Investment Property Australia Wide Investment Property Blogg Melbourne – a Top Location for Offshore Capital in 2016

Melbourne – a Top Location for Offshore Capital in 2016

Your time to Invest in Melbourne is Now

Investment Property Melbourne

According to the Urban Developer Group  a recent survey of global property investors found that both Melbourne and Sydney ranked 2nd & 3rd in the world, as targets for offshore capital in 2016.

Colliers International’s 2016 Global Investor Outlook found that, although being relatively small property markets compared to London and New York, Melbourne and Sydney are the second and third targets for offshore capital in 2016. London took out top spot. John Marasco, Colliers International Managing Director of Capital Markets & Investment Services, said this was consistent with global capital flows data for 2015, which currently ranks Sydney third behind London and Manhattan in terms of investment volumes coming from offshore investors.

“Sydney is considered a global gateway city so for investors it ranks up there with New York, London, Singapore and the like in terms of being an attractive destination for investment,” Mr Marasco said. “Melbourne is not far behind, and is seen as another alternative to Sydney.”

“Tenant demand is improving in both Melbourne and Sydney with rental demand on the rise and vacancy rates declining.” This only adds to the appeal of these markets.

In Melbourne, demand is still very much being driven by strong activity in the education sector and continued migration into Melbourne from Australia and new Offshore arrivals.

The survey discovered Australia is moving into its 25th year of positive economic growth, with a switch from a resources-led economy to services-led transitioning smoothly.  “Sustained business and consumer confidence, a strong residential housing market, record low interest rates and low Australian dollar contribute to the overall strong interest in Australian property from offshore investors.”

“Australia’s strong economy, transparent market and stable government make it a highly desirable investment destination for investment.”

The volume of real estate investment continues to increase and was at the highest levels ever recorded in 2015. Domestic investors continue to dominate direct real estate investment volumes, however, currently a third of total investment comes from offshore. The largest offshore investor in Australian commercial property is currently China.

“Right now, Australian investors prefer to invest locally and we see very little investment offshore,” Nerida Conisbee, Colliers International National Director of Research, said. “This is very different from the previous cycle where Australia was the third strongest investor globally.”

“This is beginning to change, with Australian superannuation firms starting to purchase properties offshore. It is, however, unlikely that we will see the same levels of offshore investment as we saw previously.”

The survey found the majority of Australian investors in commercial property continue to buy property directly, as opposed to going in a joint venture with another company.

“The exception to this is if they are looking offshore,” Ms Conisbee said. “In this case, a joint venture is generally established with a local group to take advantage of their expertise and potentially development pipeline in their own market.”

“Similarly, although direct investment volumes into Australian real estate from offshore groups is high, many groups also prefer to joint venture with established Australian institutions. Almost all of them have received significant capital from large pension or sovereign wealth funds over the last five years.”

Consistent with investment volumes, Australian and New Zealand investors continue to see CBD office as their preferred investment class. The strong residential market is flowing through to demand for development sites, making this the second most popular investment class in the latest survey.

“The majority of investors in Australia and New Zealand continue to use debt to fund their expansion plans, although the level of debt is expected to remain low with most planning to use at least 50 percent equity,” Mr Marasco said. “The low cost of debt is expected to continue, with most investors predicting no change to the cost of debt over the next 12 months.”

“Although overwhelmingly positive about the market, Australian and New Zealand investors remain risk averse. Very few are prepared to take on higher levels of risk to achieve higher returns. In that respect, they are among the most risk averse investors globally.”

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post