Ray White

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs is the most expensive pocket of real estate in the whole of the country.

Whether it's harbourside Point Piper, where four of Australia's most expensive house sales have occurred in recent years, or beachside at Bondi or Bronte, demand for prestige houses is always bubbling away.

In 2022 there were 72 sales settle over the $10 million mark, 32 of those over $15 million, just in the Woollahra LGA alone.

Ray White Projects Managing Partner Eddie Mansour believes prestige turnover could be higher however, if there were more high-end new apartment developments being launched.

"You've got a consistently high turnover of prestige house sales every year in Sydney's most affluent areas," Mansour says.

"With limited prestige developments launching, there's very few places for these sellers to go.

"They could be walking away with over $10 plus million in cash, and want to buy a bolthole in Sydney and another home in a Hinterland or Coastal location, which will ultimately end up as a potential retirement dwelling.

"But there's not enough high-end apartment stock to service these buyers, which makes them hold onto their homes longer."

Mansour says these buyers aren't affected by interest rate movements. If something comes to the market, they can buy it within a day without the same bank approvals the majority of Sydney buyers need.

Last year the Ray White Projects team snappily sold out the second stage of the luxury 1788 Double Bay apartment development, Encore by SJD Property (pictured main and below). In the first stage that has been settled only one of the 26 buyers need a bank valuation, the rest settled in cash.<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="15" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/N4kZ70X8XvJVa-YXuc-e86ry1-RKnovAEwvHhkr0w5UvepuLCiPVUXzW7kHYgemlXi2uQNuGCGcvWX3H8nq46mNA9rSDrOeNmhaAUWTrMNS4KHO-vJ_JyTSzEWjAf7RVjPQcrJh87BylGhSZNZ2gdBVvMrzh8DdHjHYetwoAnyANh4icFTlzv2mW-S1Scw" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" />

<img alt="Encore 1788" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c16b813a-480d-4aad-a77d-e1988718f01b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202023-01-23%20at%203.52.53%20pm.png?VersionId=DYBMaUrEXWC6_ECG8KiyZ8M.75i3MUyZ" /> 
The Encore 1788 development by SJD Property

Prices for the one-bed apartments started from $2 million.

Mansour says the project acted as a good opportunity for those downsizing locally to secure a bolthole.&nbsp;

"At any given time the building, at best, is about 50 percent occupied. It's predominantly used as the owners' Sydney residence."

Mansour noted a trend during the sales process at 1788, a trend which has become more and more prominent in Sydney's east.

"There were a number of buyers in the project amalgamating apartments, buying two apartments to create one of the largest apartments in the block," Mansour said, adding that amalgamations are something the Woollahra Council are starting to limit.

"They want to try and keep entry level units in new apartment developments affordable for a wider range of buyers, rather than those that have just sold their prestige home and can put together two or three smaller apartments in the building."

Amalgamations were prevalent at the new luxury Bondi Beach development Aqualine on Hall Street, albeit located in the Waverley LGA.<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="15" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LEzA1Ai56jJxEFV6qG7lzg-TXXh263gKJsX4Ps3rEayx16FEcPjB5WPrp6GTQ1z-9oNQMpv7j2nwvPbvjy2TRx3zc6dJQPMAVK4K_BX8uddr9VUyez-EAO9MU1ldqWFEbMUWctml4ozM5Q_bXzX7tvH0wiIzi6KJwRqbbfF2zzwdYyDGRndggs11GjhoVg" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" />

<img alt="Aqualine" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="137a6c00-6cd3-425e-adfa-4fa929f59344" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202022-12-20%20at%2011.23.36%20am.png?VersionId=zBtHwXN6UzmLGWLgH1QKeJI2JibUxSQ." /> 
The Aqualine, Bondi Beach project designed by Koichi Takada

The latest development on Sydney's beaches by prominent architect Koichi Takada, the plans for Aqualine were for 17 apartments, but a number of amalgamations has taken the total number of apartments down to 12.

Ray White Projects have all but sold out the project, with just the $26 million penthouse remaining. That's expected to launch in the next few months, and will be the largest apartment across a single level in Bondi Beach, sprawling some 450 plus sqm.

Mansour says there's been a lot of interest for the project both locally and offshore for the four-bedroom apartment complete with multiple living/entertaining areas and two balconies.

There are less and less approvals coming through councils for high-end apartment developments, Mansour notes, across both Sydney's East and North Shore.

"There were five or six developments we were expected to work on at the back end of this year, however with delays, they're all now pushed out to the start of 2023," Mansour says

Ray White Projects Managing Partner Eddie Mansour believes prestige turnover could be higher however, if there were more high-end new apartment developments being launched

Joel Robinson

Why demand will always outstrip supply in Sydney's luxury off the plan apartment market: Five minutes with Ray White Projects Managing Partner Eddie Mansour

The Gold Coast apartment market has been one of, if not the most hotly&nbsp;contested markets across Australia in the off th​e plan apartment space.

Sell-outs are occurring at rapid pace, even before projects hit the open market.

Urban sat down with Andr​ew Bell, the managing director at Ray Wh​ite Surfers Paradise, to discuss the market in 2021, and what he seems for the immediate future.

JC: How have you viewed the performance of the GC apartment market (established and or off th​e plan) in 2021, and what are the strongest positive and negative factors that will influence outcomes in 2022 and 2023?

AB: The Gold Coast apartment market has been outstanding throughout 2021. &nbsp;

A unprecedented demand by owner occupiers was timely met by many property owners of apartments who either could not get returns on their investments due to closed borders and lockdowns, who chose to sell their AirBNB or rental properties rather than hold the properties, or were under some financial pressure back home which also caused them to sell their properties.

This resulted in a decline of investment held ownership of many Gold Coast properties and the significant rise in new owner occupiers or people simply buying apartments for personal use on a regular basis in a year. &nbsp;

In years gone by whenever there was an economic downturn in Australia, many investors would put their properties on the market to sell and this caused an oversupply of apartments for sale causing prices to fall proportionally more than other markets in Australia. &nbsp;

With a higher degree of owner occupiers now in apartments, we are now on level pegging&nbsp;with other markets in Australia and it will contribute to the old boom and bust scenario on the Gold Coast. &nbsp;

The unit markets are also the beneficiary of significant downsizing of people out of their houses whether here locally on the Gold Coast or indeed migrator&#39;s from interstate who chose to move into large apartments for the next phase of their life. &nbsp;This has seen significant growth and price increase for one&nbsp;per floor apartments or large 3 bedroom apartments. &nbsp;With an undersupply of such apartments on the Coast, there has been a significant amount of new development work to cater for this market. 
&nbsp; 
With the Gold Coast market now the number one go-to market for migrator&#39;s, many are opting for apartment lifestyle so the influence over 2022/23 will be the continuous development of new apartment buildings to meet this demand. &nbsp;New architecture, new buildings and new technical capabilities in newer buildings has also seen a flurry of new generation buildings which are simply stunning and will add to the appeal of the Coast. &nbsp;With international borders opening and the ease of return of expats and significant spike of enquiries from overseas investors, a strong platform has been established to meet those demands.

JC: What trend (short term or long term) has prompted your greatest enthusiasm for the GC apartment market, and what is the issue of most concern to you and or your clients? 
&nbsp; 
AB: What has prompted our greatest enthusiasm is the incredible volume of people looki​ng to buy apa​rtments and now an increasing supply of new brilliantly designed buildings to meet that demand. &nbsp;It was certainly frustrating over the past year to simply not have sufficient properties to offer the buyer demand but now it&#39;s so satisfying to be able to help people with a greater degree of choice with the building that they chose to be in. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The only issue of concern for me, is that there is a reality that some of the proposed buildings may ultimately not ever get built. &nbsp;Building costs have risen sharply and as a result some buildings where perhaps developers have paid too much for the land or where they are poorly funded developments, may find that they can&#39;t proceed to construction and that would prove frustrating for buyers who had made commitments to o​ff the plan sales. &nbsp;

It would be important for all buyers to make sure they are buying in buildings where developers have a proven track record and where clear undertakings can be provided that the buildings have either started construction or are starting construction shortly.

The Event, now in its third decade, will be held Sunday the 23rd of January at RACV Royal Pines, Beno​wa.

Andrew Bell is predicting the biggest auction on record due to the market conditions on the Gold Coast when the Event is held in January 2022

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Gold Coast now "level pegging" with other Australian property markets: Five minutes with Ray White Surfers Paradise Managing Director Andrew Bell

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Andrew McCulloch, the Ray White NSW CEO, is putting his Bowral home to weekend auction.

It has been popular with Sydney buyers seeking a treechange. 

The auction guide is $2 million to $2.2 million.

“During the first open we welcomed 14 groups through the home,” Ray White Bowral agent Gene Fairbanks said. 

<img alt="" height="1361" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/ray_white_bowral_2.jpg" width="2000">

"The beautifully done renovations, greenery and comfortable living it represented, ticks all the boxes for Sydney buyers,” he said of the home at 7 Alfreda Street, Bowral.

It is a 10 minute walk from the town.

Its outdoor living facilities on its 4500 sqm holding comes complete with brick pizza oven and built-in BBQ area.

Several cameras guard the main entrance gates.

<img alt="" height="476" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/ray_white_bowral_3.jpg" width="700">

There have been 4,468 page views on the realestate.com.au website which has 98 Bowral properties for sale.

The median property prices over the last year sits at $1,100,000.

Based on five years of sales, Bowral has seen a compound growth rate of 8 percent for houses and 3.2 percent for units.

Houses in Bowral rent out for $590 PW with an annual rental yield of 2.8 percent while its units rent for $400 PW with a rental yield of 3 percent.

Between December 12 and December 31, Ray White NSW has 545 properties scheduled to go under the hammer, with 245 of these this Saturday.   
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Andrew McCulloch, the Ray White NSW CEO, is putting his Bowral home to weekend auction

jchancellor

Tree change Bowral offering from Ray White NSW chief Andrew McCulloch

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<div>Melbourne auctioneer and agent, Aaron McDonald has been welcomed back to Ray White. </div>
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<div>Mr McDonald had been running his own business, before joining a local agency where he was awarded the number 1 sales agent from 2014-2017 across Melbourne's eastern suburbs. </div>
<div>  </div>
<div>Ray White Group chairman Brian White welcomed Mr McDonald back home. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“It’s always a great compliment when agents of Aaron’s calibre come back to our group. If you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together," Mr White said. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>McDonald was selling homes in Whitehorse, in particular the suburb of Blackburn.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Domain indicated Aaron McDonald from McGrath Blackburn had sold 11 properties in the last 12 months , with an average sale price of $1.2 million and total sales valued at $13.3 million. Aaron worked with Grant Lynch, Ian van Eijk and Rachel Lau on three of these sales.
Aaron sold 9 houses and 2 apartments with 1 sales by private treaty and 10 by auction, and these properties were on the market for an average of 25 days.
Aaron's highest recorded sale price was $2.3 million for 11 Jeffery Street, Blackburn, a 5-bedroom house which sold by auction last October.
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Melbourne agent Aaron McDonald returns to Ray White

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Queensland Government owned properties, once earmarked for the former Glendower Dam project around Beaudesert and Tabragalba, are on the market in the first stage of the open market sales program. 
The properties are a combination of large agricultural holdings, residential houses and lifestyle properties. 
Six properties will be offered by auction for June 7 auction.
These properties comprise of three blocks of vacant land around 50 hectares each, a house on 1.2 hecatres, a house on 20 hectares with frontage to the Albert River and lastly 193 hectares of prime river flats with irrigation licences, houses and sheds. 
The three lifestyle blocks are adjoining and are all fronted by Beaudesert Nerang Road.
One property comprises 193 hectares of rich river flats.
Three water licences are currently attached to the property. It is in eight freehold titles and has frontage to both Beaudesert Nerang Road and Tabragalba House Road. 
The properties are located 60 kilometres from Southport and 70 kilometres from Brisbane. 
Ray White Rural Queensland sales agent Peter Douglas and Ed Dalton, at Ray White Rural Beaudesert have been appointed to manage the sale process. 
“It is a very good mixture with properties in all price brackets," Douglas said. 
Properties will be open for inspections on Sundays. 
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Ray White Rural to sell Glendower Dam sites

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Rozelle's Garry Owen Hotel has been sold by the South Coast bound Sloan family after nearly a year on the market.
The Sloan family were described as industry newcomers when they bought the property from the Laundy Group in 2013.
They have extensively renovated the property at <a href="https://raywhitehotels.com.au/properties/garry-owen-hotel/" target="_blank">778 Darling Street</a>.
It spans three levels on its 360 sqm parcel and has 10 gaming entitlements.
Only half of the first floor area is being utilised for trade.
Ray White's Andrew Joliffe and Blake Edwards were marketing the property as an entry level Sydney freehold hotel.
Despite having 1920 etched on the facade the building, the hotel was established in 1881.
One of the Hotel's claim to fame is that an inside toilet was installed in an old laundry in 1937 and "was the only pub in Rozelle with a chimney on the toilet".
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Rozelle's Garry Owen Hotel sells after nearly a year

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Ray White Commercial WA has hired office leasing specialist Clive Norman to fill the role of director of office leasing in their Perth team.
Mr Norman (pictured above), who has more than 17 years of experience in the office leasing sector said he was delighted to join the Ray White Commercial (WA) team.
He established the leasing division of Burgess Rawson as a major player in the Perth market.
He says the plan for the department was to establish Ray White as a significant player in the Perth CBD and city fringe office leasing market.
Norman said having known Ray White director Stephen Harrison for many years, he knew the culture of the group suited him perfectly. A property that will likely fall under the purview of Norman include is 135 Canning Highway, South Perth (pictured below).
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/10/10/Lease%202.JPG" alt="">
This holding is a recently refurbished open plan office.
The property, zoned highway commercial is set on 135 sqm.
It comes to market with an asking lease of $33,750 pa + Outgoings.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/10/10/COlin.JPG" alt="">
A property he recently leased while at Burgess Rawson is 13 Colin Street, West Perth (pictured above).
Set on 209 sqm the office building came with 9 parking spots.
It was most recently listed at $57,475 per annum net + GST/A with additional monthly fee's for the individual parking spaces of $200 - $250.
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Office leasing specialist Clive Norman joins Ray White Commercial WA

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A local development group has snapped up a Sunnybank Hills residential development site for $2,200,000 at <a href="https://ecomms.raywhite.com/collect/click.aspx?u=eG9WUEdZSU5rM2hhTUVhQlZhcWtSOTF5M0VPNUNML3pWRllxVUJoNmxWZ1Bjcmd6elhxblhMblhNSDcrSXlrYnlCK3FyVUJQNUpYNWpBSzQ5WFlKS0VLQ1E1YVY5aENseTNmRUFQOW9yU3JPbk5KQlRZQ3JScnQ0Q2xNdWJCRGVYK0g5ZDlLVW1naDR1VGMxLzlBa20rdnB1S3Azby85WUlLZWxVdk5SU3UxU0JPZ1ZzZjF5aG9HMHozTVNzSnE4VDhZc3VRSStBZVE9&amp;rh=ff0061e12424f7bdc41b090d4448bfbaedafd5e5" target="_blank">51 and 59 Bardolph Place</a>.   The property offered an approximately 5,688 sqm land parcel and was sold after a successful tender campaign on behalf of a deceased estate.    The asset was marketed and sold by James Hanley, Mark Creevey and Tony Williams of Ray White Special Projects Queensland.   Mr Hanley said the campaign drew a large amount of interest from a wide range of different groups, that included small-to-medium sized developers, local builders and syndicates. “We attracted really strong interest from the market with 74 enquiries received throughout the campaign and a total of nine formal offers at the close of tender,” he said.   “The site was purchased by a local development group who entered into a cash unconditional contract post the completion of the tender campaign. “They will propose to undertake a 10-lot community title residential subdivision scheme, with lots ranging in size between 406 sqm and 454 sqm.”
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/6/3/11_Sunnybank_1.JPG" alt="">
Mr Creevey said the land parcel was over two existing lots and provided one of the few remaining development opportunities within the local area.   “The site benefited from being within the affluent suburb of Sunnybank Hills, one of the most highly sought-after localities in Brisbane,” he said.   “The site was zoned Low Density Residential, which restricted development outcomes on the site to predominantly detached housing.”   Mr Williams said although the site would have traditionally been suitable for a townhouse development, recent amendments to the Brisbane City Plan limited the development of multiple dwellings for sites zoned Low Density Residential.    “The site is very well positioned within a 400m vwalk east of the Coles and Aldi anchored Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown, providing future residents with ‘walkable access’ to various retail and healthcare amenity,” he said. 
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Sunnybank Hills residential development site sells for $2.2 million

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GemLife has purchased the balance of ‘The Heights Estate’ in Pimpama, Gold Coast, for $29,700,000 and plans to deliver an over 50’s lifestyle resort on the substantial site.   The subdivision site, that offered around 46.41ha in land size, came with preliminary approval for 267 detached residential lots.   The asset was marketed and sold by Ray White Special Projects Queensland Executive Directors Matthew Fritzsche, Mark Creevey and Tony Williams.   Mr Fritzsche said the expressions of interest campaign demanded very strong enquiry and serious interest from groups.   “There's limited developable land on the Gold Coast of this scale and quality, and it showed in the strong number of enquiries we had throughout the campaign,” he said.   “It formed part of the master-planned ‘The Heights estate’ – which is a very well curated and presented estate by Sunland – on the northern Gold Coast.
“The Heights is 20 minutes* from the central Gold Coast and [approximately] 40 minutes from the Brisbane CBD. It’s in an elevated position within the estate, offering Gold Coast skyline views.   “The target list comprised local, interstate and international groups, and interest was predominantly from the residential and retirement/manufactured home estate sector.”   Mr Creevey said the sale highlighted that even in testing times, development sites with an element of approval would always be appealing.   “This really is an exciting project and we’re looking forward to seeing GemLife deliver yet another quality project,” he said.   “This is one of South East Queensland’s most recognised land estates - in a market with rapidly diminishing forward land supply.   “It's a high-quality estate with a significant entry statement, boulevard roads and footpaths, landscaping throughout and features central parkland.”
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GemLife pays $29.7 million to build Pimpama over 50's lifestyle resort

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James Ledgerwood has quit The Agency at Bondi Beach to join Ray White Double Bay.
Before moving back home to Sydney, he started his real estate career selling property at Surfers Paradise for Ray White.
His real estate career started in 2004 and then from 2011 with McGrath on the Gold Coast.
Over the past year realestate.com.au data suggests he sold 24 properties, with 20 houses at a $4 million medium and four units at a $1 million median. 
His most recent sale was in early June at Bondi with a $1.045 million apartment preceded by an $855,000 Bondi sale in early April.
Some of his sale results during his time at The Agency have included;
<ul>
<li>307 ‘Pacific’ 186 Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach - $6,000,000</li>
<li>13 Darley Road, Randwick - $5,550,000</li>
<li>Lighthouse 516 ‘Pacific’ 186 Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach - $4,550,000</li>
<li>6 Kings Road, Vaucluse - $4,100,000</li>
<li>310 Bondi Road, Bondi - $3,800,000</li>
<li>90 Ocean St, Bondi - $3,738,000</li>
</ul>
 
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