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

Joel Robinson

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

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

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

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

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

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

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

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

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

Property News

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The chairman of the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse cancer centre, company director Doug Snedden and his wife Belinda Clark have sold in Warrawee, seemingly securing their desire of more than $5 million.
The 1930s home designed in the stockbroker tudor style by architect John Brogan had been bought by the couple in 1999 for $2,325,000 from the ASX chairman Roderick Holliday-Smith and his wife Margaret.
Scott Chadwick, of Chadwicks Real Estate, sold the <a href="https://chadwickrealestate.com.au/5259657/5-Pibrac-Avenue-Warrawee" target="_blank">1800 sqm Pibrac Avenue property</a> that comes with tennis court and pool.
Professor Chris O'Brien was a surgeon who achieved national recognition as a compassionate surgeon in the reality television series RPA.
His vision and leadership built the foundation for the O'Brien Lifehouse institute specialising in the treatment of cancer.
O'Brien, diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2006, fought the illness until he passed away in 2009.
His wife Gail continues to play a key role in supporting her husband's vision for Australia to have its own world-class comprehensive cancer care facility.
Gail recently sold the family home in Hunters Hill through Narelle Scott at Bresic Whitney who offered the listing with $4.5 million price guidance. 
Paying $3.1 million in 2002, the couple had traded up to the north-facing 1177 square metre property overlooking the Lane Cove River from nearby Ernest Street.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Stockbroker Tudor Warrawee trophy sale

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Houses that sold for a loss nationwide during the second quarter of 2015 had typically been owned for 5.7 years and units for 6.3 years, according to CoreLogic RP Data's Pain &amp; Gain report for the June quarter.
According to the report, houses that sold at a profit had been owned for 10.3 years and units 9 years.
The report noted capital city houses which resold at a loss had an average hold period of 5.2 years compared to 5.4 years for units.
"Of those capital city homes which sold at a profit, the average hold periods were 10.3 years for a house and 8.9 years for a unit. The average hold periods for homes selling at a profit tended to be longer in Melbourne and shorter in Darwin," the report said.
"Looking at regional areas, the typical hold period for loss-making resales was 6.0 years for houses and 7.2 years for units and for profit-making resales it was 9.6 years for houses and 10.4 years for units.
"It is a little surprising to note that profit-making resale houses in regional areas of the country actually had a shorter average hold period (9.6 years) than those within the capital cities (10.3 years)."
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

Profit-reaping houses owned for a decade: CoreLogic RP Data

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GUEST OBSERVER
For 25 years, Woolworths told shoppers they were “the fresh food people”. It was a very clear point of difference and delivered the group a sustainable competitive advantage. Any attempt by a competitor to replicate it would have been dismissed as lacking credence; a simple market-follower strategy.
In contrast, Coles appeared lost and without direction, the result of an ever-changing senior leadership team, until Ian McLeod arrived in 2008. Prior to 2000, Coles was “serving us better”, then in 2002 shoppers were “saving everyday”. In 2004, Coles was “delighting their customer” and then things were getting a “little better … every day”. Finally, the more recent “down, down” campaign has aligned with its “quality food costs less at Coles” slogan, cutting through with shoppers.
Somewhere along the way Woolworths was blindsided. The group fell out of favour with suppliers and was distracted by its troubled Masters hardware chain. The turnaround plan suffered a further blow with the news chief executive Grant O'Brien would step down after less than four years in the job.
<h2>Lack of differentiation</h2>
At the same time Coles was closing underperforming stores, <a href="">cutting its range</a> to streamline supply chains, cutting overhead costs and investing heavily in store refurbishments.
The fastest, although not the smartest, way to compete with an aggressive competitor is to replicate; that’s exactly what Woolworths and more recently IGA did. A quick look at Coles', Woolworths' and IGA’s catalogues and stores today illustrates the same deep discounting strategy.
It was clearly an error of judgement for Woolworths to move away from its very successful “fresh food people” position. The “cheap, cheap” campaign confused loyal shoppers and played into the hands of Coles, which was better positioned to deliver on price. With both majors driving a message of “price”, more shoppers also started trailing the German discounter Aldi.
<h2>The lowest price doesn’t necessarily win</h2>
If you are not a discounter, move away from price. While most supermarkets will carry a range of low-priced, generic private-label products to service the discount-shopper segment, sending the message that you sell groceries “cheap, cheap” and “down, down” every day is risky.
Even Metcash-owned IGA has moved away from its “local” campaign to now promote itself as “the same” as the big two with a recently launched “price match” campaign. Price is easily comparable and replicated, and this has been played out across Australian supermarkets over the last few years.
Internationally, grocery discounters like Lidl and Aldi continue to take market share away from the major full-line supermarkets, while the supermarkets continue to discount heavily. The practice of deep, unsustainable and potentially unprofitable deep discounting has even begun to attract criticism for grocers.
However, while Australian supermarkets and independent grocers continue to focus on price, shoppers will continue to shop between all brands for the lowest; loyalty is lost. This is most evident with Aldi, which in Australia has the lowest customer loyalty at 7%, compared to the majors at 25% and IGA at 30%. Supermarket retailing in Australia has become a race to the bottom.
<h2>Fresh – the future fight</h2>
Discounters will always win on price. The smart approach to combating this threat is not to position yourself as the same, but different. A focus on what the discounters don’t offer – such as range, value, service and fresh foods – is a much smarter approach.
The price of a litre of milk or a loaf of bread is easily comparable, whereas “fresh” is not. The fresh food component of a supermarket also delivers more profit than dry groceries. Fresh is where the next battle will be fought and won.
Now that Coles has established its position as the provider of low-priced groceries, its next move will be to focus on the “fresh food” space now vacated by Woolworths, which still appears to be cutting prices.
<h2>The future of convenience</h2>
When shoppers have been conditioned to think about the price they pay each week for a basket of groceries, the franchised grocer model no longer works. Already, experts have suggested that within 10 years Metcash’s independent grocers will no longer feature in the Australian grocery market.
Yet overseas the convenience store model is growing faster than full-line supermarkets. While some of this growth comes from the ability to embed small store footprints into high streets and high-density areas, much of it is the result of major supermarkets moving into this space with their brands: Tesco Metro, Tesco Express, Sainsbury’s Local and Carrefour Metro.
With Roy Morgan’s latest shopper loyalty research illustrating IGA has the most committed shoppers, even with perceived higher prices, IGA would be best to walk away from a price war. If IGA is unable to defend against the growth of Aldi and a re-energised Coles and Woolworths, it is highly probable it will either exit the market or reposition itself upmarket as a premium grocer.
Either way, it is likely that both Woolworths and Coles will look favourably at moving into this space with a chain of Woolworths Metro or Coles Express convenience stores.
Gary Mortimer is senior lecturer, QUT Business School, Queensland University of Technology and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Australian supermarkets in race to the bottom

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Funds manager Will Liley and his UK born artist wife Janice have sold their Paddington terrace.
Liley, who rowed for Australia in the late 1960s and 1970s, before he founded infrastructure investment firm mInfra, secured around $3.5 million through Ben Collier at McGrath Estate Agents.
Janice studied at the National Art School, Sydney, and before than at Cheltenham College of the Arts in the UK.
Their longtime four bedroom Windsor Street abode was bought back in 1999 at $870,000. 
They retain their Southern Highlands retreat Rosehill Farm, a 45-hectare holding with Richard Rowe designed six-bedroom, seven-bathroom house.
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Funds manager Will Liley sells Paddo terrace

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Louis Christopher, the managing director of SQM Research, reckons the Gold Coast has entered "a robust housing recovery." 
"There is no question right now that landlords are in charge of the Gold Coast market as vacancies have plummeted and rents have accelerated," Louis Christopher told Fairfax Media. 
His data shows low vacancy rates of under 2%.
There have been rent rises of up to 8% a year.
Mr Christopher said the Gold Coast had not yet seen its traditional building surge.
He also noted the market crash of 2009-13 had only modestly recovered until now, with prices still below fair value. 
"Back in 2010 the Gold Coast housing market suffered a perfect storm of events that created a major dwelling price crash.
"A lot of those events have now dissipated and right now, there are many favourable economic factors which are helping to improve the region. So we believe Gold Coast property investors are likely to enjoy good returns, both in rents and capital growth for up to the next three years."
SQM expects a rise of 7% to 11% in dwelling prices for 2016.
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Gold Coast property still below fair value: SQM

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A Vaucluse apartment sold in The Block, the Channel Nine reality television series in 2010, sold again last week.
Five years ago it fetched $970,000 after Cheryl and Brenton's renovation.
This week the 100 sqm apartment sold ahead of its scheduled auction at $1.42 million through Mark Meyer at LJ Levi, with its price reflecting a very healthy 8.25 annual growth.
Recent research suggests these Vaucluse vendors have done better than many other buyers of properties from The Block offerings over the past 12 years.
PRD Nationwide research manager Diaswati Mardiasmo looked at 10 resales since the initial series of The Block aired in 2003.
Dr Mardiasmo noted these properties were bought at auction for an average $57,750 or 7% per more than the median price in their suburbs.
But their resale only averaged $26,500 more than the median price.
Dr Mardiasmo said the rate of growth of The Block properties had failed to live up to initial promise.
“They made dollar value money because the price did go up - but in terms of the implicit value, they lost,” she said.
Dr Mardiasmo said her ­research indicated The Block was a “losing proposition” for buyers despite the properties being in premium suburbs, like Bondi Beach and Manly.
“For a show that has quite a following, it is quite surprising to see that a property once sold at The Block hasn’t either matched or even gained more value than the suburb median price growth,” she said.
“It seems once the media hype wore off, buyers became more cautious.”
Infact such has been the silly exuberance on display at most of the Block auctions, that some investors have sold at serious losses. 
The first loss was in 2005 with the resale of a two-bedroom Roscoe Street, Bondi Beach unit, decorated by Amity Dry and Phil Rankine, that had sold at $655,000 in the first 2003 series.
It fetched $550,000, yes a loss of $100,000 within two years.
Then another Bondi apartment resold with a small gain, initially under the gaze of the television cameras in 2003 at $747,000, then quietly offloaded at $765,000 in 2009.
Back in 2010 the rollercoaster nature of Sydney’s property market was evident when one of the Vaucluse four units failed to sell under the auction hammer.
It was Brenton and Chez's <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-vaucluse-120531045" target="_blank">4/107 New South Head Road</a> property that failed to meet its $880,000 reserve, passed in at $865,000. 
Those potential 2010 buyers were initially advised the apartment would fetch more than $900,000. But the estimate was adjusted down to about $900,000 when the 2010 spring property market conditions tightened and auction clearance rates fell.
Something like the current 2015 spring conditions.
Ofcourse Channel 9 never intended The Block to be a program focusing on the state of real estate market. 
Indeed Channel 9's auction selling price is not really a major priority.
They are about providing entertainment and drama - and securing their huge advertising revenue.
This is not to say over the years The Block hasn't served to highlight it’s not that easy to get rich quick from renovation and flipping.
Soon whole floor apartments in their latest series, in the South Yarra Blocktagonal complex, will be auctioned off.
These auction listings will attract thousands to the open for inspections. And possibly bidding silliness.
There is drama at every auction, every Saturday.
Don’t distress if you miss out this weekend because someone paid more. They might have to live with the consequences.
But use the knowledge gathered to help assess other property on the market, and feel assured you’ll be better prepared next time.
Remember building wealth from property only safely works when incorporated into a long-term plan.
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The Block Vaucluse apartment sale

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GUEST OBSERVER
Income inequality is undoubtedly one of the most controversial economic issues of modern societies, with many countries facing incredible differences between those who make more and those who make less. But what is happening across Australian regions?
Although researchers such as Peter Whiteford and Nicholas Biddle have investigated the issue in Australia, there are no official records on income inequality measured consistently across regions of the country – even at national level income inequality measures are rarely available in international comparisons (see for instance, World Bank and OECD data.
This lack of evidence is a clear reflection that income inequality is less conflicted in Australia compared to other countries, as Australia is characterised as having very low rates of poverty and economic segregation, compared to other societies, and a culture of “a fair go”.
However, regardless of the apparent “economic equality” in our society, income inequality is still an important issue to track and analyse. In order to fill the gap on income inequality measures across the country, we have developed a method to approximate Gini coefficients for different Australian regions, including states and local councils.
What we found
At state level, based on our estimates in 2011, the most unequal jurisdiction was NSW (0.42), followed by the Northern Territory (0.40), while the least unequal was Tasmania (0.38), meaning that the gap between the rich and the poor was bigger in NSW than in Tasmania.
However, income distribution varies over time, with the ACT showing the biggest change in income inequality, where the Gini coefficient increased from 0.35 in 2001 to 0.39 in 2011.
<a href="/images/2015/09/28/image-20150925-17697-1y399g4.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
 <img src="/images/2015/09/28/image-20150925-17697-1y399g4.png" alt="">
At sub-state level, within metropolitan areas, we found that the local councils of Burwood, Strathfield, Kogarah and Sydney (all from the Sydney Metropolitan area) had the highest income inequality in the country in 2011, while the local councils of Melton (in Melbourne), Light (in Brisbane), Mallala (in Perth) and Palmerstone (in Darwin) had the lowest income inequality.
In terms of trends in cities, interestingly Perth captured both extremes: while the suburbs of Cottesloe and Subiaco is where income inequality has increased the most, the local council of Perth had the lowest increase in inequality across Australian cities.
<h2>Using the Gini co-efficient</h2>
The Gini is one of the most used indicators for income inequality across the world for its simplicity: a Gini of 0 means that the total income of the region is distributed evenly across all persons of the region, while a Gini of 1 means all income captured by just one person. According to the OECD, in 2012 Australia had a Gini of 0.326, while the US had a Gini of 0.390.
Thus, in order to provide more insights about the effects of the mining boom of the recent decade across Australian regions, we have constructed Gini coefficients for family income reported in the national censuses of 2001 and 2011, across all regions of the country.
Although our measures are not perfect and are subject to some assumptions, including the assumption that 30% of families in the richest income bracket capture 70% of the income in that segment, they do provide a good sign of how income inequality varies across the country and how it has been changing over time.
All Gini coefficients across regions are available here.
<h2>Policy implications</h2>
These income inequality data raise several questions. Are the reasons for income inequality different around the country? Does income inequality affect other factors such as health, as evidenced in the US?
What levels of income inequality are acceptable across Australian regions? And what actions are required to address this? These are the questions policy makers should now tackle.
 
David A. Fleming is researcher, CSIRO and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-a-fleming-110682" target="_blank">here</a>.
Tom Measham is senior research scientist, CSIRO and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/rich-and-poor-which-areas-of-australia-are-most-unequal-42409?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+September+28+2015+-+3499&amp;utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+September+28+2015+-+3499+CID_dbd79abf7855b7f7ffb01ac423d4b749&amp;utm_source=campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=Rich%20and%20poor%20which%20areas%20of%20Australia%20are%20most%20unequal" target="_blank">here</a>.
Both are authors for The Conversation.
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Rich and poor: which areas of Australia are most unequal?

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hockingstuart will be representing Kingi and Caro in the marketing of their South Yarra apartment on The Block, the latest Channel Nine reality television series.
David Wood from hockingstuart Albert Park will be the auctioneer, while Mark Konishi from hockingstuart South Yarra will be the sales agent.
Both Mark and David were part of Charlotte and Josh’s marketing campaign earlier this year, while David was the auctioneer for Steve and Chantelle’s win in Albert Park last year.
Picture courtesy of <a href="https://www.9jumpin.com.au" target="_blank">9 Jumpin</a>
 
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hockingstuart return for another run round The Block

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We can educate “ignorance” but “stupidity” is another ball game.
Allow me to share with you two scenarios. I will in turn give you the opportunity to ponder which of these is made through ignorance and which one is made through stupidity personified. Like always, pour a cup of coffee and read on.
First scenario: 
I attended to a home in the Northern Beaches to provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and bid for the vendor’s custom. Like always, local agents were also called in.
After discussing the process and the method of sale with the vendors, they began to enlighten me about my competition. Names withheld to protect the dummies. 
The following is a short transcript of the discussion. 
Agent (A): What has the out-of-area agent (Me) told you the home is worth? 
Vendor (V): After recommendations made; fixing and cleaning parts of the home, he felt $1,500,00-$1,600,000 is achievable and would advertise along these lines. 
V: What do you believe the home is worth?
A: The figures sound right. But we would not advertise it like he suggests.
V: What do you suggest? 
A: We would auction the home and ask for offers above $1,350,000.
V: But you told me the house was worth between, $1,500,000-$1,600,000. 
A: Yes that’s right, but we don’t want to scare any buyers/enquiry and we can work them up at the auction. 
Second scenario: 
We have on the market a home for sale, in Eastlakes. As usual, other than normal enquiry, we also receive enquiry from agents that are curious. Agents that work in the area, their patch. 
The conversation went along these lines.
Local Agent (LA): Hi, I noticed you have a property in the area, I was told you had sold it? If so, what did it sell for? 
Me: Not sold as yet, but presently working with two offers. How can I help you?
LA: Well, I’m a local agent and I have listed a home around the corner, just wanted to see what you sold your home for? 
M: Nice, how does it compare with my one?
LA: Very similar but land a bit smaller. Also fully renovated and 4 bedrooms, single level. 
Me: If I can ask, what’s your price guide? 
LA: We are quoting $1,500,000-$1,800,000.
Me: Wow, that’s a very broad price-guide isn’t it?
LA: Well it’s hard to determine the value of property.
Now, you tell me which one of these agents is ignorant and which one is simply stupid. Or do you think both fall in the same category? Or perhaps the words arrogant and deceptive spring to mind? 
One thing is for sure; not all vendors are sympathetic to “under-quoting” and deceitful marketing strategies. Nonetheless, is it up to the vendor to guide the real estate industry into best practice, or up to the professional? 
What I can say to most of my realtor friends is; if the kitchen is too hot, then go back to selling used cars and take the nonsense of charging vendors for the sale and marketing fees with you.
 
EDWIN ALMEIDA is licensee in charge of <a href="https://www.just-think.com.au/" target="_blank">Just Think Real Estate</a>.<a href="https://www.just-thin.com.au/"> </a>
He is also the creator of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JustThinkProperty" target="_blank">Oz Real Estate.TV</a> and a presenter for <a href="https://propertyinvestingvault.com/" target="_blank">propertyinvestingvault.com</a>.
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Ignorance or stupidity? Edwin Almeida

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I can count on the fingers of one of Homer Simpson’s hands the number of people who commentate on real estate and actually understand it.
There are plenty of people at the coalface of the industry who get real estate. It’s just that you’re never likely to hear about them in the media.
Among the public pontificators, there’s a lack of understanding about the drivers of events in real estate that’s become a contagion on the industry.
There certainly aren’t any journalists working for metropolitan newspapers who have any knowledge of market dynamics. It’s become very last century to actually know about the subject on which you write.
They compound their ignorance and confound their audience by seeking enlightenment from others who know little, notably economists. 
When I consider all the economists who have been regular lecturers about real estate – Shane Oliver, Saul Eslake, Gerard Minack, Paul Bloxham, poor old Steve Keen, pretty much everyone who works for Moody’s, absolutely everyone employed by CommSec – I can’t think of one who understands this business.
Most of them employ the Graham Richardson method of media commentary – a big ego connected to a hyperactive mouth, without the intervention of coherent thought processes. It works a treat.
It’s how much noise you make that matters. Knowledge is optional.
There are specialist real estate research companies that should bring some expertise to the table, but they’re all so devoted to making money out of computer-generated numbers they don’t conduct any real analysis. They just shovel out median price data to generate publicity. Most of their employees could write their real estate smarts on the back of a postage stamp in crayon.
The lowest-common-denominator mistake they all make – and it’s the curse of real estate consumers trying to understand what’s going on – is that they generalise. To do more would require genuine real estate wisdom. 
And because they generalise, they mislead and confuse – themselves and others.
This is why none of the chattering economists and others who sermonize on property can explain why this prolonged era of record low interest rates has managed to produce a property boom in only one Australian city.
They’re all so flummoxed by this that they pretend it’s not happening. Quoting a single generalised national figure to describe what happening to “Australian property values” is the limit of their contribution.
But the statement “Australian house prices rose 9.8% in the year to 30 June” (the latest ABS Property Price Index) is an absurdity, because prices have risen that much only in Sydney. In six of the eight capital cities, it’s been less than 3%, including two with “negative growth”.
If genuine market analysis happened in this country, someone would be making a study of this strange occurrence. Why has Sydney boomed and nowhere else? (Here’s a clue: it’s not related to interest rates, as I explained in my column on 18 August).
Last time real estate went seriously ballistic in Australia, everywhere boomed. In 2003, all of the eight capital cities had double-digit growth in their median house prices. The worst was a 13% rise. Four did better than 20% and the city average rise was 19%.
That’s what everyone expects a property boom to look like. And that’s why economists and media can’t get their heads around the current situation. 
It’s all about interest rates, isn’t it? So why isn’t it booming everywhere? Why are Perth and Darwin going backwards? Why aren’t Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide firing? 
Maybe the tools we use to measure things aren’t up to the task. Perhaps the blunt instrument of median price data, with a single figure to describe each capital city, needs to be replaced.
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a>
 
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