Australia Joins Global Surge in Branded Residences
Australia’s luxury apartment sector is tipped for expansion, with developers and global brands eyeing opportunities as demand for prestige living rises.
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Australia’s fledgling branded residences sector is poised for growth, according to McGrath Estate Agents and Knight Frank’s newly launched Residence Report.
The global branded residences market has surged from 169 schemes in 2011 to 611 today, with forecasts of more than 1,000 by 2030. Locally, the concept gained prominence with Crown Residences at One Barangaroo in Sydney.
Adam Ross, Associate Director of Prestige and International Sales at McGrath Estate Agents, said developers and buyers alike were showing strong interest.
“We have seen strong interest among developers to deliver branded schemes as well as huge demand from buyers off the back of the Crown Residences sales at One Barangaroo in Sydney,” he said.
Ross noted that design, identity and services are key.
“While an emphasis remains on providing a range of services and amenities to serve wealthy but time-poor individuals, developers are investing in globally renowned architects, place makers and interior designers to create an identity for their project, community and the surrounding environment,” he said.
Michelle Ciesielski, Head of Residential Research at McGrath Estate Agents, said demand is building.
“There’s growing demand in Australia, but nothing comparable to One Barangaroo has been greenlit yet. For developers, it’s that ideal combination of timing, cost and the right site,” she said.
Ciesielski added that the sector is expanding beyond hotels.
“Today, hotel serviceability only forms part of the branded residence concept. As this market has evolved, developers have widened their scope with brand collaboration with increasingly more being delivered with non-hotel brands.”
Brisbane, Melbourne and the Gold Coast are emerging hotspots. Projects such as Seafarers by Riverlee in Melbourne and the Mondrian Residences on the Gold Coast highlight the sector’s potential.
“The sites are there, the desire and demand are there; the only uncertainty lies with finding builders with space on the books to deliver. The race is on,” Ross said, pointing to activity in South-East Queensland ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
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More than 10,000 homes, an expansive central park and a mix of hospitality, retail and wellness facilities will form Azizi Developments’ first master-planned community in the emirate.
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Sharjah is set to receive one of its largest new residential communities, with Azizi Developments unveiling plans for a US$8.1 billion master-planned precinct containing more than 10,000 homes.
Named Azizi Florence, the freehold development will comprise 1,130 villas, more than 6,000 townhouses and 3,500 apartments. Three-bedroom townhouses will start from US$515,000, with an indicative rate of US$231 per square foot of saleable space.
The project marks the Dubai-based developer’s first move into Sharjah, expanding a portfolio that includes the planned Burj Azizi skyscraper and the Azizi Venice community in Dubai.
A park at the heart of the community
Rather than treating landscaping as an afterthought, Azizi Florence will be organised around a 1.7 million sq ft central park.
The wider precinct is planned as a self-contained neighbourhood combining homes with retail, hospitality, education, leisure and wellness facilities.
Six residential clusters will sit within the development, each with its own park, clubhouse, community centre and landscaped gardens. The approach reflects a broader shift across large Middle Eastern developments, where greenery, recreation and everyday convenience are increasingly central to the residential proposition.
The scale of Azizi Florence suggests it is intended to function as a neighbourhood rather than a collection of housing estates. Its mix of housing types should also give the project broader appeal, accommodating apartment buyers alongside families seeking townhouses or standalone villas.
Azizi expands beyond Dubai
Azizi Developments has delivered more than 45,000 homes to buyers from over 100 countries and says it has approximately 150,000 units under construction.
Much of its growth has been concentrated in Dubai, where its portfolio extends across Palm Jumeirah, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Dubai South, Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Jebel Ali.
Its most prominent current project is Burj Azizi, which is intended to become the world’s second-tallest building. Azizi Florence represents a different type of undertaking: a low-rise, family-oriented community built around public space and daily amenity.
For company founder and chairman Mirwais Azizi, the Sharjah project also carries a personal connection. The emirate was his first home in the UAE more than three decades ago, adding a symbolic dimension to the developer’s expansion.
Sharjah’s residential ambitions grow
Although Dubai and Abu Dhabi have traditionally captured much of the international attention directed at the UAE property market, Sharjah has been steadily broadening its residential offering.
Large freehold communities such as Azizi Florence have the potential to attract both local families and international purchasers looking for comparatively accessible entry points into the Emirates’ property market.
At a starting price of US$515,000, the project’s three-bedroom townhouses will sit well below the cost of equivalent family homes in many of Dubai’s more established luxury communities.
The ultimate appeal, however, will depend on execution. At this scale, the quality of the public realm, connections between residential clusters and delivery of the promised supporting infrastructure will be as important as the homes themselves.
If those elements come together, Azizi Florence could help establish a new benchmark for large-scale residential development in Sharjah—and give buyers another option beyond the UAE’s better-known property markets.
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