KTQ has unveiled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/casilia-16-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Casilia</a>, the final residential release within the Kirra Point precinct which really kicked off the boom in the area back in 2019.

The final stage comprises&nbsp;87 residences and marks the culmination of a long-term, family-led vision for Kirra Point, as the precinct moves toward completion in tandem with the development.

Around $100 million in sales have been achieved already, close to 35 per cent of the residences secured ahead of launch. There have been a significant number of buyers returning from the first stage of the development, Miles Residences, securing another property within Kirra Point.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368410]

Selling agent Tim Keenan from Keenan Byrne said the response reflects both the scarcity of the offering and Kirra’s growing reputation as a premium coastal market.

“This is effectively Kirra’s final act, the last release within what has become one of the Southern Gold Coast’s most tightly held beachfront precincts,” Keenan said.

“We’ve seen exceptionally strong pre-sale interest, from VIP waitlists through to off-market enquiry, which speaks to both the quality of the product and the confidence buyers have in the precinct. What’s particularly compelling is the number of buyers returning from Miles, either upgrading or investing again, which is a strong signal of how the precinct has been received."

Keenan adds that at the same time, north-facing beachfront remains exceptionally rare in Australia, limited to places like Noosa, Byron and Kirra, which is underpinning long-term value.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368415]

Positioned along one of Australia’s few true north-facing beaches, Casilia offers a mix of two and three-bedroom residences with pricing ranging from $1.87 million to $7.15 million and two exclusive penthouses. Residences are oriented to capture varying outlooks, from uninterrupted Pacific Ocean views across Kirra Beach to hinterland vistas, with upper levels and shared amenity taking in sweeping perspectives along the Gold Coast coastline.

At rooftop level, a north-facing pool deck captures expansive, uninterrupted views over Kirra Beach and north towards Surface Paradise. The space incorporates a heated resort-style pool, mineral spa, sun lounges and a covered BBQ cantina.

Buyer profiles are broad, typically aged between 40 and 70, with a strong skew toward second-home ownership, drawn by a combination of lifestyle, relative value, proximity to Gold Coast Airport and lower congestion compared to more established markets such as Byron Bay and Noosa.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368414]

The project is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ktq-group">KTQ Group</a>, a family-owned Australian property group with a diverse portfolio spanning residential, hospitality and commercial developments. The group has delivered a number of notable projects across sectors, including the award-winning Elements of Byron resort, demonstrating its depth of experience across both hospitality and residential development.

Known for its long-term approach to place-making, KTQ Group retains a vested interest in its projects, often holding assets within its portfolio, which has also helped build trust among buyers and reinforced confidence in both the vision and delivery certainty of the precinct.

“Casilia represents the final opportunity to secure a residence within Kirra Point and brings to market the last release within our long-term vision for the precinct," KTQ Group's Jeremy Holmes said.

"Kirra Point has been more than a decade in the making, and that timeframe reflects the care behind each decision, it takes listening, balance and vision to arrive at something that feels right for the location.

“Our approach has always been to deliver Kirra Point as a destination in its own right, a connected coastal neighbourhood integrating residential, hospitality and wellness, rather than a standalone project. It’s a vision that respects place, pace and permanence, and contributes to a sense of community that feels authentic to Kirra.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368411]

Once complete, the Kirra Point masterplan will incorporate a mix of dining establishments, bars and cafés, alongside the Kirra Point Health Club and a future 91-room independent resort hotel, creating a walkable, integrated lifestyle precinct.

Architecutue and interiors at Casilia have been designed by the experienced design houses of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/little-boat-projects">Little Boat Projects</a> and O’Neil Architecture &amp; Interior Design, The design moves beyond the conventional coastal apartments, instead taking cues &nbsp;from the surrounding landscape - layering natural materials, soft curves and warm textures to create spaces that respond to light, airflow and the rhythms of coastal living.

Residences are designed with an array of floorplates, generous proportions and intuitive flow, while at ground level Casilia connects into the broader precinct, where future laneways, retail and hospitality offerings will contribute to a neighbourhood defined as much by how people live day-to-day as its beachfront position.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152295]

The final residential release within the Kirra Point masterplan is set to launch, as strong pre-sales signal sustained demand for the Southern Gold Coast

Joel Robinson

A decade in the making: KTQ launches Casilia at Kirra Point

South East Queensland developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a>’s entry into the Gold Coast apartment market has progressed from pipeline to market, with its Chevron Island project Bronze on Chevron now formally available to purchase ahead of a planned 2029 completion.

The 119-apartment development on Mawarra Street marks the Brisbane-headquartered builder-developer’s first residential play in the Gold Coast, following its expansion south from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bronze-on-chevron-8-mawarra-street-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Bronze on Chevron</a> comprises a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom residences, with pricing starting from just over $1.5 million. The project is being delivered under Gardner Vaughan’s fully integrated model, with the group acting as both developer and builder, a structure it has consistently applied across its South East Queensland portfolio.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367182]

Architecture has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/jeremy-ferrier-landscape-design">Jeremy Ferrier</a>. The building presents as a single-tower scheme, with a focus on maximising outlook across both the Surfers Paradise skyline and the Nerang River.

Apartments have been planned with open-plan living zones extending to generous balconies, a response to the site’s dual-aspect positioning between river and ocean. Interiors follow a restrained coastal palette, with two colour schemes offered, and an emphasis on natural light and cross-ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367181]

Resident amenity is concentrated across more than 1,250 sqm and includes a resort-style pool, gym, yoga lawn and rooftop entertaining areas. A function space with catering facilities forms part of the upper-level offering, alongside north- and south-facing outdoor areas.

Ground level will incorporate two retail tenancies, intended to extend the existing village character of the surrounding streets.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367200]

The project sits within walking distance of Thomas Drive’s established dining strip, while maintaining proximity to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Surfers Paradise</a> beach and broader Gold Coast amenity. The location, positioned on Chevron Island between the river and coastline, has increasingly attracted mid- to high-density development in recent years as the precinct evolves beyond its low-rise origins.

Gardner Vaughan’s move into the Gold Coast was first signalled in 2025, with the group identifying the region as a natural extension of its operations. Chief Executive Officer Simon Betteridge described the expansion as both “strategic and natural”, citing demand for well-designed apartments in lifestyle-driven markets.

Construction is expected to complete in early 2029.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=107520]

Gardner Vaughan brings Bronze on Chevron to market as Gold Coast debut

One of the penthouses at Lily Lane, the latest stage of Carrington Place by Ellipse Property, has set a new local apartment price record.

The four-bedroom residence, purchased by a local downsizer, sold for $5.75 million—around 75 per cent higher than the previous record of $3.3 million.

Over 40 per cent of the first release of apartments at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/lily-lane-at-carrington-place-castle-hill-32-carrington-road-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Lily Lane</a> have already been snapped up just six weeks since it launched to the market.

&nbsp;

Located at 32 Carrington Road, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/castle-hill-nsw-2154">Castle Hill</a> and designed by award-winning architects <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ptw">PTW</a>, Lily Lane is directly opposite the Hills Showground Metro station. It offers a total 213 units over two 12-storey towers - a mix of 67 one-bedroom, 100 two-bedroom and 46 three-bedroom apartments - with a ground-floor retail offering.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151821 project_image_fid=368352]

Blake Schulze, National Director – Residential at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/colliers">Colliers</a>, says around 44 per cent of buyers are&nbsp;owner occupiers, with 35 per cent being investors and 21 per cent first homebuyers.

“Developments of this calibre are very rare in the Hills District, and Lily Lane’s sales success demonstrates the depth of demand for over-sized apartments that genuinely compete with freestanding homes," Schulze says.

"We are seeing particular demand from downsizers who want to remain in the area but transition into spacious, high-quality apartment living."

On the penthouse sale, it says it shows buyers&nbsp;are prepared to pay a premium for scale, quality, and direct access to the Metro.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151821 project_image_fid=368351]

One-bedroom apartments are sized from 50-72 sqm with prices starting at $745,000, while two-bedrooms are priced from $990,000 with sizes from 75 to 132 square metres. Three-bedroom floorplans are sized between 97 and 182 sqm,, with prices starting at $1,395,000.&nbsp;

The three remaining penthouses, spanning up to 262 sqm, are priced from $2.9 million.

Over 75 per cent of apartments include dedicated studies, multipurpose rooms or family rooms, with select layouts offering walk-in pantries and laundries. Apartments are appointed with premium Miele appliances including ovens, washing machines, dryers, gas cooktops and dishwashers, while larger residences also incorporate integrated Miele microwaves, Fisher &amp; Paykel integrated refrigerators and five-burner Miele cooktops.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151821 project_image_fid=360285]

Lily Lane will be constructed by award-winning iCIRT-rated builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/decode">Decode Group</a>, with construction to commence in mid-2026 and expected to complete early 2029.

Carrington Place comprises more than 800 apartments and is being delivered across multiple stages, with completion expected in 2032. Integrated with neighbouring bushland, the project will feature over 20,000 sq, of outdoor recreational area, including a one-kilometre boardwalk to Fred Caterson Reserve.&nbsp;

The Hills Showground Metro Station is just a two-minute walk away, offering fast connectivity to Sydney’s CBD, North Sydney, Chatswood, Macquarie Park and Norwest Business Park.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151821]

Ellipse sets Castle Hill apartment record with $5.75 million Lily Lane penthouse sale

Fresh off completing its Delano Crows Nest development, Lindsay Bennelong has lodged plans for its next project, this time turning its attention back to the beach.

The developer, started 20 years ago by Clarendon Homes founder Peter Campbell, is proposing a 37-apartment scheme at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-25-ashburner-street-manly-nsw-2095">17-25 Ashburner Street</a>, Manly, positioned between the southern end of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/manly-nsw-2095">Manly</a> Beach and East Manly Cove.

Lindsay Bennelong called on local architecture firm Platform Architects to design the new building, given their success at Finn, Lindsay Bennelong's current luxury apartment project on North Steyne.&nbsp;

According to the Design Verification Statement by Bridie Gough of Platform Architects, the proposal “relates to the current context but also the desired future character of taller buildings suitable to the new planning controls.”

The site has been identified as a Low to Mid-Rise Housing (LMR) location, given its position within 400 metres of the Manly Town Centre E1 Business Zone. The LMR controls are intended to unlock additional housing supply in well-located areas close to public transport, allowing developers to seek increased height limits to support greater density.

“The proposal seeks to provide this increased level of housing whilst being respectful of some of the smaller scale buildings also nearby,” the statement reads.

Lindsay Bennelong Development Director Leigh Manser said the project has been carefully aligned with the intent of the LMR controls. The proposal will significantly increase housing yield on the site, replacing four houses and 10 apartments, comprising 25 bedrooms, with 37 new apartments delivering a total of 94 bedrooms, whilst remaining compliant with the LMR controls.

“Sydney is in a severe undersupply, and delivering more dwellings and more bedrooms than what currently exists is exactly what the LMR policy is designed to activate,” Manser said, noting that nine of the apartments will be allocated as affordable housing for frontline workers.

“We have already commenced discussions with our community housing provider to determine the rental levels that frontline workers can realistically afford in this location,” he said. “These will need to sit well below the standard affordable housing benchmark of 20 per cent below market rent, and that has been factored into our feasibility and pricing.”

<img alt="Manly" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ad03000f-19f9-48b4-b27d-e85ca800a1da" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-30%20at%208.41.59%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=a.txHwCZgbCInlQ6QXbIrI.umvW1T.r8" />

The design of the building incorporates a wave-like indentation running through the façade, referencing the nearby coastline and anchoring the building within its local context.

The&nbsp;Design Verification Statement says careful consideration has been given to the articulation of the building, ensuring the bulk is broken down to a more human scale through a defined four-storey podium."

The scheme includes a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a full-time building manager's office and wellness facilities including a sauna and a gym.

“The design ensures a high level of amenity, with apartments offering generous private open space, many with expansive views, and all with comfortable proportions."

<img alt="Bennelong" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6a7f2812-72a1-4959-84b0-997e8cd88aed" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-30%20at%2010.15.50%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6iMxU3MkXmHVHAoNhYBjnqgka8CUZNbk" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/lindsay-bennelong-developments">Lindsay Bennelong</a>&nbsp;is currently developing Finn Manly, just four full-floor luxury apartments on North Steyne. They recently welcomed residents to its 81-unit Delano Crows Nest development, a&nbsp;carefully scaled infill project designed to bridge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/crows-nest-nsw-2065">Crows Nest</a>’s lively village centre with its surrounding heritage streets.

Designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ajc-architects">AJC Architects</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/delano-crows-nest-27-57-falcon-street-crows-nest-nsw-2065">Delano</a>&nbsp;is arranged across three low-rise buildings, incorporating a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments alongside a limited number of townhomes addressing Hayberry Lane. The architectural approach drew on the area’s Art Deco lineage, reinterpreted through contemporary detailing and framed by landscaped communal gardens.

The developer also has a development site in Maroubra.

First look: Lindsay Bennelong's new Manly apartment development revealed

Fifty-nine residences across 37 levels. No more than two per floor. With 80 per cent now sold, what remains at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/madeline-by-mosaic-broadbeach-22-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">Madeline by Mosaic</a> is a short list.

Madeline was always conceived at a scale that sits outside the normal register of Gold Coast apartment living. The residences are half- and full-floor configurations, with the largest spanning more than 400 sqm, dimensions that place them closer to the penthouse end of the market regardless of where they sit in the building.

That scale is the organising principle of everything else: how the floorplans are laid out, how the materials read, how the connection between inside and outside works.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150135 project_image_fid=355941]

The interiors were developed in collaboration with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fraser-partners-0">Fraser &amp; Partners</a>, the architecture practice&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mosaic-property-group">Mosaic</a> brought in as design partner for the first time on this project. The palette runs to natural stone, textured timbers, and soft metallics, materials chosen as much for their tactile quality as their appearance.

Light cleverly shifts across surfaces through the day, and the design is explicit about wanting that to be noticed. Full-height glazing runs across the primary living areas, and where the building faces east toward the ocean, those walls of glass are doing real work: framing a view corridor that the site's position directly opposite Broadbeach State School's playing fields keeps permanently open.

That outlook is the site's most consequential asset. In a suburb where new towers continue to rise, a protected view line is genuinely rare, and the Mary Avenue address secures it. Residents at Madeline will look out over open parkland rather than the rear of another building, a distinction that becomes more meaningful with each new development approved nearby.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150135 project_image_fid=355939]

The private outdoor spaces are sized to match the residences themselves. Terraces on the upper levels frame uninterrupted ocean panoramas, and the planning ensures that living areas extend into those outdoor zones rather than treating them as separate attachments. The flow between the two is part of the design intent, not an afterthought.

Inside, the finish specification reflects the same approach. Rich stone benchtops, warm timber joinery, bespoke hardware, each element specified to hold up over time rather than read as a moment in a particular trend cycle.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150135 project_image_fid=3409]

Beyond the residences, the amenity offering extends that register. A lap pool and sun deck anchor the outdoor space, alongside a magnesium pool, cold plunge, steam room, and sauna.

A commercial-grade gymnasium, residents' lounge, library, and boardroom round out a programme that functions more like a private members club than a standard building amenity floor.

Construction has commenced under Mosaic's in-house building arm, with completion scheduled for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150135]

Madeline by Mosaic delivers penthouse-level living across every apartment

Real Estate Boom

<html><body>The RBA will need to be careful not to be too heavy handed when it comes to any measures to limit the real estate boom, Westpac economist Bill Evans has said.

"A repeat of the experience of 2018–2019 when Sydney (–15%) and Melbourne (–11%) dwelling prices deteriorated sharply with the unintended consequence of slowing the economy overall will need to be avoided," Evans said.

"For Australia, a period of very low official rates will always risk financial instability in the housing market," he noted

"The RBA Governor, with good reason, currently sounds relaxed. 

"The emphasis is on housing credit growth where he notes, “investor and business credit growth remain weak.” 

"But the warning that “Lending standards remain sound and it is important that they remain so.” is an addition to earlier statements and really summarises the Board’s approach to the current housing boom," Evans noted after the latest RBA minutes were released.

"The RBA has successfully slowed housing markets in both 2015 and 2017 using these “various tools” without needing to raise rates.

"It seems reasonable that another round of such policies can be expected sometime in 2022 but the authorities will need to be careful not to be too heavy handed," Evans said.
</body></html>

The RBA has successfully slowed housing markets in 2015 and 2017, Bill Evans noted

jchancellor

RBA should not be "too heavy handed" towards real estate market: Bill Evans

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER

For the past 3-4 years, many pundits have forecast that “this year” is the year for Brisbane and the city has not delivered. It has chugged along steadily but there’s been little in the way of major uplift.

But now the Brisbane boom is upon us. Hotspotting research for the upcoming Autumn 2021 edition of The Price Predictor Index shows just how strong markets are across the Greater Brisbane Area.

The number of growth markets in the Greater Brisbane Area has quadrupled since mid-2020, creating the strongest market in the six years of our quarterly surveys. The uplift in sales activity in the past six months has been extraordinary.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90553]

Our new survey has identified 124 suburbs with rising sales activity, compared to 56 in the previous survey and just 28 in the mid-2020 survey. This means the number of growth suburbs doubled in six months and then doubled again within three months.

The previous best result in the six years of our quarterly surveys was 80 growth suburbs six years ago at the start of 2015.

At the same time, the number of plateau markets is the lowest ever, while the number of declining or danger markets has dropped from 37 eighteen months ago to just five now (we continue to classify some of the inner-city apartment markets as danger markets, with vacancies still high there).

The northern precincts continue to be market leaders in Brisbane. The Brisbane-north precinct and the Moreton Bay Region jointly have 51 growth suburbs, including 31 in the Moreton Bay region, which is a record to any LGA across Australia in the six years of these surveys.

This means that three-quarters of the ranked suburbs in the Moreton Bay Region have rising sales activity, a circumstance that makes strong price highly likely in 2021.

The Brisbane-north precinct, which has 20 growth suburbs, continues to impress as one of the strongest of the city’s sectors.

But the growth momentum is occurring throughout the Brisbane metropolitan area, with Ipswich City in the far south-west an exception.

Logan City in the far south has 17 growth suburbs, providing further evidence of the gathering recovery of markets in this precinct.

Brisbane-south (13), Brisbane-inner (11), Brisbane-easts (12), Brisbane-west (7) and Redland City (8) all have substantial numbers of suburbs with rising trajectories. But Ipswich City, with only five growth suburbs, has yet to feel the positive momentum being felt elsewhere in the Greater Brisbane Area.

It doesn’t surprise, therefore, that Brisbane markets have been performing well on price growth, with three-quarters of suburbs across the metropolitan area recording uplift in their median house prices in 2020.

In the most recent quarter, 76% of suburbs had some level of price growth.

With inner-city apartment markets still struggling with high vacancy rates, growth has been less prolific among the unit markets: 56% of the suburbs with unit markets have had growth in their median unit prices in the past year.

House price growth has been spread across the Brisbane metropolitan area, but the upper end of the market has been leading.

St Lucia in the popular western suburbs has lifted its median house price 36% to $1,525,000, while Yeronga in the inner southern suburbs has grown 38% to $1,045,000. The sough-after inner city suburb of New Farm has increased 20% to $1,750,000, while Highgate Hill is also up 20% to $1,200,000. And the most expensive of the eastern bayside suburbs, Manly, has increased 20% to $945,000.

The housing market in inner Brisbane, in contrast to the apartment market, is generally travelling well. In addition to New Farm and Highgate Hill, West End is up 15%, Woolloongabba 10%, Bardon 8% and Coorparoo 7%.

The western suburbs are doing well, led by St Lucia (36%), Fig Tree Pocket (up 18%), Sherwood (13%) and Toowong (12%). All have median prices above $1 million.

The northern suburbs also are out-performing. Inner northern suburbs with median prices above $1 million are growing, including Grange (14%), Ashgrove (13%), Ascot (8%) and Clayfield (9%).

Further north in the middle-ring suburbs, growth suburbs include Nundah (15%), Banyo (12%), Chermside (14%) and Sandgate (11%), while others like Chermside West, Kedron and McDowall have grown 8-9%. These are places with median house prices in the $600,000 to $800,000 range.

The equivalent suburbs in the south are also displaying solid growth, headed by Holland Park (12%), Tarragindi (10%) and Upper Mount Gravatt (11%). Several others are up 8-9%.

Several outer-ring precincts are also doing well. In the Moreton Bay region in the far north, growth suburbs include Eatons Hill (13%), Caboolture South (8%), Beachmere (9%) and Bellara (7%) – mostly locations with median house prices under $500,000. Given the number of suburbs with rising sales activity, we expect price growth to accelerate in this area.

In Logan City in the far south, Underwood is up 12% to $615,000, while suburbs with medians in the $400,000s and $500,000s are showing solid uplift in the 7-8% range, including Daisy Hill, Loganholme, Shailer Park and Waterford.

Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au

ryder@hotspotting.com.au

twitter.com/hotspotting
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For the past 3-4 years, many pundits have forecast that “this year” is the year for Brisbane and the city has not delivered



terryryder

A Brisbane real estate boom, at last: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER
Australian is on the cusp of a national real estate boom. And I do emphasise “national”.
We haven’t had a genuine national real estate boom in Australia since the one from 2001 to 2004, when all the major markets experienced strong price rises.
The one that drove Sydney and Melbourne prices higher from 2013 to 2017 was not a nationwide phenomena, as few other locations around the nation shared that price uplift.
But right now forces are building which will generate growth in most major cities and towns across the nation. They will be boosted by new events which will energise economies, including infrastructure spending and increased activity in the resources sector.
We currently have a remarkably strong situation with markets across Australia – everywhere, in fact, except the two biggest cities, which are so often the exception rather than the rule.
The new price data from CoreLogic suggests that all capital cities except Sydney and Melbourne had price growth in September, while most regional market jurisdictions also recorded growth. The September figures continued the stubborn performance of markets since February when the pandemic first started to impact Australia.
Many of our capital cities have recorded some level of house price growth in most months since February. Canberra has had growth in each of the past seven months and Adelaide has had uplift in six of the seven months.
Regional markets around Australia are pumping strongly, with vacancies ultra low, rents rising and buyers outnumbering sellers. People at the coal-face of these markets, including buyers agents, valuers and selling agents, have been reporting very competitive markets for several months – and the data supports those views.
So I would argue that significant sections of the nation already have notable up-cycles under way, particularly those where the virus has been got under control early, local economies are strong, consumer confidence is good, vacancies are low, first-home buyers are active and the Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle is having an impact.
Some locations have most or all of those factors in play. Those places include Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and regional centres like Ballarat, Bendigo, Albury-Wodonga, Orange, Newcastle, the Sunshine Coast, Mackay, Rockhampton and Townsville.
Of the 15 major market jurisdictions in Australia – eight capital cities and seven state/territory regional markets – 11 have house prices higher than at the start of 2020, led by Regional Tasmania (up 7.1%) and Darwin (up 6.6%), as well as Hobart, Canberra, Regional NSW and Regional South Australia (all up 4-5% since the start of the year).
Twelve of the 15 jurisdictions have house prices higher than a year ago. For apartments, 11 of the 15 locations have prices higher than a year ago.
This means there is a groundswell of positive factors, a rising tide of markets – particularly outside the two biggest cities, which is where two-thirds of Australians live.
Against that background, there are positive forces building which will turbocharge the situation and create a national property boom.
We have seen that local economies and property markets have charged out of lockdown phases with considerable exuberance. We can also get a message from New Zealand, where the economy has continued to emit positive signals and property prices have been rising strongly right across that country.
The more our local economies return to normal, with Melbourne recovering and state border restrictions easing, the more we will see improved confidence and rising market activity.
But the big looming factor is the upcoming infrastructure spend – and, partly as a by-product, considerable uplift in the resources sector.
It is clear that federal and state governments intend to generate an infrastructure-led economic recovery and are willing to go deep into budget deficit to achieve it.
Few things supercharge economies and real estate markets like big infrastructure projects, be they motorways, rail links, hospitals or energy facilities.
Infrastructure developments create economic activity and jobs – and the energises property markets. These projects also improve the amenity of the locations that are directly impacted by the new projects.
A by-product of the infrastructure-inspired recovery will be a new resources boom, with that sector already busy servicing overseas demand.
Another big factor which will drive prices higher is the extraordinary shortage of real estate in most locations in Australia. Vacancy rates of 1% and lower are the norm now and it’s putting upward pressure on rents. Developers have been building less in the past 2-3 years and investors have been largely on the sidelines for the past 18 months in particular. The rental stock the market needs has not been created at the required levels.
At the same time, vendors have been reticent – which means that buyers outnumber sellers in many locations.
Recently we have seen economists from the major banks and other institutions recanting their March-April forecasts of real estate prices dropping 10%, 20% or 30% - and are now suggesting much more moderate outcomes. Westpac is now predicting boom-level price growth starting in mid-2021.
While they and others are becoming increasingly bullish for their predictions, they’re still getting it wrong. Prices may be nudging downwards, generally speaking, in Melbourne and Sydney but they are rising in most other places. And the big uplift will come much sooner than the economists expect.
We’re starting to see media reacting to the change in sentiment, although well behind the game as usual. Here are some of the headlines from the past week:
<ul>
<li>Top End of housing market will lead recovery – The Australian</li>
<li>Housing bears face extinction as forecasts turn bullish – Financial Review</li>
<li>Regional house price rises on the way – Financial Review</li>
<li>House prices bounce in September – ABC News</li>
<li>Houses emerge stronger over September as Sydney and Melbourne declines soften: Property Observer</li>
<li>Are we nearing another property boom? – Smart Property Investor</li>
<li>Victoria set for big summer of sales post-lockdown – Australian Property Investor</li>
<li>Huge sign the property market is heading up again – Yahoo Finance</li>
</ul>
This is significant because mainstream media is reluctant to present positive scenarios about the housing market.
I note also that Simon Pressley of Propertyology – who I think is the best real estate research analyst in Australia - is also predicting a property boom.
He writes in a report published last week: “Make no mistake, property markets in large parts of Australia will be booming by summer! Several locations in different parts of the country have already produced double-digit capital growth over the first 9-months of this calendar year and there are umpteen others with fast growing momentum.
“Anecdotal evidence from research conducted by Propertyology suggests that property markets are already booming in locations such as Noosa, Canberra, Orange, Dubbo, Burnie, Bendigo, Mildura, Mount Gambier, Coffs Harbour and Karratha. That’s ten towns in seven states and territories.
The cast of thousands who, during the March-April national lockdown, were forecasting a real estate Armageddon score an epic ‘Fail’.”
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au ryder@hotspotting.com.au twitter.com/hotspotting
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Australia on the cusp of a national real estate boom: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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Australian house prices are rising again with two exceptions: unit markets in Sydney and Melbourne. Declining unit prices are being driven by high levels of supply, problems in the rental market and foreign students not returning.
However, these declines are now fairly modest at a capital city level. In Melbourne, apartment prices are down 1.2% while Sydney is down 0.2% since the start of the pandemic. It is likely they will return to growth in the coming months.
At a suburb level, the impact of poor rental market conditions is more apparent, and prices have dropped considerably.
Topping the list for capital city unit market price declines is Carlton in Melbourne’s Inner North where the median price for units has dropped 22% over the past 12 months, reflecting the weak student rental market. It is possible declines in Melbourne’s Highett and Ormond are being driven by a similar trend.
Gungahlin, in the red-hot Canberra market, is surprisingly showing big declines in prices, down 20%.
Surprisingly weak conditions are also being seen in parts of the recovering Perth market. Mandurah, Mount Lawley and Fremantle units are all seeing price declines in excess of 10%.
In Sydney, high development areas such as Sydney Olympic Park and North Ryde are topping the list for price declines.
Probably the biggest surprise is Melbourne CBD, which has seen the most dramatic rise in vacant apartments in Australia. At present, prices remain steady.
While prices are well down on last year, housing market conditions are improving, and this will flow through to unit pricing over the next 12 months. For many of these markets, renters will also return, which will support values.
For now, if you are someone who is looking for an affordable property or consider yourself a counter-cyclical buyer, be prepared to take on a bit of risk and these areas may be worth a look.
Australian luxury property defies the downturn and global trend
We are continuing to see strong conditions for luxury properties around Australia. On realestate.com.au, views per listing for $10 million-plus properties have increased from 1,800 prior to the pandemic to more than 4,500.
Some of this may be to do with people being stuck at home and dreaming about beautiful homes, but price growth is now occurring, suggesting at least some of this search activity was from serious buyers.
While luxury is having its moment in Australia, globally it isn’t uniformly the case as shown by the latest Luxury House Price Index from Knight Frank.
Global gateway cities such as Paris, London, Hong Kong and New York are all seeing declining prices at luxury price points.
This is a little bit surprising given there seems to be a flight to safe assets more broadly and property, particularly in these markets, is generally seen to be very safe.
It may have more to do with how COVID-19 has impacted these markets, suggesting high net worth buyers may be looking at certain locations for health reasons, rather than to park their cash.
This certainly holds true for the city that is topping the list in Knight Frank’s report – Auckland. New Zealand has been one of the least impacted countries in the world in terms of COVID-19 infections and has also seen the biggest increase in luxury house prices over the past 12 months.
It also holds true, although to a lesser extent, in Australia. Melbourne luxury homes have still experienced a price increase, but at only 0.2% it is far less than Sydney and Perth at 2.3% and 2.2% respectively.
 
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Apartment buyers must strike while the iron is hot: REA's Nerida Conisbee

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78252/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Imagine in the years ahead that you were to come across a photograph of the Melbourne streetscape from 2017.
Two things would immediately signify it as being from today – the number of cranes across the skyline and at street level, the construction hoardings glistening with glamourous promise. 
Melbourne is now experiencing the most dramatic real estate boom in living history – this feverish development has seen 13,000 new apartments constructed each year for the past two years with plans for another 22,000 over the next few years.
And like that photograph of the 2017 streetscape, one can also take another kind of record, a typographic snapshot. Fonts can tell us something about a time and a place. Within the real estate industry, this is centred around branding – and more specifically those ubiquitous logos weaved throughout our urban landscape.
In an age when each individual building demands a logo as much as an address, and often these congeal (8 Breese, 85 Spring Street) or fill us with an aspiration to be somewhere else (West Village, Haus), the end result is a seemingly never-ending array of marks all jostling to dazzle us with their glamour and aspiration. But is this massive explosion of logos a new thing? 
The clearest way to see any of these connections is to look across other periods of economic boom. The oversupply of livestock in the 1870s is one such time. During this period the plentiful supply of cattle necessitated that the ownership of herds be strongly signified and differentiated in the marketplace. At that time the most effective way to do this was through branding – quite literally, a hot iron branded seared into the rumps of the livestock. 
By the latter half of the 19th century the simpler alphabetical brands had all been used up so the designs became increasingly complex and idiosyncratic. These plentiful livestock brands began to do odd things – letters would be turned upside down or flipped, there would be strange little icons of hats, anchors, fish, shields, glasses and other even more abstract shapes. 
When placed alongside the embellished brands extolling the contemporary real estate boom, some strong design similarities become clear. It seems that the imperative to produce a distinct identity seems to bridge 140 years with ease. These design similarities hint at the underlying economic cycle, boom followed by bust. 
<img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/170711/width754/file-20170524-5782-1uz33bn.png" alt="">
<div class="enlarge_hint"> </div>
The top line are real estate brands from 2016 whilst the bottom line are cattle brands from 1870. Apartment brands from left to right: Nest at the Hill (Doncaster); Queens Place (CBD); Reflections (North Melbourne); Capital Grand (South Yarra)Author provided
<h2>Who we are and want we want</h2>
The logos that festoon the hoardings across our streets tell us a great deal about who we are, and more specifically, what we want. Script typefaces (those based on handwriting) tell us that we are in an age where people yearn for the authentic, the handmade, a personal connection. The use of fonts, patterns and symbols as well as specific colours may offer us an insight into what cultural shorthand is being used to speak to many prospective buyers. 
It is that supreme marker of modernity – sans serif fonts - that above all others expresses our shared contemporary notions of style and urbane aspiration. These fonts, such as “helvetica”, do not use the ornamental ends of letters that serif fonts, like the one you are reading on, include. We take in and process all of these factors in the split second that we consume a logo.
Logos, and the typefaces from which they are composed, have always spoken of the times we live in – including the reflection of economic and social patterns. The mechanised efficiencies of the early 20th century were met by a geometric simplicity in letterforms, whilst the 1970s sexual revolution coincidentally saw spacing between letterforms become very intimate, coupled as it was with the advent of phototypesetting, a process soon superseded by computers. 
Booms have a habit of producing an oversupply. And this oversupply calls for some kind of unique differentiation. Differentiation calls for creativity. This is where branding comes in. Trying to tell a herd of cows apart in the 1870s is perhaps no easier than trying to differentiate the often generic architectural forms of apartment developments built today. 
<img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/174655/width754/file-20170620-24868-uwcoc8.jpg" alt="">
Brands of the cattle boom (black) contrasted with contemporary real estate (white) Author provided
The old marketing adage “the more generic the product, the more you differentiate by brand” certainly appears to be at work here. This is but one comparison across two localised economic booms but the same pattern could be expected to appear whenever there is an “over stimulation” in a highly crowded marketplace. 
What this frenzy of logos does show us is that despite the world of brands being fixated on the “now” it too has a “then” – one that I am sure we will see again some time soon.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-banham-172590" target="_blank">Stephen Banham</a> is Lecturer in Typography, RMIT University and author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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