Off Market Successes, Mosman’s Big Vote & A Workplace
Debate from Tokyo
From securing a rare off-market family home in one of Sydney’s most tightly held suburbs to a major planning decision in Mosman, the month has reinforced how quickly today’s decisions can influence tomorrow’s
property market.
Home Delivered in Northwood
I’m pleased to have recently secured an exceptional family home for a special client in Northwood.
One of Sydney’s smallest and most prestigious harbourside suburbs, with around 300 dwellings. Purchased off market, the home sits on more than 900sqm of land and offers everything our clients were searching for:
four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a double garage, a level backyard, swimming pool and sweeping CBD views.
Opportunities like this rarely reach the open market. In tightly held suburbs such as Northwood, many of the best homes
are sold quietly, making local relationships and access to off-market opportunities more valuable than ever.
Congratulations to our wonderful clients on securing what will become their forever Sydney home.
It was a privilege to help them navigate the search and secure a property that perfectly suited their family.
Mosman’s Density Debate: The Vote Is In
Last month, we covered the strong community response to Mosman Council’s proposed Low
and Mid-Rise (LMR) Masterplan. Since then, Council has formally voted to endorse its
preferred planning framework, marking another significant milestone in the process.
The endorsed Masterplan includes two towers of up to 25 storeys at Spit Junction, one 20 storey building,
several buildings of up to 18 storeys, and mid-rise development stepping down towards surrounding residential streets.
The proposal will now be considered by the NSW Government, which will determine whether these planning changes
ultimately proceed. While opinions remain divided, the conversation has highlighted just how important planning
policy has become for buyers. Future development potential, neighbourhood character, traffic, infrastructure and long-term amenity are now regular considerations during the due diligence process, not just for developers, but for everyday
home buyers.
Whether these changes are ultimately implemented or not, one thing is clear: planning decisions made today have
the potential to influence property values and neighbourhoods for decades to come.
Buyer Sentiment
Buyer sentiment has been more subdued than I would typically expect at this point in the year.
A combination of broader economic uncertainty, affordability constraints and caution about the outlook has encouraged many of my buyers to adopt a more measured approach. Rather than pursuing property at any cost, I am finding that buyers are taking their time, scrutinising value more closely and, in many cases, waiting for the right opportunity to emerge.
Interestingly, I am seeing a similar caution among vendors. Unless there is a genuine impetus to sell, many owners are choosing to remain on the sidelines rather than test the market. Those who do come to market are often encountering buyers who are more disciplined on price, resulting in longer campaigns and a greater willingness to negotiate.
As we move into the warmer months, I expect activity to gradually improve as more buyers re-engage with the market and new stock begins to emerge. I am not anticipating a dramatic change in conditions, but even a modest increase in both buyer activity and new listings should create a more balanced market than the one I have experienced through winter.
For those looking to trade up, however, I believe the current environment presents an interesting opportunity.
Many homeowners who have held property in Sydney’s blue-chip suburbs for 15 or 20 years have enjoyed substantial capital growth. While they may achieve a lower sale price today than they could have commanded at the market’s peak, I believe that needs to be considered alongside the price of the property they are buying. In a softer market, the relative discount available on the next home can more than offset the difference in their own sale price.
For many of the upgraders I work with, therefore, the objective is not simply to achieve the highest possible price when selling. It is the differential between what they sell for and what they ultimately pay to acquire their next home.
In the right circumstances, I believe that equation is currently working surprisingly well in their favour.
Questions I Get Asked All the Time
Are prices going to fall further?
It is one of the questions I am asked most frequently.
In Sydney’s blue-chip market, I have seen values soften from their peak, but I am increasingly seeing signs of stabilisation rather than an unchecked continuation of the decline. The market remains selective, but I believe the more significant question now is arguably not whether prices will fall furthermore, but where genuine value can be found within a market that is increasingly defined by quality, scarcity and circumstance.
At the ultra-high end ($40m+), I am seeing these dynamics become even more pronounced. There is undoubtedly an appetite among buyers for exceptional opportunities, but many owners of trophy properties simply have no compelling reason to sell. The result is extremely limited stock and relatively little turnover, even where demand exists.
That makes the prospect of several significant properties potentially coming to market particularly interesting.
There are two extraordinary residences to be offered in the months ahead: a historic eastern suburbs waterfront estate and a Point Piper waterfront property. Both homes are expected to be seeking offers around the $100 million mark.
At these levels, there are very few comparable transactions and almost no conventional benchmarks. I will be fascinated to see not only where these properties ultimately trade, but what they may tell us about the depth of demand at the very top of Sydney’s property market.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo…
While us here in Sydney have been battling through winter, Tokyo has been dealing with record summer heat and an
unexpected workplace debate. As part of the city’s expanded “Cool Biz” campaign, men are being encouraged to replace suits and ties with lighter business attire,including shorts, to reduce energy use and stay comfortable during the hotter months.
The policy has attracted plenty of attention, but not everyone is convinced. Some women
have argued the change creates a workplace double standard, while others have jokingly
coined the term “leg hair harassment” after finding themselves surrounded by colleagues
embracing the new dress code. The discussion has even reportedly contributed to an increase
in men seeking laser hair removal before wearing shorts to the office.
It’s a light-hearted reminder that workplace culture is constantly evolving and, sometimes the
biggest debates have very little to do with work itself. You can read the full BBC article here.
