E.L.I.S Issue 1 August 2014 | Page 6

Man on the Move A special Q & A session with Steve Galanos. One of the busiest men in corporate Australia. – Provided by Robbie Wilson Steve has a background in business, real estate and development and has had over 13 years’ experience in the Australian property market. Steve holds a Bachelor of Business degree from Swinburne University and has previously held positions with Mirvac and Westpoint. Currently, Steve is a Director at Aus Property Corp (APC). A boutique property developer in Melbourne Australia. Established in 2007, Steve has increased APC’s involvement in property deals to over $100 million. What should a property investor know about the current property market in Melbourne? The housing market there grew by 8.5% last year. Now we are half way through 2014, can we expect the same rate of growth? The Melbourne Property market on average grows between 7% to 10% per annum compounding. When investing in Melbourne, never think quick gains, but think medium to long term, 5 years. The Melbourne Property market has proved to be one of the safest and consistent markets in the world to invest in. When investing in Melbourne, buy with a hold strategy of 5+ years, and you won’t be disappointed. Australia is noted for having a strong influx of investors and immigrants purchasing property on its shores every year. Which countries have you seen the most investment from and what type 6 E.L.I.S. - AP Assets of property are they purchasing? We have seen a lot of investment from all parts of Asia, but I would have to say that the number 1 investors into Australia are the mainland Chinese. Most offshore investors tend to prefer apartments in the Melbourne CBD, but I see more value in landed property in the suburbs. In my opinion the investors buying landed pr