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AFL legend Jason Akermanis is suited and booted, ready to sell houses as part of Ray White Ascot. He will be mentored by agency director Dwight Ferguson (left)

AFL legend Jason Akermanis hopes to be kicking goals in the property market after joining Ray White Ascot as an estate agent and auctioneer.

The Brownlow Medallist, dubbed ‘Aker’ throughout his career, played 248 games for the Brisbane Lions, kicking 263 goals and winning the AFL Premiership three times. Now, Mr Akermanis has set his sights on making his ‘mark’ on the real estate industry.

The ex footballer admitted his decision to enter the real estate industry was a little spontaneous, but he professes to having had an interest in property from a young age, thanks to his Mum.

Jason Akermanis spent the past few years improving his golfing skills. Photo: David Kapernick, Golf Queensland

“We didn’t have much growing up but Mum managed to save up and she bought a house in Kedron,” he said.

“She was always teaching me things, such as if you’re going to invest in property it’s good to have a nice house but it’s the land that goes up, and location is crucial. It was general stuff like that, but it’s always good to hear and it’s the type of advice that we have always done well out of,” he said. “If you can afford it and you can stick to the general rules then you’re never going to go wrong.”

Ironically, Mr Akermanis and his family are themselves in the market for a home having recently returned to Queensland to live after 14 years away.

Mr Akermanis is married to speech therapist Megan Legge to whom he has two daughters Charlotte and Sienna.

“At the moment we’ve got nothing. We sold our house in Melbourne and I came up first and the girls were meant to follow but they were delayed and then before we knew it they closed the borders, so it was a mad rush to get here, but they made it.

Akermanis has ditched his trademark blond crop for which he was famous back in his AFL-playing days.

“We’re staying with my wife’s family, so there’s ten of us in three-bedroom house, with her parents stuck in the caravan outside. It’s crazy stuff but we make it work.”

Mr Akermanis’s foray into real estate is not the first career change he has made since stopping playing professional football. He has been involved with several tech-based start-ups and most recently was pursuing a golfing ambition before deciding he wanted to try something entirely different.

Having been in his new role for just two weeks, Mr Akermanis said he was looking forward to mastering his new profession under the mentorship of Ray White Ascot director Dwight Ferguson.

“I’m excited to start this new path, to educate myself and to grow as a sales agent. I’m looking forward to finding my place within the real estate industry, talking to people, getting to know them, and building relationships.

“There are plenty of people wanting to buy and sell property in Brisbane and I relish the chance to be a part of that.”

Mr Akermanis has a particular eye on becoming an auctioneer, yet is no stranger to handling a gavel.

“I’ve spent the past 20 years auctioning off stuff at footy clubs and gigs to raise money for charity, who would have thought, all these years later, that I would get an auctioneer’s licence and be able to do it professionally selling houses,” he said.

“If anyone will give me a go, I’d be happy to auction their place.

“At the end of the day I just want to master my craft and have the enjoyment of autonomy.”

Mr Ferguson said that Mr Akermanis was an exciting addition to the Ray White team.

“I’ve employed a lot of ex-athletes in the past and the vast majority of them have gone on to be a great success in the real estate industry,” Mr Ferguson said. “I expect the same from Jason.”

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New developments like C & L Residences, Collingwood focus on sustainability.

Less than one in ten real estate agents know the energy star rating of properties they have listed for rent or sale, according to a new study.

The Environment Victoria “secret shopper” style survey of 303 agents across the state found just 9 per cent of respondents knew the energy rating of properties they put on the market.

Only 1 per cent of agents knew the energy bill of the property, while just one in three could name energy efficient features of the property, with one agent citing a “fence” as one such example.

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The survey has prompted calls for more awareness of homes’ energy ratings. Picture: AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy

The study prompted calls for mandatory disclosure of energy performance for homes for sale and minimum energy performance requirements for rental properties.

“Too many Victorians will either shiver through August to save energy, or pay a lot more on bills to stay warm,” Environment Victoria campaigns manager Nicholas Aberle said.

“But inefficient homes are a problem every year, not just during lockdown.”

“It is time we passed laws in Victoria requiring that real estate agents tell home buyers about a home’s energy efficiency rating.”

RMIT senior lecturer in the school of property, construction and project management Neville Hurst said it was time to “get ahead of the game and take the bullet and bring in mandatory reporting”.

Solar panels have grown in use amid calls for clean energy. Picture: Melbourne Airport

Dr Hurst said a power imbalance between landlords and tenants meant it was also necessary to have minimum standards for rental properties.

“Tenants generally aren’t really in a position or have a level of awareness that energy costs of a particular building can be quite huge compared to another,” he said.

Dr Hurst added there should be more education available for real estate agents.

“It should be part of their overall professional development, not mandated in the way occupational health and safety is,” he said.

Retired secretary Jean Christie was one of the volunteers to conduct the survey, going to open for inspections in her local area and surveying properties in Shepparton, Echuca and Wangaratta over the phone.

She said she the lack of information available to prospective tenants and househunters was a concern.

“On the whole they really had no idea and were rather surprised when I asked questions,” Ms Christie said. “Mostly they were not able to answer.”

“I think it should encourage agents to start asking buyers and landlords to consider making their properties energy efficient.”

Sustainability Victoria did not respond to requests for comment.

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jack.boronovskis@news.com.au

@jackboronovskis

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Sellers need to think about the market differently, agents say.

COVID-19 has yet to strike a major blow to property prices but the economic fallout from the pandemic has shifted how sales campaigns should be run, property experts claim.

It comes as housing sales data showed most recent sellers have been scoring prices higher than those recorded last year despite a recent fall in values over the past three months.

Sydney’s median home price, which is based on sales of units, townhouses and houses, inched down 2.1 per cent over the three months to July, according to CoreLogic.

But the $866,000 median was still about 12 per cent higher than over July last year and 15 per cent higher than it was before the federal election in May last year.

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Ayre Real Estate principal and director Adrian Wilson said the pandemic’s impact on the market was unmistakeable but the changes were not always what many expected.

“We’re finding that what many may initially perceive to be a negative is turning into a positive,” Mr Wilson said. “One impact has been the reduction in the numbers of people inspecting properties (but) we’re actually getting more serious buyers rather than the window shoppers.”

Selling to these buyers – many of who were first homebuyers or those upgrading from units – required adapting to some key seller trends, Mr Wilson said.

One was a surge in pre-auction offers or early offers for private sales, he said. “Often the best offers come in within the first week or so, so be prepared to jump on a genuine offer at the right level,” Mr Wilson said.

“Unlike in a booming market, where you might expect more buyer interest or competition in the weeks leading up to auction, that’s not necessarily the case right now.

“Many qualified, ready-to-go buyers are usually inspecting and offering in week one, or even pre-market.”

Sellers also needed to prepare for fewer house hunters at open for inspections. “Don’t panic,” Mr Wilson said. “Even though we are experiencing lower numbers, those coming through are generally more qualified.

Fewer buyers are coming through open for inspections compared to previous years but there was an upside to this, Mr Wilson said.

“This isn’t a bad thing. It means serious buyers have a better opportunity to engage with the agent and inspect the property in detail.”

Off market sales or cheaper marketing campaigns were not a good idea, Mr Wilson added.

“Now is not the time to skimp on the advertising budget. Your agent should be proposing a well-rounded, wide-net approach or you will be missing crucial buyer opportunities.”

Mr Wilson said sellers needed to keep in mind that some properties were selling at price records while others that should have sold well fell flat. “Be open to the element of surprise,” he said. “In this market, anything can happen.”

Selling during the economic uncertainty of COVID-19 also meant making sure your property was well-presented. “If you were planning on changing the curtains and carpet, then do it.

Every hurdle in today’s market means buyers calculate price revisions,” Mr Wilson said. “Have the property presenting its best … if it’s a house, have a pest and building report done so buyers can easily review the property and you can attract higher levels of interest quickly.”

Cooley Auctions director and auctioneer Damien Cooley noted there has been a recent rise in pre-auction sales but advised vendors to always seek the best advice of their agents before accepting one.

“The most important thing is to listen to the advice of your agent,” Mr Cooley said. “They will know from experience what’s best and it’s that experience that you’re paying for.”

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There’s three apartments remaining in the Harbour View Apartments complex at 72-74 Newcombe St, Portarlington.

They may not be able to dine out at the pub next door for a while but the first residents have moved into a new multistorey apartment complex that’s risen above Portarlington’s town centre.

Buyers were quick to purchase off the plan at Harbour View Apartments, with only three finished residences still available in the development.

Neville Richards, St Leonards agent Luke Campbell said several people had now moved into the complex, which has transformed the streetscape at 72-74 Newcombe Street, Portarlington.

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The apartment complex sits beside the Portarlington Grand Hotel.

The four-storey building is home to 10 apartments on the top three floors and three commercial premises on street level.

Mr Campbell said the development had proved popular with owner occupiers, investors and lifestyle purchasers who were drawn to its central location.

The complex offers bay views and easy access to the nearby Portarlington ferry and foreshore and was designed to match the height of the neighbouring Portarlington Grand Hotel.

The three remaining apartments have balconies and quality kitchen finishes.

And two bathrooms.

They are positioned at the rear of the complex.

“You just walk out your door and everything is there,” Mr Campbell said.

“Normally we would have coffee shops, obviously not at the moment.”

The three remaining two-bedroom, two bathroom apartments at 103, 104 and 203/72-74 Newcombe Street, Portarlington are on the market for $800,000 and offer open-plan living, balconies and a secure carpark.

There’s rear access to a secure carpark.

“They have come up very well, they were well built,” Mr Campbell said.

“Considering some of the designs that are out there they’re very decent sized rooms.”

He said the three commercial premises available to lease were suitable for a variety of tenancy types.

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Farewell after 55 years – Andy Buttfield and his wife Jo Buttfield at their Lavender Bay home.

A point-blank view of the Harbour Bridge is one of the most coveted outlooks for Sydney property buyers.

But for Andy Buttfield and his wife Jo, it is much more than just a view.

Mr Buttfield was the chief project engineer who developed BridgeClimb Sydney, which opened in 1998.

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Since then about four million people have climbed Australia’s most iconic bridge.

The view can be seen from just about every angle.

The Buttfields have a box seat view of the bridge from their home of 55 years at 35 Bay View St, Lavender Bay.

And Mr Buttfield said he had never tired of seeing people climb up and down the bridge.

“It’s been a phenomenally successful venture for the bridge and the city,” he said.

“I often say, ‘oh that view, you get used to it’, a bit flippantly, but it is very special.”

What a view.

BridgeClimb Sydney isn’t Mr Buttfield’s only impressive pedigree. He is also the grandson of Holden founder Sir Edward Holden and the son of late Federal Liberal senator Dame Nancy Buttfield.

Mr Buttfield said he did not feel a strong connection to the Holden brand, which has been owned by General Motors since 1931, and was not surprised to hear General Motors’ announcement earlier this year that it was retiring the Holden brand and would cease production by the end of 2021.

“From a family connection it’s so far distant that it doesn’t mean that much to me personally,” he said.

“It is the end of an era, but it’s not been Holden for a long time, it’s General Motors.”

Andy Buttfield and his wife Jo Buttfield with dog Alf at their Lavender Bay home.

It is also the end of a different kind of era for the Buttfields, who have decided to sell up and move to their property in Bowral, previously a weekender.

Mr Buttfield said they had spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic at their Bowral home, and moving there permanently was a natural progression.

“This (35 Bay View St) was a run down dump when I bought it,” he said.

“I’ve spent 40 years taking a wreck of a house into something we’re proud to be in, and now the job’s finished.

Dine with a view.

Belle Property Neutral Bay Principal Mark Jackson plans to take the luxury property, set in one of Lavender Bay’s most sought-after streets, to private auction on August 29. A price guide of $10 million has been set for the property.

The impressive five-bedroom home is serviced by a lift to all levels, and includes self-contained accommodation on the lower level with separate entry, and accommodation for two cars.

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The post Andy Buttfield, BridgeClimb chief engineer and grandson of Holden founder, selling in Lavender Bay appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A ban on Melbourne buyers who are locked down in stage four coronavirus restrictions has impacted regional Victoria’s property markets.

The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed with the Herald Sun that prospective buyers and renters in metropolitan Melbourne could not travel to regional areas for private property inspections.

But those already living in regional Victoria, under stage three restrictions, can still arrange for private inspections of homes.

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178 Mollison Street, Kyneton is for sale.

With work to be done, it’s the sort of property buyers ought to inspect themselves.

Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Leah Calnan said city buyers temporarily disappearing from regional markets could take its toll.

“The restrictions will substantially quieten them down the six weeks.” Ms Calnan said.

But agents remain hopeful the pause won’t excessively harm the in-demand markets.

Keatings Woodend agent Sandi Barry-Mueller said a “surge in demand during May and June” had added strength to the market despite two lockdowns this year.

“We usually have half of our buyers from the city, while the other half are local,” Ms Barry-Mueller said.

“But Melbourne buyers are quite fast and furious … one local buyer commented they might actually get a chance to buy something over the next five weeks.”

345 Lauriston Reservoir Road, Kyneton sold before stage four restrictions hit the city.

She expected a quieter month ahead, but encouraged vendors to prepare their properties for a spring sales campaign.

“We still have an amazing amount of Melbourne buyers who want to move here, so as it stands I think we will have another surge when these restrictions lift again.”

Biggin & Scott Ballarat director Francesca Nichol said some prospective vendors had left the market with plans to “relaunch in a month”.

1405 Sturt Street in the Ballarat suburb of Newington is on the market.

It has a $1.75-$1.85m price guide.

“We have a lot of things coming up but we are holding them off the market, so it’s worth people calling us up to see whether they could do an off-market deal with us, or get first access to a property after restrictions,” Ms Nichol said.

The agent this week successfully sold a property via Facetime to a Melbourne couple who never attended a physical inspection.

“They had a building inspector come through to give them the cold hard facts before they decided to buy,” Ms Nichol said.

“While it’s not the same as seeing a property in person, it’s still better than sitting holed up in a Melbourne apartment.”

Ballarat’s property market could be put on pause this month. Picture: Visit Ballarat

Melburnians who had already moved to Ballarat rental properties during coronavirus were also pushing ahead with their search, she said.

Barry Plant Highton director Kieron Hunter said Melbourne buyers competed for properties in his Geelong patch via online auction during the first weekend of stage four lockdown.

That included a Highton property at 278 Scenic Road, which sold $36,500 above reserve for $901,500.

278 Scenic Road, Highton sold via online auction.

One Melbourne buyer bid for the property.

But Mr Hunter said losing Melburnians from the market “hadn’t put the fear in a lot of (Geelong) vendors”.

“Out of auctions we are running, there is usually one Melbourne buyer to about five others in Geelong,” Mr Hunter said.

“The property market is being driven by people who are already in the area and want to stay in the same school zones, but upgrade.”

He said Melbourne buyers were still finding ways to compete, by recruiting relatives or local buyer’s advocates to inspect homes for them.

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No. 53 Govett St, Randwick, has smashed the suburb price record.

A Randwick home in the same family for 40 years has sold for more than $6.75m — $1.5m above the guide price and smashing the suburb record by $350k. It hit the market yesterday.

McGrath agents Stephen McMorrow and Angus Gorrie instantly had buyers fighting over the Federation home on a rare 836 sqm block at 53 Govett St.

The deal was done this afternoon, though negotiations had already started when it was off-market. It’s understood the purchasers are a family from Paddington.

Explaining the huge result so quickly and especially during the pandemic, McMorrow said: “There’s been no house on the market in Govett St — one of the best streets in Randwick — with a north-facing backyard on that size block of land for 20 years.”

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The huge north-facing backyard had a lot to do with the big result.

Charming interiors.

The agents had a price guide of $5.25m.

Stephen McMorrow said he was bound by a confidentiality agreement regarding the exact sale price, but said the result was more than $350k above any other house sale in Randwick.

With the previous record being $6.4m for a house in Rae St three years ago, that put the sale price for the Govett St house at more than $6.75m.

Angus Gorrie added it was “a killer price”.

The kitchen is probably due for an update.

Neutral tones may work better in the dining room.

He said that despite COVID-19, vendors with quality homes should have confidence to sell in the current market.

“We had 81 email inquiries last night,” he added.

“There is confidence in that price bracket … Randwick north is highly sought after, but this house needs a lot of work.

Outdoor entertaining …

… And there’s a pool.

“The last time it was renovated was 30 years ago, so we’re not talking about a finished house here.”

The property has been owned by the Jones family since 1983, when it was purchased for the grand some of $226,500.

The block had an 18.3m wide frontage. And there’s a pool. A double garage is accessed via a rear lane.

Centennial Park and the village cafes on Clovelly Road are close by.

The post Paddington buyer smashes Randwick house price record with $6.75m+ sale appeared first on realestate.com.au.

44 Calton Rd, Gawler East. Supplied by Smallacombe Real Estate.

THE Gawler area is fast emerging as a hotspot for people seeking an affordable treechange within commutable distance of the CBD.

Smallacombe Real Estate’s Robyn Coles says a home she was selling at 44 Calton Rd, Gawler East has sold within two weeks of launching on realestate.com.au and in that time attracted almost 2500 views on the search site.

“To date it’s been viewed 2256 times,” Ms Coles says.

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“I thought it would go very quickly.

“It’s a real boom spot – people can’t afford Stirling, and Bridgewater and Crafers are getting up there now.

“It’s been a secret for a long time and has been a bit of a sleeper, but the lights are going on and a lot of people are realising it offers the same feel as if you were to go up the freeway into Woodside and Hahndorf.

“The north-south connector has helped a bit, but you still get a good run going up Main North Rd.”

44 Calton Rd, Gawler East. Supplied by Smallacombe Real Estate.

The property was featured in the Real Estate Magazine last Saturday, with Ms Coles saying it helped attract strong interest.

“The editorial gave it a real boost and really helped attract family groups,” Coles says.

“We had six groups through on the Saturday and then 14 groups through on the Sunday.

“A lot of those had seen the home in the paper on Saturday and then come up on Sunday for a look.

“We’re seeing a lot of people from the suburbs wanting to go more rural, and this area – Gawler and that belt between One Tree Hill and Williamstown – is still affordable, whereas the Adelaide Hills is too expensive for people now.

“I’m seeing huge interest in Gawler at the moment – there are no rentals and properties are flying off the shelf. I can’t wait to sell more up here.”

44 Calton Rd, Gawler East. Supplied by Smallacombe Real Estate.

The home is set on 2666sqm of sprawling gardens and has five bedrooms and a covered inground swimming pool.

Ms Coles says buyers are looking for a more back-to-basics way of living, and seeking homes with spacious and productive gardens.

“The gardens here are gorgeous – they are the sort of gardens and fruit trees you’d find in a lovely eastern suburbs home,” Ms Coles says.

“Our values have changed and people are going back to basics — the basic values we grew up with around feeling comfortable and safe, this is like going to a relative’s home that’s a home, and a lot of houses these days don’t feel like a home.

Ms Coles says the home sold to a “Cockatoo Valley family with three gorgeous little boys”.

Harcourts Sargeant agent Jayne Tozer says interest in the Gawler area has increased since the completion of the northern expressway.

44 Calton Rd, Gawler East. Supplied by Smallacombe Real Estate.

“You’ve got an easy commute to the city, and then you’ve got the Barossa Valley in the opposite direction, so it’s the best of both worlds,” Ms Tozer says.

“I’ve just recently moved a couple of families up from Semaphore and Taperoo sort of way up to the Galwer area and they’re looking for that sense of space.

“And you get a lot more for your money here – I think that’s why a lot more first time homebuyers move out here as well, because they do get so much more for your money.”

Ms Tozer says buyers are also looking for a simpler way of living.

“People are really looking for that country living and growing their own food,” she says.

“I’m a country girl, so I love seeing city people moving their children out to the country because there are so many benefits, especially when it comes to schools and that community lifestyle.

“When you live in a country community everyone gets to know everybody and when you go to the shops people recognise you.”

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40 Staceys Rd, Connewarre.

Geelong expats vying for the chance to return to the region contested a sprawling property with views over Lake Connewarre.

The 13.4ha property at 40 Staceys Road, Connewarre, sold for a price in the vicinity of $3 million, the Advertiser understands.

Richardson, Newtown agent Matt Poustie said the five-bedroom residence attracted plenty of interest from local and Melbourne buyers, but it was buyers seeking to return to the region who remained at the end of the campaign last week.

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Mr Poustie wouldn’t disclose the sale price, but said it continued the record of premium results being achieved at this particular lakefront pocket of Connewarre.

“Neither buyer was from the Geelong region,” he said.

40 Staceys Rd, Connewarre.

The spa is an ideal spot to end the day.

“One was an expat coming back, the other was from around Macedon looking to come closer to family and make a sea-change.”

The property, Kanandah, occupies an elevated position with views of Lake Connewarre towards Geelong, where the GMHBA Stadium lights are visible at night.

The vista is front and centre from the home, which has a wall of windows as a backdrop from the main living and dining area.

40 Staceys Rd, Connewarre is near Barwon Heads, Geelong and Torquay.

Options to enjoy the end of the day are plentiful.

It gets better outside.

A covered entertainment area is complete with a built-in oven, a separate pergola has a fire pit and the spa beneath the extensive north-facing veranda seems the perfect place to watch the sun go down.

The property is divided into three main paddocks and has direct private access to Lake Connewarre, a dam, cattle yards with a crush and troughs connected to town water.

Outdoor entertainment options.

The main living area is a light, airy room.

The property’s sale price sat between the two most-recent sales in Staceys Road of $2.5m and $4m.

“It’s a very good result. It’s an extremely good road, Staceys Road,” Mr Poustie said.

“It’s a very lucrative blue-chip pocket.

“When you think about it, it’s a lot of money to spend, but those views don’t come around often.”

The post Lake Connewarre: Expats snare dream lifestyle property with a big price tag appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Land sales in Perth have surged to a record high as new home buyers take up government subsidies designed to keep the construction industry afloat during the coronavirus crisis.

New statistics compiled by the Urban Development Institute of Australia Western Australia show a 30-year record was set with the highest ever number of blocks sold in the June quarter.

The UDIA WA statistics show there were 3322 new lots sold in the June quarter compared with 1999 the previous quarter, heralding a 126% increase in land sales across the state.

The survey found the average price of lots sold in the period was $226,400 and the average block size was 371sqm.

The data, which has been collected since 1990, is based on surveys of Perth’s major land developers.

The City of Swan in Perth’s eastern suburbs was the most popular for land sales, with more than 1000 blocks sold in the period, while the City of Wanneroo, in Perth’s north, recorded 800 transactions.

Government stimuli has given buyers the push 

UDIA WA chief executive, Tanya Steinbeck, said the boom in land sales had been fuelled by state and federal government home building stimulus offerings.

“Despite significant economic impacts across the country and indeed the globe, the Perth market is holding strong and providing fantastic opportunities for new home buyers,” Ms Steinbeck said.

“While demand has surged, average prices for new land have remained relatively steady at $226,400,” she said. “Comparative to other capital cities in Australia, Perth remains an affordable and stable option for those looking to enter the market.

“New land prices have risen just 0.8% over the quarter and 2% since the same time last year.”

Perth’s strong property market conditions are providing fantastic opportunities for new home buyers. Picture: Getty

In June, the WA Government announced $20,000 grants on the back of the $25,000 HomeBuilder grant from the Federal Government for owner-occupiers who build or substantially renovate their homes.

West Australians embarking on new home projects can now potentially access up to $45,000 in grants as well as other concessions.

The WA Government also expanded the 75% off-the-plan transfer duty rebate, capped at $25,000, to include purchases in multi-tiered developments already under construction in addition to pre-construction contracts.

Contracts must be entered into between 4 June and 31 December 2020.

The WA market has shown resilience during COVID-19

Nerida Conisbee, chief economist at realestate.com.au, said the West Australian property market had shown considerable strength during COVID, with a considerable amount of activity among first-home buyers.

“Perth is showing a lot of positivity at the moment,” Ms Conisbee said. “House and land, in particular, seem to be the most popular new development type nationally, but Perth in particular.

“The big driver is first-home buyers. When we look at Perth, we’ve seen more than a quadrupling of enquiries coming through from first-home buyers. Perth is actually the strongest market at the moment in terms of what we’re seeing in terms of growth.

“As well, WA provides one of the most generous first home buyer incentives in Australia at the moment… and first-home buyers would be a key part of the market driving that.”

New home builders are striving to meet demand

Satterley chief executive, Nigel Satterley, said the company had hastened the release of several new stages of developments to help meet demand.

“The generous government grants have had a dramatic effect on sales and our estate managers have been extremely busy trying to keep up with all the enquiries,” Mr Satterley said.

New home builders have brought forward developments to keep up wth demand. Picture: Getty.

“We have brought forward stages in many of our developments to be able to keep up with the demand.

“These grants are so important in ensuring job certainty for all the trades that contribute to housing construction and to ensure the WA economy can keep growing during the pandemic.”

Ms Steinbeck said the tight timeframes in which stimulus packages are available had caused a rush of potential buyers.

“The industry has had to ramp up quickly to meet such an influx in demand,” she said.

“We saw a flurry of buyers hit the market when the stimulus measures were first announced and this initial influx has settled down somewhat.

“UDIA WA’s survey shows that there are approximately 7500 new lots either on the market or under construction. This is more than enough to meet demand as long as we can get approvals and titles issued in a timely manner.”

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