THE WEEKLY REVIEW – 28 July - 10 August 2010
Everything’s at your door

The past five years has seen a dramatic transformation of the St Kilda Road –Queens Road precinct. What was once an area of office buildings has now evolved into one of Melbourne’s most sought-after residential hot spots. One of the most exciting developments is Peloton Group’s Proximity on Queens, comprising 161 apartments. The apartments are substantially larger than many inner-city developments, where one-bedroom apartments are often the size of a small studio. Read more…

PACIFIC RIM CONSTRUCTION - 2010 Issue 50
MLG expands across Australia and South East Asia

Specialising in prestige apartment areas, MLG provides a full range of residential sales and property management services that are backed by unparallel research and marketing tools. This delivers MLG clients’ optimum results at a local level for the select markets in which MLG operates. MLG is one of Australia’s leading project marketing groups, having sold over $4b worth of premium residential property nationwide for the bulk of Australia’s major developers. MLG has also recently merged with Axis Investment Group to form MLG Investments, creating a new benchmark in investment services.  Read more…

THE AGE - 24 JULY 2010
Buyer demand shows size does matter

Developers take a gamble with their mix of apartment layouts and sizes – trying to provide what the market wants for a price that still gives them a profit- but a new Queens Road project has gone against the “shoebox” trend. 

Proximity on Queens is a 12- level apartment project whose developer, Peloton Group, has decided to concentrate on “spacious and high-quality apartments, in an elegant Bates Smart-designed building that won’t have the costly additions of pool, gym or spa.

The project’s 159 apartments are being marketed by MLG Realty. Director Marcus Gilmore says the project has had quick sales because it offers “large, useable apartments”. One bedroom apartments range from 51 to 60 square metres, internally, with prices beginning at $340,000. Two bedroom apartments range from 75 square metres to 90 square metres. A typical 80 square metre, two bedroom floor plan begins at $589,000.

These are significantly larger than many inner-city developments, where one bedroom apartments are now closer to what used to be studio size. Read more…

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN - 28 APRIL 2010
Cadetship aims to give agents hands-on training

MLG has introduced a cadetship program for its’ Perth based property agents, with plans to roll out the already successful program to its’ other offices in Sydney Melbourne and Brisbane. Under the two year, on-the-job training program, trainees rotate through different sections of the business to gain a sound understanding of how a real estate company operates.

On completion of the different divisions; which range from investments, residential sales, property management and project marketing to administration, the trainees can choose an area to specialise in. Read more…

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN - 21 APRIL 2010
Tapping MLG liaisons for a prudent property portfolio

Local Perth investors will be able to tap into the knowledge of a new employee at MLG to help them build an interstate portfolio. MLG has appointed Doug Shannon as its Perth local liaison contact for project sales in the Eastern States. His role is to help local buyers identify opportunities that suit their requirements and budget.

Mr Shannon said that while there were many quality WA opportunities to get involved in, it was prudent to assess all options, including those on the east coast, to maximise the benefit of a financial investment. Read more…

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH - 18 APRIL 2010
We’ll all be renters

NSW’s dire housing shortage has been exposed by figures revealing the State needs to build an extra 120 homes every week to keep up with population growth. Each week NSW needs to find homes for more than 2000 extra people, yet only about 630 residences are built in that time.

MLG’s NSW Managing Director Chris Freeman said “NSW is building far fewer dwellings than we were 20 years ago, and the population growth is two and a half times what it was then. In 50-70 years, we really will be a society of renters” he said. Read more…

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD - 6 APRIL 2010
House prices to defy rise in rates

House prices in Sydney and Melbourne are tipped to rise in the coming months, defying concerns that rising interest rates will dampen the heated sector. Developers say buyers will be forced to pay more as supply falls at the same rate as demand rises. MLG cites research indicating severely restricted supply has strongly driven up prices this year, especially in Sydney.

Chris Freeman, Managing Director for MLG NSW said the market in Sydney was so grossly under-supplied when compared with population growth that the city was expected to lead the country in capital growth this year. Read more…

THE AGE - 6 APRIL 2010
No ceiling to housing prices in sight yet

National project marketing group MLG has weighed into the housing price debate, countering recent forecasts of slowing growth, saying that severely restricted supply has already driven prices up in 2010.

The issue of limited supply and lack of product being built has reached danger proportions, forcing some developers to close down. In Victoria, the ratio is 1.5 dwelling approvals for every 2-3 person increase in population.

Managing Director of MLG in NSW Chris Freeman said that while the affordability for first home buyers argument is certainly the obvious counter as rates start to return to normal levels, it needs to be remembered that first home buyers represent just 14 per cent of buyers. Read more…

MALAYSIA PROPERTY NEWS ONLINE – 9 MARCH 2010
Good turnout at ONE Australia Property Fair

A group of established and reputable property develops and real estate agencies from Australia showcased their projects at the ONE Australia Property Fair, held in Kuala Lumpur. The fair showcased over 15 new prime projects in major cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Queensland.

Guests were treated to a seminar titled “ONE Australia Property Seminar” which featured a series of topics relating to Australian Investments with guest speaker Marcus Gilmore, CEO of MLG commenting that the turnout was much better than expected. “Visitors were already at the entrance at 10am even though the fair opens at 11am” he said. Read more…