping centres, supermarkets and Post Offices across the country. The system allows Australians to send, collect and return parcels 24 hours a day, fundamentally changing how many people interact with deliveries.

The appeal is relatively straightforward: flexibility.

Instead of waiting at home for a delivery driver or rushing to a Post Office before closing time, users can direct eligible parcels to a Parcel Locker location of their choice. Once the parcel arrives, Australia Post sends a notification with a collection code or QR access through the AusPost app, allowing customers to retrieve their package at any time within the collection window.

For apartment residents in particular, the system has become increasingly valuable.

Higher-density living has created logistical challenges around deliveries, especially in buildings without concierge services or secure parcel rooms. Missed deliveries are common, while parcel theft has become an increasing concern as online shopping volumes continue to rise.

Australia Post itself has repeatedly highlighted the growing issue of “porch pirates” during peak shopping periods, encouraging customers to use Parcel Lockers as a safer alternative to unattended home deliveries.

That security aspect is one of the key reasons the Australia Post Parcel Locker network has grown so rapidly.

Parcel Lockers are positioned as secure, monitored collection points that reduce the risk of theft while also improving delivery efficiency for Australia Post. Instead of multiple redelivery attempts, parcels can be consolidated into a single secure destination.

The Parcel Lockers themselves are free to use through a MyPost account and support a range of parcel sizes up to 16 kilograms and dimensions of approximately 35 x 44 x 61 centimetres.

Beyond receiving parcels, the system has increasingly become integrated into the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Customers can now use Parcel Lockers to return online purchases, while retailers have embraced the model as a way to improve delivery success rates and reduce friction in the shopping process. Australia Post has actively expanded partnerships with major retailers and promoted Parcel Lockers as part of a broader out-of-home strategy.

The timing of that expansion aligns with broader changes in Australian shopping behaviour.

The acceleration of online retail during and after the pandemic placed enormous pressure on delivery infrastructure. Parcel volumes reached record highs, particularly during Black Friday and Christmas periods, with Australia Post delivering more than 100 million parcels during peak festive seasons.

That growth forced logistics providers to rethink the “last mile” of delivery, widely regarded as the most expensive and operationally difficult stage of the process.

Parcel Locker systems have increasingly been viewed as part of the long-term solution.

The concept itself is not unique to Australia. Parcel Locker networks have become common globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, where dense urban environments and apartment living create similar logistical challenges. But Australia’s geography and suburban sprawl made adoption slower initially.

Now, however, the convenience factor is driving mainstream usage.

For commuters, Parcel Lockers near train stations allow parcels to be collected on the way home from work. For apartment dwellers, they remove the uncertainty around access and missed deliveries.

The rise of the AusPost app has also streamlined the experience, centralising notifications, tracking and Parcel Locker access into a single platform. Australia Post has increasingly pushed customers toward app-based delivery management, partly as a way to combat phishing scams and fake delivery notifications, which have become more sophisticated in recent years.

The Parcel Locker model is also beginning to influence property development itself.

Parcel management has become a growing consideration in apartment building design, particularly as online shopping becomes embedded in everyday life. Many new residential developments are now incorporating dedicated parcel rooms or Parcel Locker systems into foyers and communal spaces.

For developers, parcel management is increasingly viewed as part of the broader resident amenity offering, alongside gyms, wellness spaces and communal work areas.

That reflects a wider evolution in how residential buildings are designed.

Apartment buyers are placing greater emphasis on convenience, security and operational functionality, particularly in higher-density urban environments. Parcel delivery, once considered a minor operational detail, has become an increasingly important part of that equation.

Australia Post’s Parcel Locker network sits at the centre of that behavioural shift.

What began as a simple alternative delivery option has evolved into a key piece of infrastructure supporting Australia’s growing eCommerce economy and changing urban lifestyles.

And as online shopping continues to expand, the role of Parcel Lockers is likely to become even more embedded in how Australians live, shop and receive goods.

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

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

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

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

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

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

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

Property Investing

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It’s a great time to be a landlord in Australia. With rare exceptions, vacancies are ultra low, rents are rising and there’s massive momentum behind prices.

A nationwide property boom is under way (with the big city inner-ring unit markets the exception) and the curious thing is that investors haven’t been joining the party. 

The growth we saw in most markets in 2020 was driven by owner-occupiers, with first-home buyers leading the charge and other home buyers, especially lifestyle-seekers, prominent as well.

Investors were sitting on the fence, worried firstly about the September Cliff which failed to materialise and now apparently concerned about a potential March Cliff.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=600]

They’ve been waiting to see what would happen, before making decisions. And here’s what has happened while they’ve been fence-sitting – the new data from Domain shows that all capital cities had house price growth ranging from solid to strong in 2020, as did most of regional Australia. There was particularly notable uplift in the December Quarter.

This confirms earlier data from CoreLogic and both confirm the anecdotal evidence from the coal-face of markets which shows properties receiving multiple offers and selling for more than the asking prices, often before being formally listed.

Other research shows that rents have been rising in many parts of Australia, on the back of vacancy rates so low that it constitutes a national rental crisis.

So the hesitant investors have missed the first phase of the national property boom.

If they’d bought a year ago in many parts of Australia, their properties would now be worth 10%, 15% or 20% more than they paid.

For those who bought in sexy lifestyle locations like Byron Bay and the upmarket areas of the Sunshine Coast, a $1 million investment a year ago would now be worth around $1.3 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=84861]

If you’d bought a $400,000 property in Bendigo 12 months ago, it would likely now be worth around $460,000 (based on the median price data).

So it’s time for investors to stop procrastinating and get busy. And the latest ABS data on loans indicates that, at last, investors are starting to get involved.

This, in fact, is typical investor behaviour. Investors don’t lead property cycles, they react to them. They stampede into the market when they hear there’s a boom happening.

So I expect a big surge of activity from investors in 2021. There are too many good reasons to become buyers of well-located real estate and make it available to a hungry rental market.

The uplift in investor buyers will add further energy to the momentum already happening in markets across the nation.

It will make a national property boom that much more certain.

Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au

ryder@hotspotting.com.au

twitter.com/hotspotting
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The hesitant investors have missed the first phase of the national property boom.



terryryder

It’s time for real estate investors to stop procrastinating and get busy: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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Some holiday home buyers are overlooking five key strategies which can turn their costly lifestyle investment into a money-making asset.

Australians invariably get caught up in the holiday romance of buying a ‘weekender’ and some will act on impulse while on vacation.

Often investors reason that by renting to holidaymakers when they aren’t using it, the asset’s maintenance and holding costs will be covered, but that’s rarely the case. Instead, holiday home buyers must seek maximum rental income and depreciation benefits to make the investment viable.

Most are buying emotionally and discover that higher-than-normal vacancies make their investment returns marginal at best. But smart investors know there are moves which can turn the numbers around.

Home property managers have five key rent boosters that also deliver great depreciation benefits.

There are a few things that boost your home’s appeal with holiday makers which not only maximise rental income, but also deliver excellent tax depreciation benefits. This means, come the end of the financial year, you’ll have more upside in your tax return thanks to your holiday home. 
 

1. Climate control

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/shutterstock_612232358.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="385" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/shutterstock_612232358.jpg?itok=Kj3zRE-n" width="580"></a>

Ensuring your holiday home is airconditioned is essential for attracting holiday makers. Vacationers will spend plenty of time relaxing at your short-stay, and they’ll want their comfort levels to be spot on.

Guaranteeing your home has split system air-conditioning and insulation not only helps improve the holiday experience for renters, but delivers tax benefits too.

The deductions available when you install a new split system represent 20 per cent of the cost of the asset within the first full year of claim. So, spending $3500 on a split system will equate to $700 worth of deductions in year one. 
 

2. Pet appeal

Holiday homes that are pet friendly command a premium, as pet owners look to take their ‘fur-babies’ on holiday which saves on the cost and stress of kennelling. But improvements which help create pet-friendly rentals also provide depreciation benefits.

Think boundary fencing, hardwood floors, pet proof landscaping. Even items such as an external doghouse can be depreciated. 
 

3. Outdoor entertaining

Holidays are built for family barbeques and lounging in a shady spot. The addition of a roofed outdoor relaxation and entertainment area will drive holiday makers to your home. They are also filled with depreciation opportunities such as ceiling fans, built in barbeques and benchtops.

For example, a relatively modest spend of around $4000 would both elevate your property’s rental earning potential, and deliver over $1000 in tax deductions in the first year after installation:

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2021-01-19_at_4.31.29_pm.png" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="192" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2021-01-19_at_4.31.29_pm.png?itok=gu0O4Lb4" width="580"></a>

4. Pools

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/shutterstock_254911351.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/shutterstock_254911351.jpg?itok=3rHjgwIo" width="580"></a>

Even when near a beachside holiday spot, there’s no denying the appeal of a pool when holidaying.

If you’ve been fortunate to buy a home with a pool, don’t forget to claim depreciation benefits on the fencing and filtration system. 
 

5. Wifi and entertainment

Providing unlimited Wifi has become pretty much mandatory for holiday homes.

Access to streaming services, scrolling through websites on local hotspots or checking in on updated weather alerts and surf conditions make web access a must. Simple elements such as supplying a television can improve your tax deductions.

For example, televisions have an eight-year effective life, so under the diminishing value method, a $2000 TV will provide $500 in deductions in the first full year of claim.

While depreciation rules for computer equipment are currently found within the commercial sections of the tax legislation, it’s likely that computer equipment will become a residential plant and equipment item in time. Either way, routers and range extenders will always attract deductions.
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Anyone who has impulse bought a holiday home over Christmas must get serious about making it profitable

max.kwok_55688

Five ways to turn holiday home investment duds into diamonds

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EXPERT INSIGHT

The data on rents published by Domain illustrates that this is a great time to be a landlord – in most locations across Australia. You might have a different view if you own an investment property in the inner-city areas of our biggest cities, but elsewhere we have a landlord’s market like never before.

Vacancy rates below 1% have become the norm in Australia. That’s a remarkable situation and it deserves repeating: vacancies under 1% are the norm.

Five of our capital cities – Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin – have vacancy rates under 1%. Brisbane is only marginally higher. And many of our regional centres have vacancies closer to zero than to 1%.

You would be hard-pressed to find a significant regional city or town with a vacancy rate above 2%. I’ve been researching and writing about Australian real estate for almost 40 years and I’ve never seen a rental market situation like this.

Research entities confirm that many locations have the tightest rental markets ever recorded. Every day I’m having conversations with real estate professionals across the nation. And when the topic is the rental market, the story is always the same: when a dwelling becomes available for rental there are queues of people - 30, 40 or 50 applicants – competing for the property.

It’s common for prospective tenants to make offers well above the asking rent and/or to offer to pay six or 12 months in advance to beat the competition. That is why the Domain figures show rents rising sharply in locations across Australia, especially outside the big cities – despite pandemic-related restrictions from state governments.

Multiple regional centres in NSW, Queensland and Victoria have had rents growing10% or more, sometimes 15-20%, in the past year. Among the capital cities, there have been double- digit rises in Perth and Darwin – and significant increases also in Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane. In Sydney, houses are up 5% although apartments have dropped.

There are many reasons why there is a dire shortage of rentals in most locations:

<ul>
<li> We haven’t been building sufficient new dwellings for the past three years or so.</li>
	<li> Vacancies are primarily an outcome of investor activity and investors have been sitting on the sidelines lately – owner-occupiers have been driving markets.</li>
	<li> The Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle, with large numbers of Australians leaving the big cities and moving to the fringes and to the regions, has further diminished the supply of rental properties.</li>
</ul>
This is a national crisis but it receives very little attention from media and even less from politicians. The various federal and state governments have been so busy dealing with the pandemic, they haven’t noticed the chronic shortage of properties and the dramatic impact of that on rentals.

One shudders to think what the situation would be if Labor had won the last Federal Election and scrapped negative gearing. Right now, we need the opposite kind of action – we need governments to provide direct incentives to Australians to become property investors and add to the rental pool. In the meantime, rents will keep going up. Propertyology’s head of research Simon Pressley is forecasting record increases and I think he’s right.

Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au 

ryder@hotspotting.com.au
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It's a great time to be an Australian landlord: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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The ABS released its Overseas Arrivals &amp; Departures figures for September 2015 which confirmed that net permanent and long-term migration continued to slow to +282,400 on a rolling annual basis, which is now the lowest level since July 2007.
<a href="/images/2015/11/10/Arr1.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/11/10/Arr1.jpg" alt="">
 
With New Zealanders and Europeans having increasingly opted to pursue more appealing or lucrative career and lifestyle choices elsewhere, net immigration into Australia is now overwhelmingly being driven by Asian migrants.
<a href="/images/2015/11/10/Arr6.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/11/10/Arr6.jpg" alt="">
 
<div>Indeed while migration from New Zealand continues to slow and British settler numbers are tracking at their lowest level in decades, settlers from China and India have steadily increased in number to their highest level on record.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Later this week the ABS will release the latest Labour Force figures, which will show employment growth of close to +2% for the past year comfortably outpacing the rate of population growth of around +1.4%. Meanwhile tourism has become of the fastest growing sectors of the domestic economy. A recent Deloitte Access Economics report noted an existing shortage of 38,000 workers with a projected further 123,000 workers required by the end of the decade, leading inevitably to industry calls for a relaxation of visa rules.</div>
Part 2 - Record visitors
<div>The flip side to the slowing of Australia's economy - and in turn net permanent and long-term immigration - is that the lower dollar has encouraged a record 7.25 million visitors to our shores over the past year, a monster increase of well over 450,000. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>What is more the rolling annual number of short term departures is now in decline for the first time since a temporary blip through the financial crisis, as the weaker dollar encourages more Aussies to holiday at home. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>This is one of the many ways in which a weaker currency serves to boost an ailing domestic economy.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/11/10/Arr2.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/10/Arr2.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Indeed anyone looking for evidence of how the weaker currency can help to rebalance the economy need look no further than the below chart, which shows the ratio of short-term departures to arrivals shifting into a long, sweeping downtrend.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/11/10/Arr7.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/10/Arr7.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
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Part 3 - China explosion Gosh! The number of visitors from China continues to explode at a breakneck pace being up by an outlandish 27% from September 2014, with more than 1.3 million visitors arriving from China and its provinces over the 12 months to September 2015. </div>
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<div>While the rise and rise of the Chinese middle class and tourism - with its associated surge in spending power - is very much a global trend, Australia has evidently been extremely successful to date in capturing its share.</div>
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<div>In fact it was announced during the past month that Britain will slash the price of its two year visa for Chinese visitors from £325 to just £85 in a slightly desperate attempt to capture more of this lucrative market.</div>
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<div>In a related trend, the lower dollar has also encouraged record education arrivals with a huge surge since 2014 taking rolling annual arrivals to beyond 453,000.</div>
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This is another trend which is very much skewed towards students of Asian origin and particularly Chinese students, with 2016 set to be the biggest year on record for higher education visas. The student visas boom is very much a capital cities phenomenon, which is one of a multitude of reasons that Australia's capital cities are set to capture an even greater share of population growth over the next decade. With recent changes to rules and regulations in New Zealand having reportedly curbed Chinese interest in the Kiwi property market, the above demographic shifts have potentially significant implications for Australian real estate over the remainder of the decade. Anecdotally there has been a renewed rush of interest in Australian property from would-be Chinese investors. A significant share of new arrivals come to Australia for education but stay for the long term on other substantive visas - it's one the reasons that Chinese investors are so active in targeting Australian property markets.
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PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>. 
His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
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Australia capturing Chinese middle class attention: Pete Wargent

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The newest property offering from fractional property platform BrickX has been snapped up by investors in one hour, the company said.
The property, a townhouse in Sydney's Surry Hills, was opened to pre-orders at $95 a 'brick', a term that BrickX uses to explain investors' share in a property. The fintech company divides every property it buys into 10,000 'bricks' and sells those 'bricks' to investors.
BrickX CEO Anthony Millet expected the latest offering to be as popular as its previous property in Sydney's Darlinghurst, launched a few weeks back. The one-bedroom apartment in Darlinghurst was fully reserved at the pre-order phase, BrickX said.
“We’re pleased to offer investors access to yet another inner-Sydney property at an affordable entry price,” Millet said.
“Surry Hills is an enviable location and this townhouse is an easy walk to vibrant cafes, shops and the CBD.” 
The two-bedroom, one bathroom townhouse on Commonwealth Street with a secure car space boasts an open plan design with a paved courtyard.
The company, which has CoreLogic's Tim Lawless on its advisory panel, was recently rated 'Superior' by SQM Research, which gave it four out of five stars based on its usability and depth of property information.
"CoreLogic figures show unit prices in Surry Hills have increased by 54 per cent in the past five years,” Lawless said.
"Surry Hills has a strong rental market and is particularly attractive to young professionals who flock to the area to enjoy the fantastic restaurants and cafes coupled with a short walk to work for the majority who work nearby or in the CBD."
The property is scheduled to settle on the BrickX platform on May 30. At settlement all pre-ordered ‘Bricks’ will transact and will appear in an investor’s portfolio.
BrickX properties are each put into an individual trust and split into 10,000 units or 'bricks'. Investors may then earn capital returns and monthly net rental income in proportion to the number of Bricks owned. The company enables members to choose when to invest and when to exit their investments by offering their Bricks for sale on the platform.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/05/18/BrickX2.jpg" alt="">
BrickX already has properties in popular locations: Darlinghurst, Bondi Beach, Enmore, Mosman, Annandale and Double Bay in Sydney, and Prahran and Port Melbourne, in Melbourne. 
The combined value of all properties exceeds $9.5 million, its website says. 
Its investor count has risen to 5,000 since its launch eight months back. 
For more information on the new property, <a href="https://www.brickx.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>. 
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BrickX offers $95 'brick' for townhouse in Sydney's Surry Hills 

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BrickX Trusts have been rated favourably by SQM Research, which gave the fractional property investing platform a ‘Superior’ rating — four out of five stars.
The rating comes close to the launch of another property by BrickX, in Sydney’s Surry Hills. 
Anthony Millet, CEO of BRICKX, the manager of the Trusts, said the rating reflected the thought that has gone into creating the product. 
“To be awarded a Superior rating at the first review is a testament to the thought that has gone into creating the BRICKX product,” Millet said. 
“This favourable rating should allow financial advisers who have proactively reached out to us, to now recommend the BrickX Platform and BrickX Trusts to their clients where appropriate.” 
SQM identified the following strengths after its research:
<ul>
<li>The depth and quality of senior management appears to be very strong </li>
<li>The liquidity mechanism for Bricks appears to be a proven way to access liquidity </li>
<li>SQM Research believes that the simplicity of the fee structure is a positive </li>
<li>The acquisition and disposal fee is in line with peers </li>
<li>Initial valuation movements are positive, and the locations appear to have been well chosen </li>
<li>The compliance committee is majority independent </li>
<li>SQM Research has viewed the Platform and was impressed by its usability and depth of property information, which can be used to inform investor decisions.</li>
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BrickX’s innovative investing platform allows division of a property into 10,000 units or “Bricks”. Investors may then earn capital returns and monthly net rental income in proportion to the number of ‘Bricks’ owned. 
The company enables members to choose when to invest and when to exit their investments by offering their ‘Bricks’ for sale on its platform.
With properties already in Darlinghurst, Bondi Beach, Enmore, Mosman, Annandale and Double Bay in Sydney, along with Prahran and Port Melbourne, in Melbourne, investors can easily access a variety of property investments from less than $100. 
BrickX’s recent acquisition is a two-bedroom townhouse in Surry Hills and it will offer the initial ‘Brick’ at $95 to investors. The pre-order phase will be open from May 19 with settlement scheduled for May 30.
 
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SQM Research says BrickX stable property investing platform, gives 4 stars

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<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/16/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-16%20at%209.57.32%20AM.png" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
Australia’s leading property investment event, the Property Buyer Expo, debuts in Victoria next week with industry gurus sharing where property markets are heading plus their insights and shortcuts to best take advantage of current market conditions.
Property Observer has complimentary tickets to give away. 
Visit <a href="https://www.propertybuyerexpo.com.au" target="_blank">www.propertybuyerexpo.com.au</a> using the code POVIP via 'purchase tickets' to secure your spot.
Some of the hot panel topics and presenters across the three days include:
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<li>Toorak on a shoestring! How you can buy your first investment property from just $2,500 without borrowing by using fractional property investment - Arthur Namoudis, DomaCom</li>
<li>Parents (and grandparents) can be key to helping young Victorians break into the housing market – and it may not cost them anything! - Chris Gray, Your Empire</li>
<li>Snare your perfect property before it goes to auction - Frank Valentic, Advantage Property Consulting</li>
<li>Look beyond your own backyard! Insights into current and future market opportunities in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and beyond…Then a deep dive into Melbourne’s market – not only which suburbs the brilliant RiskWise tool suggests carry the highest and lowest risk, but right down to the detail of what type of property in these suburbs carries the least risks and potentially highest returns – Doron Peleg, RiskWise Property Review</li>
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Australian property experts on hand also include Nerida Conisbee, chief economist at REA Group; Effie Zahos, editor of Money Magazine; Margaret Lomas, managing director of Destiny Financial Solutions; and Ben Kingsley, chief executive officer of Empower Wealth.
Kylie Mayer, organiser of the Property Buyer Expo, says being such a dynamic industry, it’s important that we remain at the forefront of the issues and opportunities facing property buyers, hence our unrivalled line up of industry-leading speakers and extensive list of exhibitors to give attendees tools, tips and insights to help them build wealth through property.
“With so many leaders, decision-makers and influencers under one roof, the Property Buyer Expo is a must-attend event for those wanting to either break into the market, increase the value of their home or build extra wealth through property investment,” she said.
The extensive exhibitor list includes specialists in residential communities, townhouses, off-the-plan developments, house and land packages, as well as builders, conveyancers, home loan providers, accountants, real estate agents, financial planners, insurers, tax depreciation, concierge services, buyers’ agents, industry associations and government departments.
For further information about the event and to book tickets, priced at $20 per day or $50 for all three days, visit <a href="https://www.propertybuyerexpo.com.au" target="_blank">www.propertybuyerexpo.com.au</a>.
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Property Observer Ticket Giveaway - Melbourne Property Buyer Expo February 2017 

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GUEST OBSERVER
The December NAB business survey showed business confidence remaining reasonable at +6 and businessconditions improving significantly to a strong reading of +11.
The bounce in conditions reflected strength in trading, profits and new orders.
Business continues to remain more confident than are consumers, but the rebound in business conditions adds to confidence that the September quarter downturn in GDP reversed in the December quarter.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/02/01/image006.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/01/image006.png" alt="">
Source: Westpac, NAB, AMP Capital
Meanwhile, private credit rose a stronger than expected +0.7 percent in December or 5.6 percent year on year. 
The bounce in credit growth from +0.5 percent mom in November was driven by stronger lending to businesses, which is potentially a good sign. 
While housing credit growth was unchanged at 0.5 percent/mom or 6.3 percent/yoy in December, what is concerning is a continued deceleration in owner occupier housing credit (to +0.4 percent/mom) relative to investor credit (which rose +0.8 percent/mom). Over the last three months investor housing credit rose at an annual rate of 9 percent and is now rapidly approaching APRA’s 10 percent threshold.
It is increasingly clear that the dampening impact of APRA’s 2015 macro prudential tightening has worn off to a significant degree. With household income growth in the economy running well below 10% yoy andthe Sydney and Melbourne property markets continuing to run too hot in the face of ultra-low interest rates there remains a case for APRA to further lower the 10 percent growth threshold for property investor credit.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/02/01/image009.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/01/image009.png" alt="">
 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://plus.google.com/110172465327488162875?rel=author" target="_blank">SHANE OLIVER</a> is head of investment strategy and economics and chief economist at <a href="https://www.ampcapital.com.au/home" target="_blank">AMP Capital</a> and is responsible for AMP Capital's diversified investment funds.
 
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Continuing bounce in lending to property investors: Shane Oliver

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Which is the better asset class to invest: shares or property?
Off-the-plan marketer Place Advisory pit the share market against Brisbane’s property market, an annual exercise, using the benchmark All Ords Index and sales data for apartments in Inner Brisbane.
Traditionally, shares and property have been strongly correlated and several overall trends have been established: Both asset classes seem to move in cycles together with property responding slightly slower than the All Ords Index to any changes in the wider market. This is likely due to information reporting and the illiquidity of apartments in comparison to shares.
The share market is generally more volatile than the property market – experiencing higher highs and lower lows. The 30-year period has seen the property market outperform the share market – just.
Inner Brisbane apartments have recognised annual median price growth of 6.3% per annum, compared to the All Ords annual return of 5.6%.
Place Advisory used All Ords for the report as it is the best indicator of the health of the share market in the longer term. This is primarily due to the fact that it is the oldest index, and tracks the performance of the 500 largest companies by market capitalisation.
The ASX 500 registered its first annual decrease in 2015 since 2011. As of December 31, the index stood at 5,345 points – down 0.8% on the recorded value 12 months earlier.
The Brisbane property market did not fare much better in terms of price growth. The median apartment price for the six months to December 2015 was $440,000, just $1,000 higher than the corresponding period of 2014.
The share market is generally more volatile than the property market, reacting with a greater level of severity to market fluctuations. In 2008 for example, the values of both asset classes took a hit. However, Brisbane’s median apartment price contracted by 1.5% over that year, whereas the index value of the ASX 500 tumbled by 44%. The trend reversed the following year. Median apartment values in Brisbane rose by 6%, but the ASX 500 value increase by 36%.
"If you’re looking for stability and long term growth, you should consider property as an investment vehicle. There is less volatility in the property market, which means that your hard earned money will generally be more secure in property," says Lachlan Walker, director of Place Advisory and Place Projects in Brisbane. 
"As an investor seeking capital growth, timing is critical- neither shares nor property are completely fool proof."
And as for any investment, research is imperative. 
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