The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Untitled design (8)
25 DAYS UNTIL OUR UNMISSABLE FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE 29-31 JULY, GOLD COAST
25 DAYS UNTIL OUR FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE 29-31 JULY, GOLD COAST
SECURE YOUR SPOTDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
RetailStaff WriterTue 26 Aug 14

Foreign Investment Reaches $5.9b Record

I

Investor restrictions and foreign official interest rates of almost zero, coupled with Australia’s stable economic and political climate, are driving a surge in foreign investment in Australian property with a record $5.9 billion outlaid in the last financial year.

That is 60 per cent more than the $3.5 billion recorded in the previous 12 months, according to

Savills Australia research.

The research found Asians had taken the lion’s share with acquisitions totalling $3.9 billion, or 67 per cent of sales by value, with North American ($1.057bn) and European ($913m) investors taking 18 and 15 per cent respectively, while a second report out of Savills Shanghai office asserts Chinese investments to date have just been the opening salvo.

National Head of Research Tony Crabb said it was not news that foreign investors had taken a shine to Australian property in recent times and there had been much written about the interest of our Asian neighbours but these were "unprecedented figures".

"The last twelve months buying activity is off the charts as far as recent history is concerned. It is almost as if they have been dipping their toe in the water, they like the temperature and now they are just diving right in," Mr Crabb said.

He said the typical drivers were Australia’s reputation for political and economic stability and the way it came through the GFC relatively unscathed.

"What has happened in the last 12 months for foreign investors is that circumstances at home are not as attractive in terms of returns – official interest rates are well below Australia’s - political and economic conditions may not be as stable, and property investment markets may not be as mature as Australia’s including restrictions on domestic investment,” he said.

"The fact that their compatriots have been here and tested the water before them has also been an important factor.”

The latest RBA figures show the official US interest rate is currently at 0.13 per cent while the European Central Bank rate is 0.15 per cent, UK, 0.50 per cent and Canada, 1.00 per cent.

According to Savills World Research Shanghai report “China Plc ventures overseas – Who's buying and why?”, Chinese investments to date are the opening salvo or the exploratory foray for what is expected to be a much bigger wave of capital in coming years.

The report states that since 1990 Chinese domestic real estate investment have grown from RMB25.3 billion to RMB7.2 trillion - 283 times 1990 levels.

Mr Crabb said as China’s property markets had developed, competition had increased and scope for further rapid growth had become more limited.

"In order to maintain growth and dynamism, companies, developers and investors are increasingly turning overseas to find new opportunities," Mr Crabb said.

The research revealed the love affair with CBD office buildings showed no signs of abating with 84 per cent of transactions occurring in office markets and the balance split 14 per cent ($804 million) into retail and just two per cent ($142 million) into industrial.

Of the investment into office markets, Asian investors made up two thirds, spending almost $3.3 billion dollars. North American investors spent $932 million (19 per cent) and European investors nearly $740 million accounting for 15 per cent.

RetailOfficeIndustrialAustraliaSector
AUTHOR
Staff Writer
"TheUrbanDeveloper.com is committed to delivering the latest news, reviews, opinions and insights into the best of urban development from Australia and around the world. "
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
6 Min
Molti chief Ben Teague out front of 32 Mercer Road Aramadale (rendering)
Exclusive

Buy to the Sound of Cannons: Molti’s Counter-Cyclical Move to Melbourne

Leon Della Bosca
5 Min
Exclusive

Tapping the Bunnings ‘Halo Effect’

Taryn Paris
5 Min
Exclusive

‘Construction Not a Scale Game’: Hutchinson

Phil Bartsch
9 Min
Nation's build-to-rent project Charlie Parker in Sydney's Parramatta where more projects are being located and built outside the CBD.
Exclusive

Foreign Capital Still Dominates BtR but Things are Changing

Marisa Wikramanayake
7 Min
View All >
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
Bunnings Clyde North
Markets

Bunnings Sold On as Charter Hall Doubles Down on Retail

Leon Della Bosca
ESR building ESR completes delisting
Industrial

ESR Reveals New Team After Hong Kong Delisting

Leon Della Bosca
Going private means plans to focus on logistics and data centres across the Asia-Pacific region can accelerate, ESR says…
LATEST
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
6 Min
Bunnings Clyde North
Markets

Bunnings Sold On as Charter Hall Doubles Down on Retail

Leon Della Bosca
2 Min
ESR building ESR completes delisting
Industrial

ESR Reveals New Team After Hong Kong Delisting

Leon Della Bosca
3 Min
the four concept towers approved for sydney metro's parramatta precinct
Development

Rush of Approvals Sends Parramatta Skywards

Renee McKeown
2 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/foreign-investment-reached-5-9b-record