National

  • Property Council of Australia nominations now open

    Nominations for the Property Council’s industry committees are now open. “Effective advocacy for our industry and its contribution to Australia has never been more important,” said Property Council of Australia Chief Executive Ken Morrison. “Our members are critical in this important work, including through participation in our various industry committees. Our committee members help to shape the future for our…

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  • Rental affordability best since 2007: REIA

    The REIA Housing Affordability Report shows rent affordability has improved across the country in the June quarter, with figures not seen since late 2007. “The proportion of income required to meet rent payments decreased to 23.3 per cent in the quarter, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points over the quarter and down 0.5 percentage points compared to the same time…

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  • Experts positive about housing affordability

    Experts have never felt better about housing affordability around the country, according to a survey conducted by comparison site Finder.In this month’s Finder RBA Cash Rate Survey, 40 experts and economists weighed in on future cash rate moves and other issues related to the state of the Australian economy.While all experts and economists surveyed correctly predicted the cash rate to…

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  • RBA takes hold and hope approach

    The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has left the official cash rate on hold at 0.25 per cent as the nation’s economy continues to feel the fallout of COVID-19. Noting the economy is grappling with the “biggest contraction since the 1930s” RBA Governor Philip Lowe said his board was committed to doing what it could to support jobs, incomes and…

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  • Rate of home value decline eases

    Australian home values have recorded their fourth month of COVID-induced decline, with the CoreLogic home value index dropping a further 0.4 per cent in August. Although the overall figure highlights a downward trend, CoreLogic notes the fall is not consistent across the board with some areas faring far better than others. “…at least from a macro perspective, the rate of…

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  • The Agency reports 48 per cent increase in revenue

    The Agency is celebrating success, with their financial results for 2019/20 indicating a turnaround in cashflow and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), along with a 48 per cent increase in revenue. Released on August 31, The Agency’s ASX announcement highlights 12 months of operational growth and improvement, resulting in revenue of $41.86 million, compared to $28.34 million…

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  • Coronis BDM Cadetship attracts over 200 applications

    Coronis has been inundated with 207 applications in just three days for their new Business Development Manager (BDM) Cadet Program which launches on 1 September 2020. Coronis Property Management Director Jodi Ford, who oversaw the growth of the Coronis portfolio from 200 properties to 8000, said they received so much interest in the new program they had to take the Seek…

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  • @realty’s virtual tools to accelerate business

    National real estate group @realty has seen its sales volumes increase by 20 per cent in the first half of the year, with its virtual network and online sales tools helping agents to navigate border closures. @realty significantly invested in its bespoke software last year, including virtual sales tools that have helped to close deals on multi-million dollar properties with…

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  • Openn Negotiation to auction signed footy boots for charity

    Richmond AFL stars Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt have kindly donated the boots they wore at the historic ‘2020 Darwin Dreamtime’ match to raise money for St Mary’s Football Club NT. The boots will be auctioned off through Openn Negotiation – a platform that ordinarily facilitates the transparent sale of properties online. One of St Mary’s long-term sponsors is Real…

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  • Ouwens Casserly appoint new COO

    Ouwens Casserly Real Estate has expanded its senior leadership team with the appointment of John Thompson.  Mr Thompson joins OC in the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), offering strategic support and leadership across all divisions of the business.  “John has been managing a hugely successful recruitment business that has more than tripled in revenue over his seven-year…

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  • Australian housing at its most affordable since 1999

    HIA’s Housing Affordability Index for the June Quarter 2020 indicates national property prices are at their most affordable since 1999. HIA’s Affordability Index is calculated for each of the eight capital cities and regional areas on a quarterly basis and takes into account the latest dwelling prices, mortgage interest rates, and wage developments. Housing affordability improved in the June quarter…

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  • Harvard economist: Australia has most overvalued property prices in world

    Leading Harvard economist Harry Dent has warned he believes Australian property prices are set for a huge fall. Dent is a Harvard MBA graduate, a Fortune 100 consultant, a New York Times bestseller, and claims to have correctly predicted “nearly every major economic event in the past three decades including the 90s recession, the decade-long bull market which followed it,…

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  • New online tool helps estimate reno costs

    If you’ve been watching The Block recently, you may have noticed that Suncorp and CoreLogic are both among the sponsors.  The pair have teamed up to launch a new renovation calculator, aimed at helping those inspired by The Block work out the cost of home renovations, according to the room, renovation type, and particular suburb you are renovating in. The…

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  • Domain launches new spring campaign

    Domain have launched their latest lighthearted campaign, ‘see the possibilities’, which plays on those ‘it’s time’ moments, when people know they need to make a property change that’s a better fit for their current lifestyle. The campaign is “centered on the human truths underpinned by changing search behaviour” from needing a proper home office to wanting more natural light. The…

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  • Consumer connection the focus as Real Estate Industry Partners announce new CEO

    First established about three years ago, REIP includes some of the sector’s biggest brands and independent agencies. Now they’re looking to improve the profile of the industry by working alongside the national and state real estate industry (REI) bodies to offer a unified national voice at a consumer, industry, and government level. Set to commence the role on September 22,…

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  • Trouble at the mall as landlords and tenants ponder mutually assured destruction

    “This is not a bluff,” Scott Evans, the chief executive of Mosaic Brands, has said of his threat to permanently close 300 to 500 stores in Australia unless landlords reduce rents. Mosiac’s network of about 1300 apparel stores includes Katies, Noni B, Rivers, Rockmans, Millers and Crossroads. With stores shuttered temporarily due to COVID-19 restrictions, it posted a A$170.5 million loss in the…

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  • realestate.com.au springs into fresh campaign

    realestate.com.au has surged to an all-time audience high, reaching 12 million Australians in July, as the brand announced the launch of its new campaign. The campaign extends upon the successful ‘Millions More Buyers’ messages and continues to leverage the platform’s market leadership position of having the largest and most engaged audience of property seekers. REA Group Executive Manager, Consumer Marketing,…

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  • HIA: Home building slump will weigh down GDP

    The decline in residential building work will “compound the contraction in Australia’s Gross Domestic Product in the June quarter,” according to HIA Senior Economist Geordan Murray. The total value of residential building work done declined by 5.5 per cent in the June quarter, and is down by 12.1 per cent compared with a year ago. Mr Murray notes that the total value…

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  • RE/MAX appoints Business Growth Manager

    After the successful transition of WA offices into its national network, RE/MAX Australia this month announced the appointment of experienced real estate professional Donna Goddard to the corporate team. Ms Goddard is Perth-based in the role of Business Growth Manager, WA. She has longevity in the Australian real estate landscape with around 12 years as an advertising director with News…

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  • ANZ: Melbourne house prices to fall by 15%, Sydney not much better

    Melbourne house prices will fall by 15 per cent, according to new predictions by ANZ’s economists. The bank also forecasts tough times for Sydney owners, with housing set to drop by an estimated 13 per cent. It predicts the bottoming out of prices will likely occur in the second half of 2021. The bank predicts a national price drop of…

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  • Crown Group CEO calls for ‘wellness’ to be integrated into building standards

    Crown Group Chairman and CEO Iwan Sunito is calling for tenants’ physical and mental wellbeing to be considered and incorporated into building design standards in the post-COVID world. “Many people are spending more time working from home, studying from home, home-schooling their children and exercising and recreating,” Mr Sunito said. “People who live in well-designed homes that offer plenty of…

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  • REA launches new tools for self-managed landlords

    REA Group has announced a new experience for self-managed landlords to either connect with an agency on realestate.com.au, or list their rental property directly on the site. Set to go live later this month, the move comes in response to research highlighting that over one third of investors now self-manage their rental properties, presenting an untapped segment for realestate.com.au consumers and customers to…

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  • Leading retail group to close up to 500 Australian stores

    Mosaic Brands, the retail group that owns fashion brands such as Millers, Noni B, Rivers, Katies, Rockmans and more, has delivered a disastrous FY20 loss along with news it plans to shut as many as 500 stores over the next two years. The group owns 1332 Australian stores, employing 6800 people across the country. Today they announced an underlying loss…

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  • McGrath announces pleasing FY20 results

    McGrath Limited has announced a significant turnaround in fortunes this past financial year. The company posted underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $3.7 million, excluding $2.2 million worth of government COVID-related grants, for the year to 30 June 2020. This is compared with a loss of $6.4 million in the previous year, and amounts to a…

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  • McGrath financial results

    McGrath appoint new CEO after Geoff Lucas resigns

    Geoff Lucas has stepped down from the role of Chief Executive Officer at McGrath Limited. Mr Lucas’ resignation was announced on the same day the company released their FY2020 financial results. “The Board had accepted Mr Lucas’ resignation and paid tribute to his service to the company during what has been a difficult two and a half years for the…

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  • Openn Negotation releases major app upgrade

    Online real estate sales platform, Openn Negotiation, has released a major upgrade of its app – making transparent property sales even easier. With the release of Openn 3.0, it’s faster to navigate the platform, easier to find and manage properties, and when buyers are ready, to place a bid. The latest version of the Openn Negotiation app can be downloaded…

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  • Off-the-plan and new builds surge as stimulus takes hold

    A sharp uptake in off-the-plan and new build sales is potentially underpinning the nation’s real estate market, with owner-occupiers taking advantage of various stimulus packages, according to LJ Hooker. Mathew Tiller, LJ Hooker’s Head of Research, credits “pent up demand” after the shutdown, record low interest rates, and the various state and federal-led stimulus packages for the surge in off-the-plan…

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  • Hammer falls on another steady auction week

    While Melbourne continues to fluctuate, Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate is on the rise, this week coming in at 71.9 per cent, while the national success rate held steady at 64.7 per cent. CoreLogic reports 1082…

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  • Commercial rental collection kept rising in July

    CREDIA, a new online resource of commercial property leasing indicators from Re-Leased, has published Australian rental collection data for July which shows payment rates continue to improve. Throughout the month of July, 74 per cent of commercial rent was received by landlords within 30 days, compared to 71 per cent in June. The pre-COVID monthly average was 89 per cent.  …

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  • Commercial tenancy code extension could spell disaster

    An extension of the commercial leasing code of conduct by state and territory governments would impose an extra $4.8 billion in costs on commercial property owners, according to the Property Council of Australia. This is in addition to the $4 billion impact of the leasing code on commercial landlord revenues for the five-month period from April to September. This could…

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  • Lenders slashing investor interest rates, despite extra scrutiny

    New RateCity data shows that 47 mortgage lenders in Australia have reduced investor interest rates over the past two months. This is despite both the extra scrutiny lenders now undergo when applying for such a loan, and the RBA holding steady on the 0.25 per cent official cash rate. Of those 47 lenders, the average reduction was 0.27 per cent…

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  • More urban sprawl while jobs cluster: working from home will reshape the nation

    For most of us the experience of working from home this year has, on balance, been positive – enough that it may well become the norm after the COVID-19 crisis ends. But modelling by Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies shows there will be costs alongside the personal benefits, with more urban sprawl, job flight to the biggest cities and…

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  • Offr platform to launch in Australia

    A prop-tech platform that digitises the buying, selling and leasing process for real estate agents and buyers, has raised close to AU$5m in seed funding. Launched just 10 months ago, Offr digitises over 85 per cent of the process of buying and selling property for agents and their customers. It also makes international trading of property possible for buyers online,…

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  • Lenders shy away from commercial sector

    A new report by CBRE has found a number of factors are making lenders more reticent in their lending practices for commercial properties. The report explains how increasing economic uncertainty brought about by the onset of COVID-19 has resulted in retailers struggling to stay open and pay the rent. Commercial rent in most Australian office markets has declined, and vacancy…

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  • Starting a rent roll the right way

    So, you’re an amazing property manager. Your landlords love you. And now you’re ready to take the leap and start a rent roll of your own. There’s no doubt, owning a rent roll is one of the most rewarding things you can do in your property management career. But it comes with risks, potholes, and so many stresses that are…

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