Talking Property with CBRE

You Can Bank On It

George Vallas recently took the reins as the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s Head of Real Estate, Institutional Banking & Markets. He joined Talking Property to give us his take on a broad range of topics, including commercial property trading activity, recent market challenges, his expectation for rate cuts and the asset classes he’d choose to invest in this year. CBA is Australia’s largest corporate real estate lender, so we relished the opportunity to get under the hood to find out what’...

Wheeling and Dealing

Timing is everything in property. But can you sell too early? Why are deals like buses? And how important is it to leave a drink on the table when trading assets? Find out from 8Hotels Hospitality owner Paul Fischmann and CBRE national hotel director Wayne Bunz in our latest Talking Property podcast. Paul was mentored by some of Australia’s most successful wheeler dealers. He shares his story and the best advice he’s received along the way. Paul and Wayne also share their thoughts on Australia’s...

The Results are In

Hundreds of Australian companies have just posted their half year results – including a swag of ASX-listed property groups. And one of the key themes to emerge was that the property market appears to be at an inflection point. Tune in to hear from The Australian Financial Review columnist Robert Harley and The Australian’s Commercial Property Editor Ben Wilmot as they dissect the results, what they flag for the year ahead, the sectors to watch and what’s top of mind for the country’s major prope...

From Racing Cars to Renewables

In this episode we sit down with Lee Holdsworth, a Bathurst 1000 supercars winner and CBRE commercial real estate expert, who has a key focus on alternative investment assets, particularly in the renewables space . With Australia’s energy transition dominating the headlines, Lee shares where he sees the best property opportunities, what’s driving investors to focus on alternative investments, the importance of finding the right capital partners and some of the new innovations to watch out for. H...

Talking Property: The House View Q1 2025

In this first edition of The House View for 2025, CBRE’s Pacific Advisory Services CEO Phil Rowland and Pacific Head of Research Sameer Chopra give their take on the key opportunities and challenges for the Australian property sector. They explore the concept of ‘exceptionalism’ and why we’re likely to see strong rent and capital value growth in premium, well located assets, while gains are expected to be much slower elsewhere. The global and local trends shaping the property market are also up ...

2025 Property Predictions: Part 2

To kick off 2025 we’ve spoken to four Australian property leaders about the best market opportunities this year, the potential industry game changers, and the areas ripe for transformation. In this episode we hear from Dexus CEO Ross Du Vernet and GPT CEO Russell Proutt, who touch on everything from investment decision making through to the revitalisation of Australia’s CBDs, shaking up the way that tenants, landlords and investors think about office space, the intersection between real estate a...

2025 Property Predictions: Part 1

Happy New Year! To kick off 2025 we talk to key Australian property leaders about the best market opportunities this year, the potential industry game changers and the areas ripe for transformation. We’re rolling out two episodes: this episode features QIC Real Estate Managing Director Deb Coakley and Growthpoint CEO Ross Lees. On January 23 we’ll go live with Part 2, featuring Dexus CEO Ross Du Vernet and GPT CEO Russell Proutt. They’re among the “new guard” of Australian property leaders follo...

In Conversation with Spencer Levy

For our final 2024 Talking Property episode, we join forces with Spencer Levy, who hosts CBRE’s hugely successful US property podcast, The Weekly Take. Spencer is a Global Client Strategist & Senior Economic Advisor for CBRE. In our broad-ranging conversation, we discuss key learnings from his 2024 podcast guests and some high-level takeaways for Australian property players. Up for discussion? The role Fed rate cuts have had on the market’s psychology, how modular construction could ease the...

The View from the Top

Talking Property recently traveled to the Property Council of Australia’s annual Congress to discover and share what’s top of mind for the industry’s key decision makers. In this episode we sit down with Congress panelist Amanda Steele – ISPT’s Group Executive, Head of Property and with Property Council of Australia CEO Mike Zorbas. In our broad-ranging discussion, Amanda and Mike share why we’re likely to see more property investment activity next year, how we can improve the attractiveness of ...

Forget pessimism, trust the data

Simon Kuestenmacher is a leading demographer who ranks as one of the world’s Top 10 influencers in data visualisation, using data to explain how the world works. In the first in a two-part Talking Property series from the Property Council of Australia’s annual Congress, Simon shares why he thinks the property sector shouldn’t be too pessimistic, why global capital still wants to come to Australia and why migration isn’t going to slow down. Simon also shares his views on the long-term outlook for...

Introducing: Talking Property

Betting on Build to Rent

Australia’s emerging build to rent sector remains in the spotlight, with the country’s need for housing having never been stronger. But it’s been a tough year to get new projects started, amid government policy issues, delivery challenges, high interest rates and a constrained capital markets environment. So, what does the future hold? What’s needed to accelerate Australia’s BTR rollout? And what are some of the lessons learnt by Australia’s BTR pioneers. Find out in our latest Talking Property ...

Lifestyles of the Rich and Cashed Up

Residential property prices. They’re a lively source of dinner party conversation, particularly when it comes to the records being toppled across Australia. Whether it be Atlassian tech billionaire Scott Farquhar pocketing $130 million for his Point Piper estate, Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond chasing over $200 million for his nearby mansion, the Myer family putting a more than $100 million price tag on their Toorak estate, there seems to be no shortage of cash at the top end of the marke...

Talking Property: The House View Q4 2024

In this final edition of The House View for 2024 we delve into the critical role social infrastructure will play in shaping Australia’s future. Healthcare, retirement living, and childcare – they all fall into this category and there are unique dynamics which are driving investor interest in these asset classes. CBRE’s Pacific Advisory Services CEO Phil Rowland and Pacific Head of Research Sameer Chopra also give their take on the key risks and opportunities in the property sector as we move int...

The property industry’s green ticket

Green loans. Sustainability linked loans. They’re become increasingly prevalent, reflecting the property market's commitment to responsible and sustainable lending. And it’s not just about reputation. Green finance is becoming one of the keys to accessing debt in today’s competitive market, with billions of dollars required to electrify our building stock and eliminate embodied carbon in the race to net zero. So, what do property owners and financiers need to consider? Find out in our latest Tal...

Australia’s AI-led property evolution

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world as we know it, and the long-term property sector impact will be profound. But what exactly can landlords and occupiers expect in the coming decade? From accelerating the rollout of smart buildings through to revolutionising office design, lowering building outgoings, and even shortening our working week, AI has significant potential. But how can companies be disruptors, and not be disrupted, as these AI advancements roll out? And is Australia’s...

The TikTok moment for Australia’s luxury retail sector

Luxury retail brands. They’re in demand in Australia right now and you might be surprised by who’s buying these high-end products. Forget the Boomers and Gen X, its Millennials and Gen Z who have a growing appetite for luxury, fuelled by their favourite influencers on TikTok and Instagram. These younger consumers helped push luxury retail trade in Australia to a record $6.2 billion in 2023 and the smart retail landlords are taking note. To discuss the trends, we’re joined by Tomi Grainger - most...

Meet Australia’s long-haired hotel larrikin

Australia’s largest private hotel owner Dr Jerry Schwartz is not your stereotypical multi-millionaire businessman. He’s been described as a long-haired larrikin and Australia’s very own Willy Wonka, who rarely wears a suit and has been known to jump into the pool at launch events. He’s been a trailblazer in the hotel industry and has made an art-form out of going with his gut, building a portfolio of 15 properties across the country. We chat to Jerry and CBRE’s Wayne Bunz in our latest Talking P...

It’s not easy being green. Or is it?

What role can data play in enhancing property values, meeting ambitious sustainability goals, capturing the best occupiers and ensuring that property owners are on track in the ongoing race to net zero? And how do investors leverage data to make the right investment decisions? In our latest episode of Talking Property we explore whether big data can provide a big payback. Tune in to hear from the Global Leader of Sustainability for CBRE’s Property Management business Carl Brooks and from the Gen...

Talking Property: The House View Q3 2024

In this latest edition of The House View we delve into why alternative assets are on the investment radar, examine the growth potential in data centres, healthcare and hotels, and give CBRE’s take on the outlook for rents, vacancies, demand and investor appetite across Australia’s office, retail, and logistics sectors. CBRE’s Pacific Advisory Services CEO Phil Rowland and Pacific Head of Research Sameer Chopra also revisit some of their bold predictions from the Q1 and Q2 episodes of The House V...

Is Australia back on the radar?

As the global head of investor thought leadership for CBRE and overseer of the Asia Pacific Research team, Henry Chin is always in demand when he visits Australia. We were lucky enough to nab him while he was in town for our Talking Property podcast to get his wide-ranging views on topics that are top of mind for investors. Tune in to hear Henry’s take on the current interest rate trajectory, the biggest investor challenges and why he thinks the pendulum is swinging back in favour of the retail ...

What’s top of mind for Australia’s property leaders

Housing, housing, housing. It was a conversation that dominated the Property Council of Australia’s annual Property Leaders’ Summit given the country’s current supply crisis. But a range of other topics were also put under the microscope, including the current interest rate trajectory, views on alternative property assets, if we’re on track to meet our ambitious energy transition targets, and whether early AI adopters will reap a competitive advantage. The Summit is the hottest property ticket i...

In conversation with one of Australia’s largest private property companies

From humble beginnings, Salta Properties has grown to be one of Australia’s largest privately owned property companies. In this latest episode of Talking Property, we discuss the company’s evolution, its $3 billion build to rent strategy, the office outlook and what’s next for the industrial & logistics sector with Salta’s Managing Director Sam Tarascio. Sam also gives his views on the current housing supply crisis and what’s needed from government at both a Victorian and national level to s...

How flex working can help future proof office buildings

How can we future proof office buildings? Give workers a better guest experience so that they want to come into the office? And what tactics can landlords employ to foster the workplace experience and provide greater flexibility to enhance occupier engagement, property values, and truly earn the commute? To get under the hood, we’ve spoken to Jaelle Ang, CEO and founder of The Great Room by Industrious, and CBRE’s Executive Managing Director of Property Management, Pacific, Nat Slessor, on our l...

Land lease communities: the fastest growing solution for Australian downsizers

Could land lease communities be one of the solutions for Australia’s housing affordability crisis? They’ve become an increasingly sought after option for retirees. Some 130,000 people are living in these estates and the $12 billion sector having been described as the fastest growing solution for downsizers in Australia. But what exactly is a land lease community, what are the pros and cons of buying into them, how much growth is likely in this sector and why is it rising on the radar of local an...

Talking Property: The House View Q2 2024

While there’s broad agreement on some of the longer-term tailwinds for the Australian real estate market, conviction is still lacking when it comes to the strength of future rent growth, exit values and in some cases the regulatory environment. That’s one of the areas up for discussion in our quarterly Talking Property: The House View podcast, which explores the opportunities and challenges ahead for the retail, office, industrial and living sectors. Tune in to hear CBRE’s Pacific Advisory Servi...

Bringing Magic to our Cities

By 2100, some 10 billion people will live in around 10,000 cities across the globe. Just in Australia, our population is tipped to rise by 15 million people over the next 36 years. So how do we accommodate this growth, deal with the current housing shortage, continue to decarbonise, harness the power of AI and manage the long-term impacts of the pandemic? These issues were centre stage at the Property Council of Australia’s Future Cities Summit, which was headlined by one of the world’s leading ...

Show Me The Money

The capital flowing into Australia’s commercial real estate sector dipped significantly in 2023, as many local and offshore investors sat on the sidelines. But are there signs of a market shift? In this latest Talking Property episode, we zero in on how global investors are viewing the Australian market, which sectors are most in favour, where the money is coming from and what the expectations are for the year ahead. CBRE’s Stuart McCann, Head of International Capital & Capital Advisory, Pac...

The Reporting Season Scoop

Hundreds of Australian companies have just posted their half year results, including a swag of ASX-listed property stocks. Australian Financial Review columnist Robert Harley, The Australian’s commercial property editor Ben Wilmot and the Sydney Morning Herald’s commercial property editor Carolyn Cummins join this latest episode of Talking Property to cut through the financials, discuss the trends and give a view on what’s next. In this wide-ranging discussion, they touch on the sectors which ou...

Is The Only Way Up?

Could building on top of older apartment blocks be one of the solutions to Australia’s housing crisis? Airspace above existing strata buildings is a $150 billion opportunity in Sydney alone according to one leading advocate. Equally, is going up the only solution for the owners of these blocks? Given tight rental market conditions across the country, there’s also huge demand from investors wanting to purchase these blocks outright. It’s a topic explored in this latest episode of Talking Property...