Inside Commercial Property

It’s no secret that inflation, rising interest rates and continuing ripples from the pandemic have changed commercial investors’ bottom lines. But it’s also true that there’s plenty they can do to rebalance their financial equations. Co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill take a deep dive into the various cost-effective changes that can be implemented in commercial real estate holdings to up the financial return of assets. They catalogue seven strategies – from lease adjustments to methods of creating new income streams – that can transform the value proposition of a property. The duo also discuss some of the international factors that investors should be aware of in the months ahead as they plan for the management of their commercial property portfolios.

The age-old adage holds true for this investor who found financial success after learning and immersing in the world of commercial properties. Co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill are joined by Adam Stewart, a former executive in the digital industry who, after becoming a multifaceted investor, eventually found remarkable success and his strongest returns through ventures in commercial investing. They delve into the role education plays in positioning for success in commercial investing and stress the significance of viewing due diligence as an integral part of the investment process. Lastly, they discuss the current state of the market, explore areas slated for growth and dig into the factors that can shape upcoming trends.

For commercial investors looking to take their property portfolios to the next level, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill answer listeners’ queries about optimising their current holdings. In this episode, the duo discuss the pros and cons of investing in a real estate investment trust or an unlisted managed fund. Scott explains why in the long term he likes to take matters into his own hands, finding better return on investment. They also share tactics for extracting more value from commercial properties by making some adjustments when your leases are up for renegotiation. And Scott expounds on the strategy behind letting his leases lapse before discussing renewal with an existing tenant.

If you talk to a lot of investors, as co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill do, you’ll hear them often say they’re not building portfolios so much for their own benefit as that of the next generation — their kids. Joined by Rethink Investing’s Michael McIntosh, Phil and Scott delve into the topic of leveraging your existing assets to create a fair and equitable succession plan for your next of kin. Michael, who specialises in helping rural families invest in commercial real estate, explains the unique position that many Australian farmers occupy when it comes to equity. The land they sit on is valuable but not very liquid. In considering how to pass on their assets to their family, it can become complicated when everything is tied up in a single entity, and they have some children who want to continue in the family business and some who don’t. The trio also look at how diversifying a portfolio can bring stability to assets such as farms that are often at the mercy of elements out of human control.

For commercial investors looking to enter the Queensland market, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill bring in the big guns to provide insider knowledge of the region’s inner workings, particularly in the key areas of Toowoomba and Townsville. In this episode, Colliers International’s managing director in Toowoomba, Dan Dwan, and executive for sales and leasing in Townsville, Shaun McLaren, explore the advantages of working with a knowledgeable buyer’s agent, discuss their critical role in connecting the right buyer and why commercial transactions are not all about “getting the deal done”. They also explain the nuances of the commercial market in regional areas, how it compares to the larger city markets, discuss buying and leasing trends in the last few years, and explore how off-market deals operate on trust between involved parties. Lastly, they unpack the growth prospects in Toowoomba and Townsville and how it can offer opportunities for commercial investors.

With finance at the top of commercial investors’ minds amid a rapidly shifting market landscape, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill bring in the cavalry to help navigate the rough mortgage terrain. In this episode, Son Pham, the director and head of mortgages at Rethink Financing, highlights the puzzle-like nature of finding the right lender to provide a commercial real estate mortgage that fits an investor’s needs before giving an insider’s look into the current lending environment. They also talk about the inner workings of borrowing in today’s market, including comparable rates, competitive packages offered by lenders, as well as features that investors need to add to their checklist when shopping for a commercial property loan. Lastly, the trio discusses where they think the market will be headed in the coming months and explains why they believe the market’s downturn is coming to an end. *This episode was recorded prior to the RBA’s April cash rate decision.

With several headwinds blowing in the commercial market’s direction, is it the right time to invest in the sector? Co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill unpack why there are still opportunities abounding — if you know what to look for. While the going is anticipated to get tough for commercial investors in 2023, thanks to rising interest rates, high inflationary rates and record construction costs, Scott and Phil delve into how buying into the market amid current downturn conditions can be a good investment strategy in the long run. They also examine the performance of various commercial asset types in the current market before discussing potential pitfalls that investors may encounter when they purchase such properties. Finally, they share their insights on how the future trajectory of interest rates and lending practices will affect the sector and what this means for commercial investors.

It’s no secret that a healthy balance sheet is a pillar to successful commercial real estate investing. So on the latest episode of Inside Commercial Property with Rethink Investing, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill are bringing an expert on board to help us crunch the numbers. Munzurul Khan, the chairman at KHI Partners and a driving force behind the SPI portfolio, says that while the shift from residential to commercial property investing can be a complex undertaking, it can also be financially rewarding with the right strategy in place. Further diving into money matters related to commercial investing, the trio discusses how to mitigate risks, why it’s important to have the right financial structure when building your portfolio and why investments in the sector must always fall in line with one’s personal goals and circumstances. Last but not least, they answer the burning questions from listeners and provide the right questions to ask their own accountant about their taxes, loans and much more.

We’re ending the year with a bang, and on the latest episode of Inside Commercial Property with Rethink Investing, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill bring in a special guest to share how he found success in commercial investing. If you’re looking to jumpstart your commercial real estate investing journey this 2023, Phil and Scott give a behind-the-scenes look at how to get one’s foot in the sector’s door, what are the usual challenges that investors face when transitioning from residential to commercial and why heightened due diligence is needed when taking the plunge into this type of property investment. They also unpack value and cash flow-adding strategies commercial investors can employ in the coming year, including recalibrating portfolios, reviewing financial positions and evaluating the financial performance and goals of assets. Additionally, Phil and Scott offer their predictions for the sector in the next 12 months and explain why higher interest rates will not pull the rug from under the commercial sector.

In the latest episode of Inside Commercial Property with Rethink Investing, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill paint the picture of the worst-case scenarios for commercial investors and how to solve them. Phil and Scott acknowledge that, like any other investment, betting on commercial real estate has its own set of risks. With that, the duo lay out the potential situations that can put commercial investors in a pinch before discussing practical and strategic solutions that can help them mitigate their losses or completely avert such a crisis from happening. And while there is no foolproof way to ensure a successful investment, the pair stress that having the right mindset is an investor’s greatest tool to overcome any downturns. They also touch on how different types of commercial properties are currently performing before unpacking what 2023 will hold for the sector.