Sydney CBD office transactions up 19 percent on year: Savills
With 4.96 million square metres of total stock, Sydney CBD is the largest office market in Australia, according to Savills’ latest office research.
It is also the most sought after; a fact highlighted by strong prime property rents and yields.
Savills recorded approximately $5.66 billion of office transactions, in the 12 months to December 2015, in the Sydney CBD.
This is up 19 percent from $4.78 billion in the previous 12 months, and up on the five year average of $3.25 billion.
During the same period 29 properties were sold, down on the previous 12 months (47), and down on the five year average of 31.
Sydney experienced its strongest year of office investment in over a decade in 2015.
Among the prominent ones was the sale of 60 Margaret Street (50%) to an offshore equity buyer for $279.5 million, reflecting a circa 6.5% passing yield.
The building comprises a 38-level hexagonal office block including three levels of car parking, three floors of retail space known as the Metcentre, 30 floors of office space and two plant levels. It has a total net lettable area 47,047 sqm.
In July 2015, Investa Property Trust concluded the sale of nine assests to China Investments Corporation (CIC).
The portfolio generally comprised Premium or A Grade office buildings.
Six of the assets are located in the Sydney CBD.
At a reported $2.455 billion ($1.825 billion in the Sydney CBD), the sale represents an approximate 25% increase on the understood December 2014 book values and a reported portfolio yield of 5%.
This arguably reset the benchmark for market yields and IRRs for good quality CBD assets by 25 to 50 basis points tighter over the quarter.
