Asia Connect: Brisbane - Insights on the Future of the Brisbane Property Market

Author: Shona Leppanen-Gibson, GM, Australian Leadership Skills Centre

In my role as President of the Australia Malaysia Business Council Qld Inc, I was invited to collaborate with PropertyGuru, Asia’s biggest online property platform, and the Brisbane office of accounting firm HLB Mann Judd for Asia Connect: Brisbane. PropertyGuru was keen to engage with the Brisbane property development and real estate market, as well as architects, builders and others in this space to promote their upcoming PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, which PropertyGuru has run for the last two decades. HLB Mann Judd is heavily involved in the Awards, overseeing the process and ensuring the integrity of the awards. This represented an important opportunity for the Brisbane industry to get to know about the Awards and promote the skills and expertise of Queensland based players. It was also an opportunity to promote Brisbane to overseas investors, as well as promote bilateral and multilateral relations through the property market.

There was a great turnout with attendees from across the spectrum of the industry. Guest speakers included Josh Chye, Partner in HLB Mann Judd Melbourne; Ivan Lam from Charter Keck Cramer and Chair of the Awards; and our host James Henderson, Managing Partner of HLB Mann Judd Brisbane; as well as Jules Kay, General Manager of Property Guru’s Awards worldwide as the MC. All had property, tax, and investment insights for the audience, as well as a thorough introduction to the Awards.

I was asked to be one of the guest speakers which I was very happy to assist with. In my short address titled 'Driving investment and international collaboration in Brisbane and South East Queensland', I was able to share my views on the Brisbane real estate market and the differences between it and interstate markets. With one of the most stable markets in Australia and of course the upcoming Olympics, the Brisbane and SEQ market have still not peaked. Besides the recognisable advantages of SEQ, such as lifestyle, weather, and facilities, Brisbane and SEQ still have much room for growth in development and in value.

After the speeches, our CEO Kiong Chan chaired a discussion panel with the guest speakers Josh, Ivan, James and I examining some of the major infrastructure projects, supply and demand, and other issues for the Brisbane property market. It was a great night for with lots of support from many of our friends from the real estate and property development industry, members of the Lord Mayor’s Roundtable, and the Honorary Consuls of the Philippines and Thailand.