Commercial Investment

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GUEST OBSERVER
With low interest rates, combined with strong house prices and tighter residential investor lending conditions, lenders are urging investors to consider adding a commercial property to their real estate portfolios.
If you’re new to commercial real estate, the good news is that you can still rent out the property just like a house or apartment. And better still, you receive a rental income in return. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, the rental yields for commercial property investments may vary between 6 percent and 12 percent.
This wide variation can be attributed to whether it’s a retail, industrial or office space, the build quality and location of the asset, its environmental rating and so on.
Other important differences with residential real estate include the fact the tenant of a commercial property is called a “lessee”<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lessee.asp">,</a> and the leases generally run for longer periods of time – usually several years. The trouble is that when a commercial lessee decides to move on, finding a replacement business to take up the lease can be a little more time-consuming than finding a residential tenant.
Also, Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies to a commercial property. If you buy a commercial premises, such as a shop or factory, you may be eligible to claim a credit for the GST included in the purchase price.
You may also be able to claim GST on other expenses that relate to buying the property – such as the GST included in solicitors’ fees and ongoing running expenses, according to Australian Taxation Office. So be sure to keep your records and paperwork up to date.
In addition, any commercial properties used in the running of a business are subject to capital gains tax (CGT). You’re also generally liable for GST on the sale price and can claim GST credits on related purchases.
Angus Raine is executive chairman, <a href="https://www.raineandhorne.com.au/" target="_blank">Raine &amp; Horne</a>.
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What is involved in investing in a commercial property? Angus Raine

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Bunnings is selling its new warehouse which recently opened in the master-planned community of Springfield in Queensland. 
The <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-qld-springfield-501719617" target="_blank">15,972sqm store</a> has parking for 325 cars and is offered for sale through an expressions of interest campaign being conducted by Peter Tyson and Jon Tyson of Savills.
Offers are due October 28. 
The new store commenced trading in August this year.
It will be offered with an initial 12-year lease with eight six-year options. It is offered with a net annual income of $2,115,000.
The store was developed on a prominent 37,110sq m site.
Springfield Central is the CBD of the Greater Springfield master-planned community, which is home to around six new suburbs, including Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Brookwater, Spring Mountain and Augustine Heights. 
“Assets of this pedigree do not often come to market in Queensland. Given the ultra-prime bond style nature of the offering, we anticipate strong investor interest. The Bunnings lease is one of the most highly prized covenants in today’s market,” said Peter Tyson, Savills national director of retail investments.
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Bunnings selling year-old Springfield, Queensland warehouse

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GUEST OBSERVER
The retail sector continues to thrive in Sydney. 
Low interest rates and Australia’s economic rotation has favoured the south eastern states with consumers, retailers and landlords all enjoying sector tailwinds through the second half of 2016. Unsurprisingly therefore, investor demand in the Sydney region is high, reflected in overall transactional volumes and the associated shift lower in yields.
In many instances, Sydney holds the lowest yield per retail asset class, and the potential for further compression is high, especially within the CBD sector. Strong investor appetite is supported by rental growth as infrastructure development and population growth facilitate consumer demand. 
 
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Melbourne 
The Melbourne retail market has been busier than ever, particularly on the shopping centre front. Institutional investors have been actively managing their portfolios, reinvesting capital into the development of prime assets with an aim to boost income streams and lift capital values. More than 377,000sqm
of shopping centre supply is expected to come online in Victoria through to 2021, boosted by projects such as Chadstone Shopping Centre, West eld Knox, Highpoint Shopping Centre, and West eld Doncaster.
This activity has also translated across the CBD, where landlords have been adding value to their assets to keep up with the competition from their suburban counterparts. We therefore expect rental growth to continue across all major retail markets in Melbourne in the next 12-24 months, as redevelopment activity and the growing presence of international brands continue to spur tenant demand. 
Adelaide
Rundle Mall has seen vacancy increase slightly in the last 12 months, with rents also which has reduced the average slightly. Sales volumes are well below last year, but this is due to two major assets in Rundle Mall transacting last year. Demand for assets in the precinct remain strong which has resulted in yields tightening over the last six months. New development is mostly outside Rundle Mall with developments proposed for the Central Arcade in the Central market and further investment in the public realm for key laneways in the CBD.
Perth
Retail vacancy in the CBD, particularly in the Hay and Murray Street malls, remained relatively low in Perth. This has seen CBD market rents out-perform Neighbourhood and Sub Regional centres, where rents have declined due to softer retail turnover growth, easing tenant demand and increased stock levels. This, along with a moderating population growth, has created more uncertainty for the timing of mooted major centre expansions. However, both population and nominal retail turnover growth are still forecast to grow, even if per capita spend continues to moderate.
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Brisbane
The Brisbane CBD continues to evolve into a new world city as part of the Brisbane City Council’s centre plan. As a result of Council’s works and a state economy that has proved to remain resilient, a number of private and public groups are investing substantial resources in Brisbane’s CBD. As a result of the developing vibrancy of the CBD there are major international brands along with bespoke operators entering the CBD, contributing to a positive feedback cycle which is expected to continue. 
New Zealand 
Eight years on from the global nancial crisis, many retailers in New Zealand have streamlined their operations, ramped up their sales campaigns and, in some cases, rationalised their space to meet the changing demand of the new consumer. New Zealand is also receiving more enquiry from international retailers and a select few national retailers are looking to expand their footprint with a more targeted approach. For these retailers, the new strategies being employed - although challenging - are working. 
Positive underlying retail conditions have given buoyancy to property leasing enquiry and activity. We are seeing occupancy highs in many locations - albeit retailers sticking to basics are the winners. Investors remain competitive and attracted to retail property due to the attractive gap between returns and debt costs in the current low interest rate environment.
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Daniel Lees is director of director of research, Colliers, and can be contacted <a href="https://www.colliers.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Sydney, Melbourne retail markets busier than ever: Colliers

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A quick overview of the latest trends in key Australian economic data.
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Andrew Hanlan is senior economist for Westpac and can be contacted <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://au.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-hanlan/3/222/430" target="_blank">here</a>. 
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Australian data summary table 26 September: Westpac's Andrew Hanlan

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GUEST OBSERVER
After showing some tentative signs of lifting, non-mining business investment has dropped back again as a share of GDP.
The capex survey and non-residential approvals data signal only a modest lift non-mining investment this year.
However there are some more positive signs for business investment.
These include high levels of business conditions and confidence, rising capacity utilisation and a lift in company profits.
The strong pipeline of infrastructure spending and the revival in the manufacturing sector are also supportive of stronger investment. 
Non-mining business investment remains the missing ingredient in the successful transition from mining to non-mining led growth. A pick up in non-mining business investment would be a welcome driver of growth in the short-term. It also boosts productivity in the medium to long-term, which is essential for maintaining growth in the face of an ageing population and a potentially slower population growth rate. 
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Mining sector investment seems to have stabilised for now. However non-mining business investment is yet to show a meaningful lift. In fact, as a share of GDP, 8 non-mining business investment has fallen back close to the recent lows in late 2013. This is despite record low interest rates and a relatively stable, and lower, Australian dollar.
In the past we have discussed some of the reasons for weak non- mining business investment (see here). These included unrealistic hurdle rates and slower growth in consumer spending which has dampened business’ expectations of future demand. Many of these factors are still relevant. 
In this note, we take a fresh look at what the forward indicators of business investment are telling us. We find that the “hard” data such as non-residential approvals and capex spending intentions point to only a very modest increase in business investment in the year ahead. However the background conditions for business investment have improved. In particular there has been a strong lift in business conditions and confidence and a lift in capacity utilisation. Other positives for business investment include the revival in the manufacturing sector.
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And also 208 the big lift in public infrastructure spending underway. The note concludes with our outlook for non-mining business investment in the years ahead. 
Non-residential building approvals: Non-residential building is one component of business investment. The approvals data tells us the amount of building activity that is likely to enter the pipeline. This data suggests that there should be some pick-up in non-residential building activity this year due to a large spike in approvals in September 2016.
The lift in approvals was in the retail, entertainment, recreation &amp; accommodation, and office sectors. However since the spike, approvals have been running broadly in line with their average of recent years. So we need to see a further pick up in the approvals data in order to see this component of business investment lift meaningfully.
Capex survey: The ABS capital expenditure survey includes business’ estimates of new capital expenditure. And the results are not encouraging. Early estimates for spending plans can vary significantly from actual spending. However at this stage, based on the historical relationship between estimates and actual spending, it looks as if non-mining capex spending for the 2017/18 financial year will be similar to 2016/17 (see here). 
However it is possible that these estimates could be revised sharply upwards (or downwards) if the economic landscape changes. Another caveat is that the capex survey also excludes some sectors including health, education and agriculture. Investment in health and education tends to be structural rather than cyclical and demographic factors suggest that it should remain firm.
Business conditions and confidence: Survey measures of business conditions and confidence have generally been on an upward trend for several years now. Business conditions are at their highest level since the GFC. Business confidence is the highest since 2010. Both are well above long run averages
Business conditions are buoyant for most industries, with the exception of retail and more recently construction. Conditions are have improved in most States. The exception is the mining State of WA where conditions remain very weak.  
Capacity utilisation: Capacity utilisation is rising. However it is important to consider in which industries it is rising as some businesses are more capital intensive than others. Research from the RBA finds that goods-related industries plus transport tend to be more capital intensive than services-related industries. So high levels of capital utilisation in the goods plus transport industries are more likely to result in additions to capital stock. Whereas for services industries, high capacity utilisation more often prompts additional labour hire.
Capacity utilisation has trended higher in recent years for these more capital intensive industries and is now around its long run average. This has historically been consistent with a higher level of non-mining business investment than is the case now.
The capital stock has also aged which provides further impetus for new investment. However while business hurdle rates are still high we may need to see capacity utilisation rise to high levels before businesses are willing to investment in more capital. 
Return on investment/Tobin’s Q: In addition to demand conditions, the expected rate of return on investment is also an important determinant for business investment. On that score there appears to be plenty of scope to increase non-mining business investment.
The rate of return on the non-mining capital stock is running around 12% and well above most business borrowing rates. However unrealistic hurdle rates are preventing businesses from undertaking some profitable investments.
Also, according to Tobin’s Q theory of investment, growth in non-mining business investment should also be higher than current rates. Tobin’s Q measures the market value of capital relative to its book value. A ratio greater than one suggests that companies should invest more in capital because it is valued more than its replacement cost. Tobin’s Q is hard to measure in practice. But our proxy shows the Q ratio has been on an upward trend since early 2009 and is now well above one.
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Revival in the manufacturing sector: There is somewhat of a revival going on in the manufacturing sector (see here). Employment in manufacturing has picked up. Exports have risen too and are not too far below their pre-GFC levels.
A lower and relatively stable Australian dollar in recent years has helped. RBA research shows that a 10% depreciation in the real exchange rate will boost manufacturing exports by more than 15% three years later. The lift in infrastructure spending has also contributed, lifting demand for building materials, metals and transport equipment.
These stronger conditions have seen manufacturing capital expenditure lift 12% over the two quarters to Q1 2017. Although according to the capex survey estimates of future capex spending are still subdued. They imply roughly a 5% fall in capex spending for 2017/18 compared to 2016/17. But given the lift in conditions in the manufacturing sector we may see an upgrade to intentions as the year goes on. 
Positive rural conditions are also pulling out more agricultural capital expenditure. Farm capex spending has picked up with annual growth running at around 13%.
Consumer spending: Current household spending patterns and the outlook for future spending are also important factors to consider when thinking about future business investment. Firms in the RBA’s liaison program have indicated that they are reluctant to commit to a substantial increase in investment until they see a sustained pick up in sales.
Consumer spending growth has been slower on average than before the financial crisis. However spending growth has run ahead of income growth as households have cut their savings ratio. Household debt levels are elevated which means household may be reluctant to cut savings further. We think that we will need to see further improvement in the labour market, particularly a fall in the unemployment and underemployment rates, or a lift in wages growth, to lift growth in spending.
Public infrastructure spending: Increased public infrastructure spending can “crowd in” private business investment. For example, new transport infrastructure can make previously undesirable land, more desirable. This attracts new spending on dwelling construction, which in turn attracts businesses to set up in the these new areas. Private sector businesses also provide inputs into the building of infrastructure so stronger demand can enable these businesses to expand.
Australia is about to go through an infrastructure boom. The State governments have ramped up infrastructure spending. In particular there are many large transport infrastructure projects underway in NSW and Victoria. The Federal government is also planning on a large infrastructure spend. The latest Budget includes $75 billion in transport spending over the next ten years.
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Studies by the IMF find that an increase in public infrastructure spending in advanced economies increases private business investment in both the short and long term.1 They find the effects are largest when spending occurs in periods of economic slack and easy monetary policy, when it is invested efficiently, that is where public spending is allocated to projects with high rates of return, and when spending in financed by debt rather than tax increases.
You could argue that Australia meets these conditions. Firstly, interest rates are at record lows and are likely to stay there for some time yet. There is also a degree of economic slack in the economy.
Over the year to Q1 the economy grew at just 1.7%, below our estimates of potential growth of around 23⁄4%. While we expect growth to lift to above potential in 2018, a decent share is coming from net exports due to the ramp up in commodity exports following the earlier surge in mining investment. Gross national expenditure, which excludes net exports, doesn’t look quite as strong.
Secondly, in the 2017/18 Budget the Federal government has committed to provide funding for four of the seven projects considered to be “high priority” by Infrastructure Australia. A further three projects on the “priority” list will also receive some funding. And thirdly, these projects will be funded by debt with the Budget not expected to return to surplus until 2020/21.
Sources of funding: Business lending remains soft. Commercial lending growth is in negative territory. Business credit growth is showing a similar lacklustre picture, with soft monthly growth rates since early 2016. Over the year business credit is up just 3.1%. Weak lending is consistent with lacklustre investment.
Another way companies can fund new capital expenditure is by using profits. After five years of lacklustre growth, non-mining profits have begun to lift and are around 17% higher over the year to the March quarter. The lift in profits has been broad based with seven out of nine non-mining categories posting an increase in profits over the year. Mining sector profits have also surged which has positive flow-on effects for industries that service the mining sector.
So what’s the outlook for non-mining business investment?
At this stage we are expecting only a very modest lift in non-mining business investment over the remainder of 2017. This is consistent with the capex survey of business’ intentions and relatively subdued non-residential approvals data. Weak business lending data also points to subdued investment ahead.
However the background conditions for investment are improving. Business conditions and confidence are high and business balance sheets have improved due to stronger profits. Capacity utilisation has lifted and the capital stock has aged.
Other positives for business investment are improving conditions in the manufacturing sector. The strong pipeline of infrastructure spending may also work to “crowd in” business investment. One significant hand brake on stronger capex spending is the fact that business hurdle rates are high given the low interest rate/low yield environment we are in. As a result we have a moderate pick up in non-mining investment in 2018 in our forecasts. 
Kristina Clifton is economist and financial market analyst for CBA and can be contacted <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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The outlook for non-mining business investment

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GUEST OBSERVER
The recent changes to the NSW Standard Instrument zoning definitions to allow hardware and building supplies in the IN1 zone is very welcome and long overdue. 
Retail stores are becoming more mixed and varied in the products they sell and zoning laws in planning systems must reflect the changing nature of retail.
These changes should have been made a long time ago. Land use zones and definitions which are flexible and less restrictive encourage competition and efficiency among retailers which keep prices low for consumers.
While the changes to the zoning definitions are positive, more flexibility is needed to ensure there is sufficient appropriately zoned land to accommodate retail stores, particularly those with a large floor plate. Retailers must often pursue lengthy and complicated rezoning processes, which are costly and create significant delays.
Given the substantial contribution that retail sector provides to NSW Gross Domestic Product, we encourage the NSW Government to continue reforming the Standard Instrument LEP to accommodate innovative emerging retail and business models.
A vibrant retail sector provides economic growth and significant positive benefits to the community in terms of lower prices, increased consumer choice, investment and job creation in the retail industry.
 
Chris Johnson is chief executive officer of property development industry group Urban Taskforce and can be contacted <a href="https://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=97&amp;Itemid=126#.Vdaart55dFI" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Zoning changes will lead to more retail competition: Chris Johnson

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A Hastings Street Noosa Heads investment has been sold for $1.375 million to a local diner investor.
The 194 square metre tenancy has had Montezumas restaurant as a long time tenant.
It was sold to a local investor by Ray White Commercial Noosa and Sunshine Coast North’s Paul Butler and John Petralia.
Set in Bay Village at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-qld-noosa+heads-501607717" target="_blank">27/18 Hastings Street</a> the sale price of the first floor space represented a yield of 7.9%.
“The buyer has been a regular diner in the restaurant so was familiar with the property and the tenant, who has traded from this site for 14 years,” Paul Butler said.
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$1.375 million paid for Noosa Heads restaurant premises

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GUEST OBSERVER
Australia has experienced a period of strong demand for commercial property which has led to firming yields and high prices.
There is still a substantial amount of investment capital looking for opportunity but the lack of availability of suitable stock has led to a reduced volume of transactions during 2016. Most property markets are, or are close to being, fully valued.
Going forward, rising bond rates and slow to moderate economic growth will have an impact on property markets. As growth stays below long term trends, and rates rise, prices will soften.
In this type of environment, leasing conditions will re-emerge as the primary driver of property outcomes. The key question is the extent to which growth in net effective rental income will offset the negative impact of rising interest rates on yields.
Cyclical factors will have a greater influence on prices in office property markets than that of rising interest rates on yields. The key is to invest in strong leasing markets with prospects for strong rental growth.
Sydney remains the pick of the markets. Demand has been improving moderately but with development virtually stopped and stock availability declining due to the Metro rail project and increased residential conversions, falling vacancy rates have meant strong rises in effective rents as leasing incentives reduce.
Vacancy rates are forecast to be less than 5% for the next three years, driving further rises in net effective rents and property prices. However, strong capital growth over the last year has reduced prospective returns. There are still opportunities for investment, and this is the phase where repositioning, major refurbishment or new developments can generate returns, but each opportunity needs to be examined on its own merits.
Last year, demand for office space was moderate in Melbourne. But, unlike Sydney, there has been plenty of development to satisfy requirements. In the short term, Melbourne will be hit by a weakening of demand as it absorbs the loss of the remaining car manufacturers and many associated suppliers, as well as a slowdown in residential construction.
Once that shock is absorbed, however, Melbourne will recover. It still retains many of the advantages—notably cheap land for residential, commercial and industrial property—which gave it a competitive advantage over Sydney in the provision of back-office services for national operations. Melbourne office demand will grow slightly more strongly than Sydney in the next decade but rent and property value growth will be inhibited by the plentiful availability of sites.
The Brisbane economy is still suffering from the continuing loss of demand from mining services. In the boom, 25% of Brisbane’s office space was occupied by companies servicing mining. Demand will be hit further when the inner Brisbane apartment market turns down.
Medium term, the prospects are good as Brisbane will benefit from strengthening activity in tourism, education services and agriculture. The short term will be difficult due to the existing oversupply of office space with little prospect of a substantial improvement in demand to absorb it. The vacancy rate is currently above 15 percent and will still be above 10 percent at the end of the decade.
The Perth economy is collapsing under the weight of the end of the mining boom. Investment has further to fall and the economy will stay weak for some time. During the boom, half of Perth office space was occupied by companies servicing mining. Much of that demand is now gone and the vacancies will take a decade to absorb. Rents and property values will fall a lot further.
Adelaide is suffering from weak demand and oversupplied office space. Although the worst may be over in terms of demand-side weakness, there is no prospect of sustained growth for a couple of years as the local economy deals with the closure of the GM Holden plant. The patrol boats, frigates and submarines projects will help but not until the end of the decade.
Canberra remains a difficult market. We are coming to the end of the period of substantial oversupply and A grade vacancies have tightened everywhere except at the airport, where there is still plenty of space. However, new construction is about to get under way in Civic, while some secondary properties lie vacant and are difficult to lease.
Retail property markets
Regional and sub-regional centres
Retail property remains a highly popular investment. The volume of transactions reached record levels over the last few years and only a shortage of regional centres for sale has constrained the market. Some existing owners are instead now ploughing additional capital into centre refurbishment/expansion projects.
Retail yields have firmed aggressively over the last few years and are averaging around that of the last market peak. Yet retailing conditions are not nearly so strong. Growth has been slowing in trend terms since early 2014. While larger retailers and chains are outperforming smaller retailers, there have nonetheless been several high profile failures in the last few months. 
The soft economy and weak household income growth will continue to constrain retail expenditure for the rest of this decade. Strong regional differences will emerge as former mining boom areas suffer, while those regions dependent on tourism, education services and other sectors that benefit from a lower Australian dollar enjoy stronger growth.
Shopping centre net operating incomes face further challenges from the poor performance of many anchor tenants and likely pressure on retailer profit margins (and hence their capacity to pay higher rent) from a lower Australian dollar. Changes in tenancy mix, a greater reliance on food and beverage retailers and service sector tenants, and costly upgrades will be required to protect against these threats.
Despite the challenges, centre incomes are, to a great extent, protected by anchor tenant rent and rents from non-expiring specialties on fixed annual escalations. Yields could remain low for some time but they will eventually follow bond rates up.
Large format retail
The large format retail property sector enjoyed another strong year in 2016 across a range of indicators. Strong demand from both consumers and retailers helped to push vacancy rates lower, in turn encouraging rental growth. Meanwhile, the investment market is buoyant.
However, the surge in consumer spending is now past and activity is at more moderate levels. This comes at a time when supply of centres is likely to surge after seven weak years. Reconfiguration of ex-Masters stores into centres could add up to 700,000 square metres of ‘new’ centre floor-space. Moreover, there are also 21 development sites to be accounted for.
Smaller existing centres and strip shopping locations are likely to be the main losers to the ‘new’ ex-Masters centres. Larger, dominant centres are unlikely to suffer as much. Bunnings is a clear winner in the whole process, with a major competitor gone and a great opportunity to pick up new sites easily.
Longer term, the outperformance of larger retailers and chains is expected to continue. Even so, it will be no match for the pace of growth in the 2000s.
On the investment side, demand remains strong. A record dollar value of transactions was achieved in 2015–16. The strength of investor demand has pushed down yields with further yield firming likely over the next 12 to 18 months. Rising bond rates, already putting upwards pressure on yields, will win out after that. Prime values are likely to stagnate rather than fall, but secondary centres could see a drop in prices.
Retail looks reasonably valued, with expected returns around current investment hurdle rates. Even so, retailing and retail property face major challenges. Large format retail has the best estimated return, reflecting its higher yield. Its low rent and expansion opportunities will help it to absorb the Masters properties and secure the longer term strength of the sector, but in the short term there are risks from the amount of reconfigured Masters floor-space likely to come on to the market.
 Industrial property markets
The years of strong investment returns from industrial property are coming to an end, with the period of falling interest rates that had underwritten firming yields and strongly rising asset values now over.
Softer future yields will have a negative impact on valuations and also on construction feasibility, requiring higher pre-lease effective rents to underwrite the financial feasibility of development projects. The transition to higher rents will be relatively smooth, though the risk is that it may take a year or longer. If this occurs, falling vacancies would eventually deliver the necessary step-up in rents.
Industrial property development is running close to demand. Ready availability of land and development competition is keeping a lid on residual land prices, rents and property values, suppressing a cyclical upswing. That makes it less risky but slightly overvalued in relation to market hurdle rates.
Summary
This is an uncertain time for property investors. After a long period of falling interest rates driving firming yields, we are on the threshold of a phase of rising interest rates. The uncertainty is how quickly and by how much interest rates will rise. When they do, yields will soften but that will be offset by the impact of rising rents.
This suggests that yields may have a little further to firm before the impact of rising interest rates comes through.  Meanwhile, continuing soft economic growth means continuing weak demand, in the transition to a post-mining boom economy. The result is marked differences in performance between industries and regions.
Damian Horton is head of property, Cromwell Property Group and can be contacted <a href="https://www.cromwell.com.au/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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2017 Australian commercial property market outlook: Cromwell's Damian Horton

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Sentinel Property Group has expanded into Western Australia with the acquisition of the Geraldton Homemaker Centre for $27.3 million.
Retail properties account for more than 50% of Sentinel’s assets under management, which is closing in on a total value of $1 billion.
The property is the first located off the eastern states of Australia for Sentinel, which has a total portfolio of 35 retail, industrial, office and land assets in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
It is also the second asset for the newly-launched Sentinel Homemaker (Open Ended) Trust.
Warren Ebert, Sentinel managing director, said Geraldton is a strategic hub and major seaport for the mid-west of WA and has enjoyed 14 years of consecutive population growth. 
"A traditional agricultural region, the diverse economy of greater Geraldton now also encompasses mining, fishing and tourism and has an estimated output of $5.072 billion," he said.
The purchase of Geraldton Homemaker Centre was negotiated by Philip Gartland of Stonebridge Property Group and Simon Parsons of Parsons Hill Stenhouse.
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Geraldton Homemaker Centre sold for $27.3 million

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SPONSORED POST
When talking property investment most people generally think residential real estate, often giving little or no thought to commercial property as a viable investment solution.
But a growing number of everyday Australians are recognising the potential of this sector and are cashing in.
In particular, a flood of mum and dad investors utilising self-managed superannuation funds are investing in small commercial properties, in what has become an extremely competitive market, but for good reason.
Commercial real estate, classified as property assets primarily used for business purposes, consists of three sectors – retail, office and industrial. Each with a range of asset classes, these sectors have their own cycle representing often very different risks and rewards.
Although some commercial properties offer investors yields akin to residential property, around 4 percent, others can achieve a return of up to 10 percent, after costs, depending on the asset class and risk rating.
The benefit of investing in commercial property is that it is characterised by longer leasing covenants than residential property – typically three, five or 10 years – with fixed or CPI annual increases and the added benefit of the tenant meeting the cost of all outgoings, including land tax if the tenant is publicly listed.
Furthermore, commercial tenants will generally take better care of a property, ensuring it is maintained and presentable.  But while also offering potential for high capital growth, the high return from commercial property investment is not without risks.
Historically, commercial property is far less predictable than residential property markets, with the potential for longer vacancy periods and poor resale for some specialised assets, influenced significantly by economic factors such as unemployment and consumer confidence.
Additionally, investment in the commercial market can sometimes be difficult due to stricter lending conditions, which may require buyers to have a minimum 30 to 50 percent deposit.
For the average investor diversifying into commercial property there are several important factors to consider. Similar to investing in residential property, location is key.
The type of commercial asset you purchase should be strategically located, paying particular attention to zoning restrictions that govern the sites potential highest and best use. Furthermore, consider the development potential of both the site and the building in instances where the current use ceases to be viable.
There are many commercial investment options, including mixed use dwellings, such as a retail shop with dwelling, which offers a double income stream, small industrial factories, strata-titled offices, retail strip shops, fast-food outlets and service stations. While the risks associated with commercial property are higher than residential, the benefits can be significantly greater.
For more information, <a href="https://bs.serving-sys.com/BurstingPipe/adServer.bs?cn=tf&amp;c=20&amp;mc=click&amp;pli=18755997&amp;PluID=0&amp;ord=%5Btimestamp%5D" target="_blank">click here</a>.
ABOUT REALCOMMERCIAL.COM.AU: realcommercial.com.au is the leading website in Australia for commercial property, attracting an average of 1.7 million visitors a month (Source: Nielsen Online Market Intelligence, Total Traffic, average calculation May-July 2015, includes app traffic from Omniture Site Catalyst as Nielsen doesn’t report on app). It is owned and operated by realestate.com.au Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of ASX-listed REA Group Limited ACN 068 349 066 (ASX:REA).
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