REISA UNSW: Newsletter T1W10

Welcome to Term 1, Week 10 of 2025!

We hope you’ve had a fantastic Easter break and are feeling refreshed as we head into the final week of term!

If you are keen to continue learning more about the real estate investment world and want to be the first to hear about our events and opportunities, we strongly encourage you to like and follow the REISA UNSW Facebook and Instagram.

Warm regards,
REISA UNSW Team

Upcoming REISA UNSW Events

Intro to Real Estate Development

We’re closing out our Intro to Real Estate Series with an unmissable event 🎯 - a panel featuring top representatives from leading real estate development firms who are here to share their journeys, career advice, and insider tips.

Whether you're curious about how to break into the industry, what a day in the life looks like, or how to make your application stand out, this is your chance to hear it straight from the source.

💬 Expect real talk on career pathways, industry trends, and practical steps to get ahead.

After the panel, stay for an open networking session where you can chat directly with speakers, ask your burning questions, and start building your industry connections 🤝✨

Plus — we’ve got catering covered! Come for the insights, stay for the snacks and conversations.

Date: Wednesday 7 May

Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Location: USYD Law Annex Seminar Room 102

Dress Code: Smart Casual

Sign Up Here: Application Form

Read more about this opportunity on the Facebook Event

Real Estate News

Retail Rebound: $10bn Surge Signals Investor Reawakening

After years of caution, institutional investors are returning to Australian retail real estate in force, with a resurgence in transaction volumes indicating renewed confidence in the sector. According to Ray White Commercial’s latest Between the Lines report, retail assets recorded over $10bn in sales during 2024, a 43% year-on-year increase.

The rebound was led by neighbourhood and large-format retail centres, with institutional buyers dominating the $20mm-plus bracket. Queensland emerged as the national frontrunner, accounting for 31.2% of national transaction value, ahead of New South Wales (26.6%) and Victoria (22.3%).

The momentum shift reflects stabilising yields and a broader repricing of risk in the post-COVID market. While prime retail cap rates have softened from their pandemic-era lows, they continue to outperform both office and industrial assets in terms of income reliability. As interest rates peak and inflation trends moderate, investors are increasingly favouring income-generating, non-discretionary retail assets with high tenant retention and defensive leasing profiles.

Ray White Head of Research Vanessa Rader notes that the uptick is driven by “strong occupier demand and reduced development pipelines,” which are supporting both rental growth and capital values. Large-format retail in particular has benefited from shifting consumer behaviour and demand for convenience-driven shopping hubs.

Notably, institutional and private investors are now selectively re-entering sub-regional and regional centre deals, particularly those with value-add or repositioning potential. This includes assets with supermarket anchors or redevelopment upside in growing metropolitan corridors.

The $10bn recovery marks a turning point for a sector that was long considered under pressure. For fund managers and REITs, the opportunity now lies in early-cycle acquisitions and active asset management: particularly as capital markets begin to loosen and risk appetite returns.

Written by: James Young

Thank You To Our 2025 Sponsors:

Real Estate Investment Student Association (REISA), is a student run society founded in 2023 with the objective of providing students with opportunities across all aspects of Real Estate Investment, including Private Equity, Advisory, Development, and Asset Management.

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