Australia’s booming pub real estate sector could fire into life early in 2024, if the mystery buyer of The Oaks hotel in Neutral Bay can finally stump up the $170 million to purchase the famous watering hole.

While over $1.1 billion of pubs changed hands in NSW alone in 2023, that figure does not include The Oaks, despite a deal being struck way back in February 2023 to sell the property to a “local Mosman family”.