Inside Commercial Property

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.

You asked. We listened. On the latest episode of Inside Commercial Property with Rethink Investing, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill answer some of the biggest questions from avid listeners. Phil and Scott field through some queries that are on top of commercial real estate investors’ minds, including the pros and cons of developing a commercial property versus buying an existing one in today’s market, how to find the best property manager, and what red and green flags you should look out for when working with one. The duo also discuss how to turn your roof into revenue with solar panel leasing and unpack why it has the potential to be a great financial opportunity when done right. With commercial property rents skyrocketing, they also talk about how investors can maximise their revenue on their commercial asset by setting the right rate before touching on when is the best time to buy a commercial property in the next 12 months.

On the latest episode of Inside Commercial Property with Rethink Investing, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill discuss why commercial property remains a solid investment vehicle amid the changing behaviour in the residential sector. In the face of the Reserve Bank of Australia continuing to frontload its rate rise cycle and dampened consumer confidence, the duo unpacks the solid economic fundamentals that continue to underpin the commercial sector and explains why investing in commercial property remains a more profitable venture than having it parked in an offset account or other assets such as stocks. Phil and Scott also talk about why it’s a good idea to revalue a commercial property, give tips on how to get the interest rates on a commercial mortgage at its most competitive level and dole out advice on how investors can get ahead of the game by gearing up for the next phase of the property cycle through value-adding, yields-bolstering and capital gains-increasing strategies. *This episode was recorded just prior to the Palaszczuk government’s decision to shelve the new Queensland land tax on 30 September.

In the latest episode of Inside Commercial Property with Rethink Investing, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill sit down with a lawyer to provide in-depth insights on how the commercial conveyancing process works. With the spring selling season kicking off and many investors set to make one of the biggest financial transactions of their lives, Sam Saad from Rethink Property Lawyers says it’s more important than ever to understand the fine print before closing a commercial property deal. He shares what checks and balances a good lawyer will do for clients during the conveyancing process and explains how the quality of legal advice throughout a transaction can make or break a commercial investment. The trio also enumerates the due diligence that investors should do throughout the buying process and discusses what red flags to watch out for when closing a commercial property deal.

In this episode of Inside Commercial Property, co-hosts Phil Tarrant and Scott O’Neill sit down with an investor who’s relatively new to the space — and already seeing material gains from the move away from resi. Paloma is a Brisbane-based medical professional who was comfortable being negatively geared across a number of properties, but in December last year, she took a plunge into the commercial space, encouraged by the kinds of figures she was seeing — and the sensibility that accompanied the data. Having bought into a West Australian commercial property with three sturdy tenants and a Brisbane cold storage facility, the trio unpack the factors that are already driving a strong return on investment for Paloma as she looks to generate income away from her day job and continue on her commercial property journey.