Foreign buyers are poised to claim two properties in Australia’s most desirable apartment block – one for $40 million and the other $23 million.
CBRE director Ben Stewart is selling two properties in 'The Toaster' – officially known as the 'Bennelong Apartments' – which look towards the Harbour Bridge and nearby Sydney Opera House (pictured below).
Mr Stewart told Real Estate Business that the potential record-breaker is a 1,000 square-metre apartment that comes with four car spaces and the entire 13th floor.
“The beauty about this apartment is that it’s a shell, so you could fit that out to your own tastes and design,” he said.
“[The clients] have also bought a two-bedroom unit below so [buyers] can put a lift through it, which will give direct access to that penthouse apartment.”
Mr Stewart said he expected to sell the property for more than $40 million, setting a new record for an Australian apartment. Expressions of interest have closed, with inquiries fielded from China and other parts of South East Asia, he revealed.
Mr Stewart said he is also handling the sale of a 735 square-metre apartment that stretches over the 11th floor in the same building. Expressions of interest have also closed for that property, which boasts four to five bedrooms and six car spaces.
“We’ve got interest at a bit over $23 million at the moment from South East Asia,” he said. Interest has also been received from the UAE, Mr Stewart added.
“We’re in negotiations with two parties at the moment. We’re getting pretty close. We’d like to think it could be wrapped up before Christmas,” he said.
“The one on the 11th floor is more likely to be closed before Christmas. The other one is a bit more complicated, because it’s a shell and it’s got some commercial [zoning] attached to it.”
An apartment in Bondi claimed the title of Australia’s priciest apartment last month when it sold for $21 million.
That may be trumped by an East Melbourne apartment that agent Anton Wongtrakun is hoping to sell for at least US$20 million ($23.8 million).
Mr Stewart told Real Estate Business that he had concluded a $17.5 million sale in 2013 at another exclusive Sydney address, 'The Residence Hyde Park'.
“That was sold to a buyer from China," he revealed. "It sold for $44,000 per square metre without a Bridge view.”
Source: CBRE
Source: CBRE
Source: CBRE