The Rapid Recovery Should NOT Come as a Surprise

YOU MAY RECALL back in May and July, I foreshadowed a quick recovery would occur – as soon as we emerged from lockdown.

You see, what we’ve just been through, is a medical crisis with financial implications. NOT a total financial collapse – like we had during the GFC.

As such, “Demand” didn’t disappear … it simply got deferred. And you’ve already observed that with consumers now engaging in “Retail revenge” – as depicted in the graphic below (AFR, front page: 3 Dec 2020).

During the pandemic my clients seemed to fall into two camps:

  • Those who feared a total collapse, with a prolonged recovery.
  • Those who listened and saw the opportunity to secure a good property, while the market itself remained confused.

Already you are seeing eager buyers re-entering the property market (both residential and commercial) – with prices on the rise once more.

Therefore, those who did buy during the pandemic are now having their faith vindicated. And now, the strength of this renewed demand is bringing more properties onto the market.

Therein, Lies Your Next Opportunity

Not all the properties coming onto the market during November & December can be absorbed before Christmas.

Naturally, this will make those vendors somewhat unsettled – because the commercial market doesn’t officially reopen again until February/March.

So, if you are cashed up and able to move quickly … there should be a number of good choices for you early in the New Year.

Bottom Line: What I’m planning to do is compile a list of those unsold properties for my clients. And then, we’ll quietly sift through these opportunities together – to help clients secure several genuine bargains.

If that could be of interest to you … just let me know.

Smashing The 5 Myths About Commercial Property

RIGHT NOW everyone is rather confused because of COVID. And what I generally find is that when investors are confused … they tend to do nothing. 

Yet despite the dire predictions of market collapses, that’s NOT what has occurred. Sure, the share market has been rather volatile. However, the property market has basically held up well. [Read more…]

What’s the New Normal for The Post-COVID Office?

BEFORE COVID, Australians worked less from home than their counterparts overseas. However, now things have apparently been reversed.

And even though Australian office workers say they’ve been far more productive at home … there is a keenness to return to an office environment. [Read more…]

Australia’s Job Recovery Post COVID-19

DESPITE A RECENT surge in positive COVID-19 cases for Victoria, the infection rates detected by its testing blitz have remained at a very low 0.2%.

And so, that would suggest the virus is not widespread within the community.

Furthermore, there hasn’t been any marked increase in the number of cases actually requiring hospitalisation.

Half of the Job Losses to be Back by Christmas

[Read more…]

How Quickly Can Australia’s Economy Recover?

SEVERAL CLIENTS have been asking about how long until things start to get back to “normal”. And what changes investors need to watch for, after we emerged from lockdown.

During times of economic uncertainty, you should focus on the underlying fundamentals driving demand and investment. And these still remain strong.

In my view, you should see a stronger than expected recovery – provided various states don’t unnecessarily delay the steps needed to restart the economy. [Read more…]

Where to Now for Retailing?

A RECENT REPORT (prepared by CBRE) explains the changes being forced upon traditional retailers by the growing level of online and customer direct activity.

As such, they are predicting the need for a much improved in-store experience over the next decade – if bricks-and-mortar retailers are to remain competitive.

Static shop window displays will need to be replaced with ever-changing virtual showrooms – to attract and keep customers interested. [Read more…]

Capital City Office Markets

THE CBD VACANCY rate for Sydney currently sits at 4.1%. And for Melbourne, it’s now at 3.8%.

As you would expect, overseas events have caused some hesitancy in the market. And the Sydney CBD can be rather sensitive to the global economy.

That said, recent reports show local business confidence growing – with stability appearing to return, after the recent election. [Read more…]

Likely Impact of the US/China Trade War on Property

ACCORDING TO JP MORGAN, the expected trade war should only shave about 0.07% off Australia’s GDP over the next couple of years. [Read more…]

The Pendulum Has Swung

WHAT AN AMAZING election result … although, I had always felt it would be a lot closer than everyone thought. Now many people are now asking how the pollsters could have got it so wrong?

In actual fact, they weren’t that far out. Rather, it was more a heavy bias in media coverage which fanned the Labor fever.

So, How DID the Coalition Manage to Win?

[Read more…]

The Importance of Due Diligence When Buying Commercial Property


FIRSTLY, LET’S DEFINE what Due Diligence really means. And then, you need to understand when you should actually consider an in-depth Due Diligence study. [Read more…]

Pop-up Shops are Becoming Far More Common


THE RETAIL LANDSCAPE is altering and evolving – being partially driven by the changing expectations, wants and needs of today’s consumers. And the rise of the ‘pop-up’ shop is one example of this. [Read more…]