"Automation" will be the buzzword for the industrial property market in 2019 as manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers discard outdated manually operated distribution hubs and invest in state-of-the-art new facilities in the quest to find the most efficient ways to deliver goods speedily to customers.

With demand for these hi-tech facilities set to outstrip supply, especially in land-constrained markets such as Sydney and Brisbane, rents are forecast to rise strongly this year, analysts, landlords and estate agents said, whilst on the investment from, demand from both offshore and local investors for prime assets should continue to drive up capital values.