COVID-19 and Real Estate

Negativity and the temptation to bury our head in sand

As restrictions ease and normality resurfaces, we begin to look to the future to plan our way back.

Hard decisions on a personal, business and government level need to be made to assess how we fit in to (the new) normal. In May 2020, we spoke to three experts in property and urban planning about the residential, commercial, retail and public infrastructure markets to gather some insights into life after COVID-19.

The Experts

Dr Piyush Tiwari is Professor of Property at The University of Melbourne. Prior to his current position, he was Director Policy at Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), India, where he was responsible for formulating policies for private financing of urban infrastructure in close cooperation with national and state governments.

Dr Georgia Warren-Myers is a senior lecturer in Property at The University of Melbourne. Georgia  undertakes academic research into various areas relating to commercial real estate and housing – with specific interests in climate change, risk assessment, sustainability, and housing affordability.

Tim Biles is an urban design and planning expert, currently at Ratio Consultants. His 40 years experience throughout Victoria has made him a a recognised leader in these fields. He provides planning, urban design advice, and also regularly delivers expert evidence at VCAT and planning panels.

Chapter 1: There’s heaps of noise about recessions, deficits and unemployment. So where do we really stand?

Chapter 2: A snapshot of the situation for the residential market and the biggest issue we face after COVID-19.

Chapter 3: With Australians now fully adapted to working remotely, what impact will this have on the commercial market?

Chapter 4: Melbourne is well known for it’s vibrant shopping and events, but sadly social distancing has now changed the way we gather for the foreseeable future. We look at the impact on the retail market.

Chapter 5: As we look to the recovery, the high speed rail ideas are floating around again. Are we at risk of creating white elephants?

Chapter 6: The lockdown is easing. Australia has so far done exceptionally well on the public health front. So will getting us back to the pubs help the bounce back?

If you enjoyed this watch, you’ll love this read.

Words by Scott Williams and Raghav Goel for blueprint

Cover photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash