This Month
- Opinion
- Property Observed
When will office tower values stop falling?
Investor sentiment about the battered office sector is turning. And, say some, there may even be some upside in 2025.
November
Doing it his way: How David Harrison built an $80b funds empire
In his two decades at the top, the Charter Hall chief executive has transformed the property funds group into a giant of the industry.
- Opinion
- Property Observed
Australia’s big shopping malls are back in black
Despite the cost of living pressures and the challenge of on-line shopping, retail rents are rising and so are mall valuations. There’s a reason for that.
October
- Opinion
- Housing crisis
This is why new housing isn’t getting built
All the talk is about the planning process, zoning and development approvals. But projects won’t go ahead if they don’t stack up.
- Opinion
- Industrial
Goodbye Sydney: warehouse owners priced out of town
The resulting transport and storage charges will flow on to the cost of living in Sydney, even to the cost of building a new home.
- Updated
- Opinion
- Property market
We’re more nuanced on negative gearing than five years ago
Disadvantages for investors – and gains for aspiring owners – would be more modest than many expect, if Australia’s property tax regime changed.
July
The investor survival kit for property taxes
Property investors, particularly in Victoria and NSW, face what seems to be an ever-increasing regime of extra costs and charges. Here are some tips to stay the course.
June
- Opinion
- Property Observed
‘Eyes wide open’: How to ride the private credit boom
Private credit for commercial real estate has never been stronger. It’s also running into trouble. “All of us need to be eyes wide open and alert. It is real estate and it is credit. Let’s not misprice the risks.”
May
- Opinion
- Commercial real estate
Why Lendlease couldn’t grow like Westfield or Goodman
The developers’ mantra “think global, act local” makes sense but too often the offshore investments, by Lendlease and many others, have lacked discipline.
Rich Lister Terry Snow steps away from the cockpit
At 79, the Canberra property dynamo behind Canberra Airport is finally stepping down from active roles. His son Tom will now chair the airport board.
- Opinion
- Housing slump
Can $32 billion fix the housing crisis?
The Albanese government’s ambitious plan to boost housing supply might not make a difference before the next election. Is there a better solution?
‘Larger than life’: packed memorial farewells Lang Walker
Friday’s two-hour public service for the property developer and Rich Lister, who died in January, was attended by a who’s who of Australian business and politics.
- Opinion
- Property development
Housing construction is collapsing around Australia. Here’s why
Developers can charge buyers more, or the costs can come down to make apartment developments viable. It’s clear which is better, Robert Harley writes.
March
- Opinion
- Property Observed
‘Get in at the right time, you’ll outperform’: Steinberg exits Dexus
The chief executive is stepping down from one of the country’s biggest firms, bringing to a close two decades of high-profile commercial property leadership.
February
- Opinion
- Property Observed
Report card on the REITs: mind your debts
Lessons from earnings season: retail property surprised on the upside, logistics cooled a tad, office continued to lag, and housing inquiry rose.
- Opinion
- Property Observed
The $45b funding gap in commercial property
For owners, the capital gap is a looming challenge over the next few years. For those with capital, it is a major opportunity.
January
- Opinion
- Property Observed
Lang Walker: builder of skyscrapers with feet firmly on the ground
In an age of spreadsheets and internal rates of return, the billionaire developer’s common touch gave him an understanding for what business, or home buyers, wanted.
December 2023
- Robert Harley
- Property Observed
Real estate 2024: get ready for the hard grind
Whatever happens to interest rates next year, finance costs are not returning to pandemic lows. That’s a big burden for investors, developers and contractors, as well as home buyers and owners in mortgage stress.
November 2023
- Opinion
- Property investment
Why property investors love fast food
It’s a high-profile sector that has shown more resilience in values and turnover over the past 18 months than retail or office. And it’s inflation-resistant.
- Opinion
- Accommodation
What’s to like, or not, in $12b land lease housing sector
Thousands of mostly senior Australians have moved into ‘land lease’ estates, where they own their physical home and pay a site fee. Investors are following the demographics.