Real Estate

Trends and updates on property markets, including residential and commercial sectors.

Real Estate
Australia's first-home buyers urged to act now
First-home buyers in Australia are being encouraged to buy sooner rather than later due to current friendly market conditions. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s anticipated interest rate cut to 4.1% last month, home buyer confidence has risen across all states, according to the PRD Australian Economic and Property Update. PRD chief economist, Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo said the rate cuts could create a frenzy in the market, benefiting home buyers, businesses and investors. “Home buyers will have access to a slightly higher borrowing amount, which will assist with competing in an undersupplied market,” Dr Mardiasmo said. The highest rates of growth on the time to buy a dwelling index are in Victoria (43%) and in South Australia (32.8%). Housing prices also moderated more than expected in the December quarter, especially in Melbourne and Sydney. Despite this, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and some regional areas continued to see price growth. According to the PRD Australian Economic and Property Update, while there has been a 1.3% decrease in the number of homebuyers, they are most active in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland. While cost-of-living continues to be an issue plaguing Australi
Real Estate
China’s real estate crisis: Can the market stabilise?
China’s real estate sector, a vital pillar of the economy, continues to face mounting challenges as it enters its fifth year of crisis in 2025. Major developers are struggling with rising debt, liquidation petitions, and plunging stock prices, despite ongoing government efforts to stabilise the market. A Brief HistoryThe Chinese property sector crisis began in 2021 with Evergrande Group's default, following years of overbuilding and tight government corporate debt regulations. The crisis quickly spread to major developers, including Country Garden, Kaisa Group, and Sunac, as a deepening contagion of financial instability spread throughout the sector. Evergrande’s troubles escalated after a leaked letter in August 2021 revealed its liquidity concerns. As investor confidence collapsed, its stock price plunged, affecting global markets and reducing foreign investment in China. Attempts to sell assets failed, and the company missed multiple debt payments before defaulting on an offshore bond in December 2021. International ratings agencies, including Fitch, subsequently classified Evergrande as in "restricted default," marking a turning point in China's property downturn.Credit: TradingViewChina’s Real Estate Crisis Deepens as
Real Estate
New investment in Europe by the Norges Bank fund
Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) has announced a €240 million (A$413 million) investment for a 40% stake in AXA Lifestyle Housing, a platform managing student housing and co-living properties in France and Spain under The Boost Society brand. The deal, signed on 19 March, values the platform at €1.3 billion, with €600 million in debt. Completion is expected in Q1 2025, pending seller approval after a works council consultation. This strategic move aligns with NBIM’s focus on diversifying its real estate portfolio. “This acquisition underscores our commitment to investing in high-quality assets in resilient sectors,” said a spokesperson for NBIM. The portfolio includes 42 properties with approximately 12,200 beds, catering to the growing demand for student and co-living accommodations in Europe. AXA IM Alts, through its European Student Accommodation Venture S.C.A., will retain a 60% stake and continue managing the portfolio. “We are thrilled to partner with NBIM to further enhance the value of these assets,” said an AXA IM Alts representative. The collaboration aims to leverage AXA’s operational expertise and NBIM’s financial strength to optimise returns. The investment comes amid a broader recovery in Europe
Real Estate
Property earnings help Brickworks rebuild profits
Brickworks has announced a 141% surge in statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) including significant items to A$21 million (US$13.2 million) in the first half of the 2025 financial year (H1 FY25). The 81-year-old building products maker said this compared with a $52 million loss in the previous corresponding period (pcp) ending January 2024, which was significantly affected by property revaluations. Brickworks, which is 43% owned by 122-year-old industry investment company Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company (ASX: SOL), said underlying NPAT before significant items soared 308% to $76 million from a $37 million loss. Directors declared a fully franked interim dividend of 25 cents per share, compared with 24 cents a year earlier, to be paid on 1 May to shareholders registered on 9 April. Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from continuing operations was $148 million in the first half, compared to a loss of $40 million in the pcp. Building Products underlying EBITDA was 4% lower in Australia at $50 million and 115% down in North America to a $3 million loss, due to challenging market conditions, while property EBITDA rose 121% to $38 million and investments EB
Real Estate
Aussies move to regions, internal migration drops: report
Australians are increasingly moving to regional areas, though internal migration has begun to slow. Around 32% more Australians moved from large cities to regional areas than the reverse in the December quarter, according to a report by Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute. Total internal migration fell by almost 12%, however, in a seasonal slowdown at the end of 2024. “ Regional Australia is the new frontier, and people are enthusiastic about the career opportunities and lifestyle benefits it offers,” said Regional Australia Institute CEO Liz Ritchie.  “The emergence of new mover hotspots further out shows this increase of population into Australia’s regions is not isolated to a couple of places, rather that it’s happening all over the country. It’s why we must ensure communities have the infrastructure, funding and support they need to ensure they can continue to welcome new residents.”   Migration from capitals to regions represented 11.4% of internal migration, rising by 0.1% from the previous quarter. The local government areas reporting the largest share of inbound internal migration were Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and Victoria’s Greater Geelong. Migration from capitals significantly outpace

Real Estate
Buying an ancient abandoned Italian property for a song
All across Italy local municipalities are on a mission to save their ailing hometowns from extinction by selling off dilapidated homes priced for as little as €1. But there’s a catch. Whoever buys these long abandoned and broken down properties must commit to their full restoration. To curb the slow diaspora of locals from their villages and hometowns where there are no jobs, one town has been quietly selling homes for the price of a latte and is about to release another tranche of real estate. Penne, situated in Italy's central region of Abruzzo, halfway between the Adriatic coast and the Gran Sasso mountain range, is selling off abandoned homes for the price of a latte in an attempt to bring people back to the rapidly dwindling community. Having sold six such homes since the program began in 2022, the next batch of properties will soon be available for enterprising buyers in the next few weeks, according to local mayor Gilberto Petrucci. Once these properties are sold, he says more will follow. "There are potentially over 40 empty buildings in town looking for new owners, and they're all located in the historical centre which has been declining since families started emigrating decades ago," Pe
Real Estate
Barry Walker's $24m Fijian private island up for sale
Barry and Shauna Walker have listed their A$24 million private Fijian Island after falling in love with it many years ago. After their first visit to Fiji, Shauna and Barry purchased Vawa Island as their new passion project. “We saw the island and even though there was nothing there, we just knew there was something really magical about the place and we just had to go back,” Shauna said. Barry is the co-founder of California cannabis company Dub Bros and said it was serendipity that brought the island to them. The couple purchased the island for US$2 million from a New Zealand-based billionaire and began renovations that took around five years, which took up most of the island's cost. “Our budget was always going to be wrong because we didn’t realise we were going to build a city,” Barry said. “We weren’t just building a bathroom, we were building all the plumbing, all the sanitation, and you can’t just pump it out into the water.” On the island, they built a house that featured six-metre ceilings at the highest point designed to withstand a category 5 cyclone, constructed by Australian bilder Kyronn. It also has a 300 square metre hardwood deck that wraps around a 150,000-litre pool with four bathrooms tha
Real Estate
Buffett’s selldown flags alarm bells for US property sector
Revelations that United States investment icon Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway empire is offloading its real estate business are being viewed as an ominous sign of industry consolidation amid a protracted period of dismal U.S. home sales. It’s understood that Compass, the largest real estate brokerage in the U.S. – which operates in 35 U.S. states and Washington DC, with more than 33,000 agents - is in the middle of talks to buy Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America. With around 820 brokerage offices, 270 franchisees, and 5,400 employees in 2024, HomeServices is said to be the industry’s fourth-biggest player. In 2023, HomeServices will have more than 50,000 agents, close around $127 billion in sales and have more than 1,500 offices globally. While the acquisition price has not been disclosed, a recent Wall Street Journal report suggests a deal announcement could be imminent. Industry consolidation Buffett's decision to step back from the real estate game marks another major consolidation in a housing market that has been struggling with sluggish sales in recent years. Low home sale volumes due to sky-high mortgage rates, tight housing inventory, and record-breaking home prices, have triggered
Real Estate
Amora Hotels & Resorts buys Adelaide's Hilton Hotel
Adelaide’s Hilton Hotel has changed hands for the first time in more than 30 years after being acquired by Amora Hotels & Resorts. The hotel’s sale was negotiated by CBRE Hotels on behalf of 233 Victoria Square Hotel for an undisclosed sum. CRBE’s Michael Simpson said the sale was a “generational acquisition” that will be supported by a pipeline of private and public infrastructure projects. “Following the recent completion of the A$2.3 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital, $500 million Australian Bragg Centre and $450 million Central Market redevelopment, further notable projects will include Government funded innovation districts and defence projects which are expected to further drive corporate and event demand,” Simpson said. Amora Hotels & Resorts is a family-run hospitality group that operates a range of hotel properties across Australia and Thailand, including the award-winning Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney. Amora Hotels & Resorts owner, Earp Siriphatrawan said the acquisition will help the hospitality group further establish a “strong presence” in Australia. "We are delighted to welcome the iconic Hilton Adelaide into the Amora Hotels & Resorts portfolio, marking a significant milestone in our expansion strategy,