Cairns industrial property sales slow since 2007: HTW

Valuation firm Herron Todd White have reported that the small industrial sector in Cairns close to the CBD is showing stronger buyer demand. 

The HTW month in review suggest that though we now perceive the industrial market to be entering a recovery phase, industrial property development remains slow.

"Improved industrial property sales also remain slow at levels well below the 2007 peak with prices steady.

"Commercial agents advise limited availability of good quality stand alone warehouse stock with slow to reasonable demand for this type of premises."

The report also noted that strata titled industrial warehouses are also limited in numbers for both sale and lease with similar limited demand.

It went on to add however that rents have recently begun to claw back some lost ground as the economy has slowly improved.

"The vacant industrial land sale market is especially quiet with limited sales activity.

"The median vacant industrial land price in Cairns peaked at $295 per square metre in 2009 but has been around $200 to $250 per square metre for sales over the past four years.

"Our overall assessment is that industrial land is adequately supplied for foreseeable levels of demand," said the review.

"There is limited quality investment stock available for purchase in the Cairns market.

"This will tend to support values for well leased properties over the short to medium term."

The report concluded by suggesting that the market has been gradually consolidating to the start of recovery stage and the immediate outlook is for further consolidation and improvement in the year ahead.

"A lack of new stock should see availability tighten as we move through the remainder of 2015.

"A recovery in the vacant industrial land market in Cairns will continue to depend on a more widespread recovery in the local economy which appears to be underway."