PHOTO: Mina and Scott O’Neill, the founders of buying agency Rethink Investing, are set to return to the Young Rich List in 2023 with an $80 million valuation.
According to Scott O’Neill, a buyers agent and Financial Review Young Rich Lister, the demand for residential assets among individual property investors has drastically declined. O’Neill, along with his wife Mina, runs Rethink Investing, a buyer’s agency that caters to clients with up to $25 million to invest in real estate deals. They have observed a growing trend among their clients, who now prefer industrial and commercial properties over residential ones.
https://propertynoise.co.nz/au/home-tour-with-tammy-soglanich-of-luxe-listings-sydney-watch/
O’Neill attributes this shift to the diminishing yields in the residential market, making it harder for investors to keep up with borrowing costs, especially with potential policies for residential rent controls in certain states like Victoria and Queensland. He points out that residential rental yields in capital cities still hover around 3-4%, which he considers unappealing, unless one is a cash buyer betting on capital growth.
In contrast, Rethink Investing has achieved an average net yield of 6.46% on the $760 million worth of properties purchased for clients over the past year. They have achieved this by focusing on commercial properties outside of Melbourne and Sydney, even though the latter is their hometown. Their portfolio includes various commercial assets, such as small shops, medical centers, dental clinics, childcare centers, and properties in major regional centers like Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth, Newcastle, Townsville, and Launceston.
https://propertynoise.co.nz/au/australian-travellers-discover-a-secret-swimming-hole-watch/
Many of the tenants in the commercial properties favored by Rethink Investing prefer signing long-term leases (15 years) with annual rent increases tied to the consumer price index, providing a sense of income security that appeals to mom-and-pop investors.
While industrial property nationwide offers slightly lower average net yields of just over 5%, O’Neill’s clients remain keen on investing in sheds and warehouses due to the potential for substantial rent increases.
On the other hand, office blocks in capital city CBDs have seen yield expansion, resulting in decreased valuations. O’Neill believes that offices will recover eventually, especially as the workforce and migrant population continue to grow, but a countercyclical case for guiding clients toward offices will only arise once national CBD vacancy rates fall below 10% from the current 14.3%.
https://propertynoise.co.nz/au/australia-now-top-destination-for-chinese-property-buyers-watch/
Overall, the shift from residential to commercial property investments has contributed to the success of Rethink Investing, which has now transitioned to being 95% focused on commercial properties compared to its earlier specialization in residential properties. With their portfolio, together with the value of Rethink and a team of over 50 employees, Scott and Mina O’Neill are set to return to the Young Rich List with an estimated net worth of $80 million. The list will be published in AFR Magazine on October 27th.
https://propertynoise.co.nz/au/metricon-cancels-numerous-fixed-price-contracts-and-ceases-payment-of-certain-agent-commission-fees/