TROPHY BARANGAROO HARBOURFRONT RETAIL PRECINCT HITS MARKET
Sydney Harbour Retail at Barangaroo, achieving $28,000 per square metre, is being offered to investors as retail investment volumes surpass office and industrial for the first time on record.
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A tightly held stretch of Sydney Harbour waterfront retail has launched to market, with Sydney Harbour Retail at Barangaroo tipped to draw strong domestic and international interest.
Exclusively offered through JLL’s Retail Investments team of Nick Willis, Sam Hatcher and Sebastian Fahey, the asset marks the first time prime Barangaroo waterfront retail has been made available to investors.
The offering comes amid a structural shift in capital flows, with retail investment volumes overtaking those in the office and industrial sectors for the first time on record.
Owned by Marquette Property, the premium harbourfront destination comprises 20 tenancies across 2,600 square metres and boasts 175 metres of direct Sydney Harbour frontage within the $10 billion Barangaroo precinct.
Key tenants including Grill’d, Yo-Chi, Zushi, Lotus, Anason, Love.Fish, Muum Maam and Bourke Street Bakery are delivering productivity of $28,000 per square metre, about 60 per cent above industry benchmarks.
Nick Willis, Executive Director at JLL Retail Investments Australia & New Zealand, said: “2025 marked a turning point for the retail sector. For the first time on record, retail investment volumes outsold both office and industrial sectors, signalling restored confidence and deepening liquidity.
“As capital returns to the sector, we’re seeing a clear preference for assets that offer defensive income and exposure to experience-led spending.”
The property is fully leased under long-term net-lease structures with fixed 4 per cent annual rent reviews, offering predictable income growth. It also benefits from strong foot traffic, supported by approximately 18 million annual visitors to the precinct, 24,000 daily workers and the surrounding affluent mixed-use development.
Sam Hatcher, Head of Retail at JLL Australia & New Zealand, said: “The speciality performance of the asset at $28,000/sqm outstrips almost all major retail and dining precincts in Australia – a staggering 60 per cent above industry benchmarks, providing significant future rental reversion. The 100 per cent net lease structures provide bulletproof income growth potential.”
Connectivity via Barangaroo Metro, Wynyard Station, and nearby ferry terminals underpins the location’s appeal, while integration with luxury residential towers achieving sales rates of more than $90,000 per square metre and A-Grade office buildings creates a strong captive customer base.
According to JLL research, Sydney CBD retail vacancy has fallen from 14.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 3.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025, the lowest level since late 2019. Barangaroo’s office vacancy rate of 4.2 per cent sits well below the wider CBD average of 14.7 per cent, further supporting spending within the precinct.
Designed by ASX-listed Lendlease, the Barangaroo development is Australia’s first large-scale carbon-neutral precinct and has received numerous national and international awards.
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Strong population growth, major infrastructure spending and comparatively affordable property are expected to cement Melbourne’s position as Australia’s most attractive long-term real estate market.
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Melbourne is poised to become Australia’s largest city within the next decade, with strong population growth, infrastructure investment and relative affordability driving long-term property demand.
A new research report from Knight Frank argues the Victorian capital remains one of the country’s most compelling markets for investors, businesses and residents.
The report highlights the city’s rapidly expanding population, diverse economy and major infrastructure pipeline as key factors underpinning future property growth.
Knight Frank Managing Director Victoria, Dominic Long, said Melbourne’s fundamentals continue to position the city strongly for long-term investment.
“Melbourne continues to stand out as one of Australia’s most compelling real estate markets,” he said.
“It is Australia’s strongest long-term growth city with the fastest growing population, the most diversified economy, world-class liveability and the most affordable major market for office, industrial and residential property.”
Population growth driving demand
Melbourne’s population has grown at an average rate of 1.8 per cent per year since 2000, faster than any advanced global economy, according to the research.
In the year to June 2025 alone, the city added about 123,500 residents, the largest annual increase of any Australian capital.
Population growth is expected to remain one of the key drivers of demand across residential and commercial property markets, including housing, offices and logistics space.
The report forecasts Melbourne’s population will overtake Sydney’s by the 2030s, reinforcing its position as the country’s fastest-growing major city.
Office market offering value
Melbourne’s CBD office market is also attracting renewed attention from investors.
Prime office rents remain significantly lower than in competing cities, with CBD office space about 46 per cent cheaper than Sydney and around 13 per cent cheaper than Brisbane.
That relative affordability is expected to drive long-term demand from occupiers and investors seeking value in Australia’s largest office markets.
The city’s office sector is also showing signs of recovery, with effective rents rising in 2025 and demand increasing for high-quality buildings in premium locations.
Industrial market benefiting from scale
Melbourne’s industrial sector continues to expand, supported by strong population growth, e-commerce demand and the scale of the city’s logistics network.
The city already hosts the country’s largest industrial market, with about 34 million square metres of warehousing stock and significant land available for future development.
Industrial rents remain competitive compared with other capitals, while Melbourne’s port handles the largest container volumes in Australia, further supporting demand for logistics space.
Infrastructure pipeline supporting growth
More than $200 billion in transport infrastructure investment between 2014 and 2036 is also expected to reshape the city and support future property values.
Major projects include the Metro Tunnel, the West Gate Tunnel, the North-East Link and the Suburban Rail Loop, which together will improve connectivity across Melbourne and its growth corridors.
Knight Frank’s Head of Research & Consulting, Victoria, Dr Tony McGough, said these investments would play a key role in supporting the city’s economic expansion.
“Melbourne is Australia’s most economically diverse city and has delivered stable growth for more than two decades,” he said.
“With strong population growth, a highly educated workforce and unprecedented infrastructure investment, Melbourne is well placed to remain one of Australia’s most attractive long-term property markets.”
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