Rogue marketing claims in offshore Australia 108 registrations

The Australian estate agency CBRE has suggested the recent offshore marketing of Melbourne's tallest building, Australia 108, was being undertaken by "rogue" agencies.

Last week a Singaporean agency started taking buyer interest registrations, on which Property Observer reported. The website page was removed this week.

Screenshots from the Singaporean website marketing Australia 108 before it was removed.

CBRE was also aware of another Singaporean company taking registrations using dated imagery of the former project.

The ambitious project's former owner, a mostly local Melbourne developer syndicate had begun privately taking deposits on the then 108-storey proposal offering from late 2012.

But the revised project, which is still awaiting final floor plan designs, is now being developed by the Singaporean company, Aspial.

At 319 metres it will be the tallest block in the southern hemisphere.

There will be an estimated 1,105 apartments in the complex, located up to its 100th level with a 2019 estimated completed date.

"It is a rogue operator attempting to get registrations," CBRE Residential Projects Victoria managing director Andrew Leoncelli told Property Observer.

"It's my project," he said, adding the two Singaporean agencies were "unauthorised".

Giving an estimated November 2014 to March 2015 timetable for the initial marketing, he indicated CBRE was the only appointed agency.

While CBRE have not yet taken any registrations, a January 2013 CBRE press release after the development site sale to the Aspial group indicated "people who have registered their interest in an Australia 108 apartment will be contacted with an update on designs for the tower once plans are further advanced." 

The prior Australia 108 consortium included Nonda Katsalidis; investor Adrian Valmorbida; developer Benni Aroni representing the Watersun syndicate made up of himself, Gary Caulfield, Rob Elliott and others; and the Beulah International syndicate representing the Malaysian partners.

Comment has been sought from Aspial.

The Knight Frank Singaporean commission agent spoken to by Property Observer said he had authorisation to take inquiries and registrations.

"Our company has been appointed," he said referring Property Observer to the agency website, which has since been taken down.

Designed by Melbourne-based and internationally renowned architect, Fender Katsalidis, the iconic tower comes with a striking starburst at levels 70 and 71 that will house Melbourne’s highest and largest recreational facilities area for residents.