VIC Real Estate News
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Only 30 auctions expected this week for Melbourne
Auction activity has taken a hit across the combined capital cities this week, as Melbourne enters its fifth week of Stage 4 lockdowns. The city will hold only 30 auctions, down from 765 auctions this time last week. CoreLogic are tracking 937 auctions in total across the capital cities this week, down from both last week’s 1128 and the 1533…
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Lockdown inspires innovative virtual tour in Melbourne
‘Innovation’ has proved the catch-cry of 2020 and for Victorian agent Angela Limanis a foray into the virtual is reaping very real success. On Saturday, the Ray White Cheltenham sales agent and auctioneer, along with her associate Dylan Jansma, hosted a live virtual inspection of a beautiful three-bedroom home in south-east Melbourne, attracting 23 potential buyers in the process. The…
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Rental dispute system cracking under COVID-19 stress
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria is concerned the process for dealing with residential tenancy disputes is cracking under the weight of COVID-19. With less than one month to go in the original six-month moratorium announced by the Andrews’ government, there is a backlog of 4000 rental cases at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and nearly a thousand…
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Buxton expands its leadership team
Buxton real estate group is continuing its growth in Victoria, announcing the appointment of Amanda Henry to its corporate team. Boasting a real estate pedigree and a career that spans 13 years, Ms Henry has joined the Buxton senior leadership team, in the role of Head of Operations – focusing on key areas including culture, marketing, technology, innovation, and training.…
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Landlords the forgotten people: REIV
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria has expressed concern commercial and residential landlords are being left behind and all but forgotten as the government makes decisions on financial support for people impacted by the economic downturn. Citing the recent decision to extend the rental moratorium to 31 December 2020 as one example, they note tenants have been provided with substantial…
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REIV: Lack of info from Daniel Andrews ‘extremely frustrating’
Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) president Leah Calnan has spoken out against the lack of consultation between the government and the industry. “There’s been a real lack of communication with our industry — it’s extremely frustrating,” Ms Calnan said. “We need to know what’s going on so agents can start planning, so they can prepare contracts, engage solicitors, organise…
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ANZ: Melbourne house prices to fall by 15%, Sydney not much better
Melbourne house prices will fall by 15 per cent, according to new predictions by ANZ’s economists. The bank also forecasts tough times for Sydney owners, with housing set to drop by an estimated 13 per cent. It predicts the bottoming out of prices will likely occur in the second half of 2021. The bank predicts a national price drop of…
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REIV announces new board of directors
Members of the REIV have chosen four new directors to serve on the board, with Jacob Caine, current president Leah Calnan, Adam Docking and Andrew Meehan all set to take up their positions from October 1, 2020. Current president Leah Calnan and senior vice president Adam Docking were re-elected for their third and second three-year terms respectively. Jacob Caine and…
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VIC Government proposal will make real estate training harder and more costly
The Victorian Government has proposed massive changes to the educational qualifications for the real estate industry, and time is running out to oppose them. If implemented, these changes will require those planning to enter the industry to spend substantially more time and money gaining tertiary qualifications. Potential ‘Agent Representatives’ will be impacted the most, now required to complete 18 units…
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Pause On Evictions Extended in Victoria
The Victorian Government yesterday announced an extended ban on evictions and rental increases until the end of the year, increase assistance and ensure tenant turnover is taken into account in rental negotiations – giving tenants certainty and security they won’t lose their home or workplace during the pandemic. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said, “No one should have to be worried…
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Barry Plant auction to support childhood cancer
For the third year in a row, Barry Plant is teaming up with Simonds Homes and Satterley developers for the ‘Home for a Cure’ campaign, raising much needed money to support the My Room Children’s Cancer Charity. The past two years have seen Jim Hatzimoisis, Director at Barry Plant Taylors Lakes auction off house and land packages, raising over $1.3…
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Australia won’t recover unless Victoria does too
Brendan Coates, Program Director, Household Finances, Grattan Institute and Matthew Cowgill, Senior Associate, Grattan Institute The announcement of stage 4 restrictions in Victoria marks a new, and depressing, stage in Australia’s response to COVID-19. The new measures will close non-essential retailers and most child-care centres across Melbourne, and impose stringent controls on industries such as meatworks and construction. The Victorian government estimates the measures will stop…
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Stage 4 building restrictions a ‘financial and emotional burden’ on Victorians: HIA
COVID Stage 4 building restrictions a Burden on Victorian Families "Restrictions on building sites in Victoria that limit trades people to just three sites a week could leave thousands of average Victorians and their families…
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Melbourne topples Sydney as largest CBD office market
Three recent office completions have helped tip the scales, making Melbourne the largest CBD office market in the country. JLL Research notes that, with the completions of Victoria Police Centre, The Lendlease Two Melbourne Quarter, and Dexus 80 Collins Street, the Melbourne CBD now boasts 5,107,840sq m of office space, surpassing Sydney’s 5,024,240sq m. “The completion of these three projects…
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What does Stage 4 lockdown mean for real estate?
Barry Plant Group CEO, Mike McCarthy has issued a market update, hoping to clarify some of the confusion surrounding what the real estate industry can and cannot do. “The next six weeks will be an eternity for some and for others, it will be over before we know it. But we can do this, if we all stick together and…
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$10,000 grants available for Melbourne businesses forced to close
Under the tough new Stage 4 restrictions in place, many businesses in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire have been forced to shut down, or to operate under a severely reduced capacity. To soften the financial burden, the Victoria Premier has announced one-off grants available to eligible businesses. The Business Support Fund – Expansion program, will give: $10,000 to employing businesses in…
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Top tips from NZ agents on how to navigate Stage 4 lockdown: Gower Buchanan
Speaking from Auckland, Ray White Pononsby director Gower Buchanan is quick to reassure his Melbourne colleagues there will be light at the end of this tunnel. Six months on from Stage 4 lockdowns he notes…
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How Stage 4 lockdowns will impact auctions, inspections and real estate offices
Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) Chief Executive Gil King has confirmed that all real estate offices in Melbourne will be forced to close for at least six weeks. “We urge you to avoid assuming what will and won’t be allowed until the new directions are published,” Mr King wrote in a letter to REIV members. “We will advise you…
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Melbourne property price recovery could take a while
This month’s Finder RBA Cash Rate Survey dealt a blow to Melbourne’s property owners, with the majority of experts surveyed expecting housing prices to continue to drop until at least April 2021, with a third predicting we won’t see recovery until 2022 or beyond. “Both Melbourne and Sydney experienced double-digit growth throughout most of 2019,” explains Graham Cooke, insights manager at…
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Ex-AFL player kicking goals in real estate
Nathan Wright played for St Kilda Football Club between 2013-2018, before an injury sidelined his career prematurely. Now, he has gone on to join another stellar team, as a sales executive with Barry Plant Bayside, turning a hobby he held while playing in the AFL to a thriving career. “While playing AFL, I was lucky enough to purchase a couple…
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Sector seeks to confirm what stage four lockdowns mean for Melbourne real estate
The Victorian real estate sector is seeking to confirm exactly what stage four restrictions in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will mean for the state’s property industry after a raft of announcements were released today relating to retail, the construction sector, and other industries. Here’s what we know so far… Clarity still needed on real estate operations At present it remains…
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Almost 20% of new Victorian homes are sold to overseas buyers
Overseas buyers are snapping up new properties across Australia, according to findings from the National Australia Bank’s Q2 2020 Residential Property Survey. New development sales to foreign buyers rose from 6.6 per cent to 8.3 per cent in Q2, with figures for established housing increasing to 3.1 per cent from 2.4 in the first quarter. Victoria has seen the biggest…
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Victorian homes selling faster now than 12 months ago
While all the news from Victoria at the moment seems to fall firmly into the ‘doom and gloom’ category, new data from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) paints a sunnier picture. REIV President Leah Calnan says that, despite the pandemic, residential property across the state is selling faster now than 12 months prior. The average home in Victoria…
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Auction clearance rates keep falling in Melbourne
Towards the end of June and the start of July, clearance rates in Melbourne sat in the low 60 per cent range. By the week ending July 12, it sat at 51.2 per cent. The following week, the final clearance rate was 43.8 per cent. Not surprisingly, the Melbourne clearance rate during this second wave is similar to that of…
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Mall in Melbourne CBD to sell for half its 2016 price
In 2016, it was billed as “Melbourne’s newest premier fashion destination”, a re-branded inner-city mall that had just undergone a major $30m facelift, but now St Collins Lane is being sold for less than half of what JP Morgan paid for it just four years earlier. The Australian Financial Review reports that a “local fund manager backed by offshore capital”…
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REIV says Victorian property market holding firm
REIV President Leah Calnan says the Victorian property market has displayed true strength in holding firm against all predictions regarding the impact of Covid-19. The latest Quarterly median prices released by the Real Estate Institute…
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Yes Victoria, you can still move during lockdown
REIV President Leah Calnan has welcomed clarification from the Victorian State Government that a person living outside of a restricted area can inspect a home inside a restricted area and vice versa. Many REIV members were left confused following the State Government’s decision to enforce Stage Three restrictions in Metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire and not regional Victoria, with many…
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REIV: Melbourne is prepared for new COVID restrictions
As Melbourne returns to stage three lockdown, local real estate agencies are feeling a sense of deja vu – which, luckily, makes them well prepared to deal with the recent shift in fortunes. “Real estate in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will continue to service the community with online inspections returning along with online auctions,” REIV President Leah Calnan said. Inspections…
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Victorian lockdowns do little to dampen buyer enthusiasm
Two additional postcodes have been added to the list of locked down suburbs in Victoria, with Kensington, Flemington, Hotham Hill and North Melbourne joining the restricted areas as of midnight Saturday. They add to a lengthy list of suburbs already subject to restrictions due to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the Victorian capital. According…
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Successful Footscray agency migrates to Greg Hocking Footscray
Successful Footscray agency migrates to Greg Hocking FootscrayThe Footscray team has moved across to Greg Hocking to launch the network's new Footscray office, bringing with them a wealth of experience and insider knowledge of one of Melbourne's most dynamic, appealing suburbs."We wanted to be…
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Are you in a HomeBuilder boom area?
The Federal Government's Home Builder Grant looks set to stimulate the economy, with the December deadline to sign with a builder causing many to leap into home ownership.Wealthi's co-founder Domenic Nesci has pinpointed the areas most likely to see a boom in production."Western Sydney is perfectly placed to benefit from the incentives, new investments in…
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Real estate goes online in Covid-19 hotspots
The Victorian Government on Tuesday announced that in light of rising cases of Coronavirus, ten postcodes with the highest amount of incidents would return to Stage 3 restrictions. REIV President Leah Calnan said real estate business will adapt their processes by reverting to inspections by appointment and online auctions in Melbourne’s ten COVID-19 hotspots. “Any return of restrictions is frustrating…
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Auctions go back online for some suburbs in Victoria
Public auctions and open for inspections have been taken off the agenda in Melbourne's current coronavirus hotspots. While Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has ordered the establishment of into the operation of the hotel quarantine program thought to be the cause of the community transmissions, it's a case of back to the future for the real…
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Real estate sector focused on selling and renting safely
Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) President Leah Calnan has vowed the real estate sector will continue to do everything it can to help fight Covid-19 as further restrictions were announced across Victoria. In response to an increase in cases of Coronavirus, the Victorian Government announced a return to tighter restrictions which means that crowds at auctions and open house…
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REIV welcomes new minister
Real Estate Institute of Victoria President Leah Calnan has welcomed the appointment of the Hon Melissa Horne as Minister for Consumer Affairs, Liquor and Gaming Regulation. The Victorian Government yesterday unveiled its new ministry with Minister Horne appointed to the portfolio that oversees the real estate profession. The REIV has written to the Minister, congratulating her on the appointment. Ms…
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