06/02/2026

McGees Wrap Up 6th February 2026

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Market Overview

The Queensland commercial property sector has entered February with robust momentum, following a 2025 calendar year that saw transaction volumes surge by 61 per cent to a total of $21.35 billion (Radar, 2026). While recent inflation data has prompted a more cautious outlook regarding the interest rate trajectory, the market is currently supported by a significant supply-demand imbalance across the office, industrial, and retail sectors. Brisbane’s office market remains one of the most stable in Australia, with vacancy rates expected to tighten as the development pipeline remains constrained through to 2027 (KPMG, 2025). Investor appetite is increasingly pivoting toward defensive assets with strong underlying land value and income security, particularly in the northern growth corridors and inner-city precincts (Herde, 2026).

Weekly Transaction Summary

The following table outlines the key transactions recorded this week. The diversity in yields, ranging from the sharp 4.85 per cent for prime brand-name retail to the 9.4 per cent premium for inner-city strata office, illustrates a bifurcated market where capital is pricing risk and land-banking potential with high precision.

Sector Property Address Price / Annual Rent Yield / WALE Size (m²/ha)
Development Pumicestone & Clinker Rds, Elimbah $318,500,000 N/A 181.36ha
Retail 143 Newmarket Rd, Windsor $28,500,000 7.04-year WALE 2,915 m²
Retail/LFR 157-159 Newmarket Rd, Windsor $15,000,000 4.85% 1,944 m²
Office Level 1, 220 Melbourne St, South Brisbane $3,500,000 9.4% 572 m²
Office (Lease) 155 Wharf St, Spring Hill ~$200,000 p.a. 5-year term 689 m²

Comment

The current transactional landscape reflects a "flight to quality" and "flight to land," where private and institutional investors are willing to accept tighter yields for assets with national tenant covenants or significant future development upside. The 4.85 per cent yield achieved for the Windsor Officeworks sits at the lower end of the retail yield spectrum (typically 5.0 to 6.0 per cent for prime assets), signifying the high value placed on strategic inner-metropolitan freeholds (Herron Todd White, 2025). Conversely, the 9.4 per cent yield in South Brisbane offers a substantial risk premium, attractive to investors seeking high immediate cash flow to offset rising debt servicing costs. Overall, the market is transitioning into a phase where income returns are increasingly vital to offset capital volatility, with the industrial and non-discretionary retail sectors leading total returns at approximately 6.4 per cent (KPMG, 2025).

Office – 155 Wharf Street, Spring Hill

155 Wharf Street, Spring Hill

Division 5, an expanding local cybersecurity company, has secured a new head office at 155 Wharf Street after its previous premises were sold to an owner-occupier. The tenant has entered into a five-year lease with a further option for the entire three-level building, which provides 689 m² of gross lettable area and eight on-site car parks. The building, owned by Bundaberg Sugar, was selected due to its lower price point and capacity to accommodate an additional 20 to 40 staff over the next two years. The gross annual rent is approximately $200,000 plus GST (Herde, 2026).

Office – Level 1, 220 Melbourne Street

Level 1, 220 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane

A Victorian-based private investor has acquired a whole-floor strata office asset in South Brisbane for $3.5 million. The 572 m² space, located at 220 Melbourne Street, is fully occupied by four tenants across six tenancies and was sold with a WALE of 2.32 years. The sale price represents a 9.4 per cent yield on a net annual income of $330,658. The property includes 21 on-site car parks and is situated opposite the $1.2 billion West Village development (Herde, 2026).

Retail & LFR – Windsor Exchange & Officeworks

143-159 Newmarket Road, Windsor

In a significant consolidation of prime inner-northern land, a private investor has acquired two retail assets in Windsor for a combined total of $43.5 million. The Windsor Exchange at 143 Newmarket Road, a 2,915 m² convenience and large-format centre on an 8,010 m² site, was purchased for $28.5 million from the Griffith Group. Simultaneously, the buyer secured the adjacent Officeworks at 157-159 Newmarket Road for $15 million. These acquisitions reflect a strategic focus on defensive income and long-term land value in high-exposure metropolitan corridors (Herde, 2026).

Development – Elimbah Master-Planned Site

Pumicestone Road and Clinker Road, Elimbah

Singaporean developer Ho Bee Land, through its subsidiary Elimbah Land, has acquired a 181.36ha underdeveloped site (englobo) north of Brisbane for $318.5 million. The site is expected to yield approximately 1,400 residential lots and 64 mixed-business and industrial lots. The transaction includes more than 25ha zoned for mixed industry and business. This major acquisition highlights the critical role of the northern growth corridor in meeting South East Queensland’s industrial and housing demand (Herde, 2026).

General News

  • Regional Property Price Surge: Townsville property prices have surged 15.6 per cent in the past 12 months to a median of $605,000, while the Gold Coast has become Australia's second most expensive market. Impact: The rapid escalation of dwelling values, which are now rising faster than wages in many regions, is driving a "spill-over" effect into the commercial sector as investors search for better yield profiles in regional markets (Foster, 2026).
  • Infrastructure Pipeline Impact: The Queensland Government's $116.8 billion infrastructure commitment is creating new commercial nodes along transport corridors.
    Impact: This shift is moving commercial value away from traditional CBD locations toward transport-oriented development (TOD) precincts, encouraging industrial and retail decentralisation (Ray White Commercial, 2025).
  • Retail Supply-Demand Mismatch: Current research indicates Queensland requires 2.6 times more retail space than is presently in the development pipeline to meet population growth.
    Impact: This scarcity is likely to drive further yield compression and rental growth for existing well-located retail assets (API Magazine, 2025).
  • QBCC Regulatory Update: New amendments to the QBCC Regulation commenced on 1 February 2026, introducing stricter administrative requirements for licensees.
    Impact: Commercial developers must ensure immediate compliance to avoid infringement notices and potential project delays (Ensure Legal, 2026).

Final Take

The Queensland commercial market is demonstrating remarkable resilience, with major international and interstate players moving aggressively to secure "future-proof" landholdings. While residential affordability constraints are significant, they are fuelling a search for value that benefits the commercial sector. As the state moves closer to its 2032 commitments, the tightening of supply across all sectors is expected to provide a strong floor for valuations throughout 2026.

References

  • API Magazine. (2025, August 26). Boom times looming for Queensland's commercial property market. https://www.apimagazine.com.au/
  • Ensure Legal. (2026, February 1). QBCC Subordinate Legislation Commenced 1 Feb 2026: What Changed And Why It Matters. https://ensurelegal.com.au/
  • Foster, S. (2026, February 2). Prices rise more than wages. Townsville Bulletin, 2.
  • Herde, C. (2026, January 30). Perfect fit for growth. The Courier Mail, 55.
  • Herde, C. (2026, January 30). Quality drives retail sale. The Courier Mail, 55.
  • Herde, C. (2026, January 30). Strata office lures interstate buyer. The Courier Mail, 55.
  • Herron Todd White. (2025, August). Month in Review - Commercial. https://htw.com.au/
  • KPMG. (2025, December). Commercial Property Market Update – December 2025. https://assets.kpmg.com/
  • Radar, V. (2026, January 30). Queensland Commercial Property Market Update 2025. Ray White Commercial. https://raywhitecommercialncg.com/
  • Ray White Commercial. (2025, June 24). Queensland 2025-26 Budget: Commercial property market implications. https://www.raywhitecommercial.com/

For a complete list of weekly commercial transactions in Queensland, visit McGees Wrap Up | McGees Property Brisbane

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the completeness or timeliness of the content. Always seek independent advice before making any financial or real estate decisions. We are not liable for any loss or damages arising from your reliance on the information provided.

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