Malcolm's Blog

The Australian economy presents an improving outlook generally although it remains difficult to predict at the micro level given ongoing uncertainty created by inflation pressures and the widespread negative sentiment and concurrent mortgage stress in the housing sector generated by ten RBA rate increases in the economy. Media reports now commonly ...

Commercial and industrial market transactions in the post-Haynes Royal Commission era in Australia prior to 2020 primarily saw owners and investors seek long term rental growth and capital appreciation in an ongoing low-inflation/low-interest rate environment. Debt remained available and banks continued to lend. In general terms, retail assets suff...

Disruption can be characterised as innovative new businesses sweeping away old ways of doing things. The emergence of several new-wave providers in urban areas of East Coast Australia has created a peer-to-peer storage market which matches spare space in a room, home, backyard, office or garage to consumers over the net. Disruptors should not be [&...

A typical going concern self storage enterprise comprises the freehold property worth including its real assets (land, buildings, site improvements, infrastructure, fittings and fixtures) and its notional leasehold or business value element which includes its “digital real estate”.  This has been defined as website names, social media account...

A typical going concern self storage in Australia and New Zealand comprises the overall freehold property worth including its real assets (land, buildings, site improvements. infrastructure, fittings and fixtures) and its notional leasehold or “business” value element. In recent times the growing adoption of leasehold interests has occu...

The Global Financial Crisis led to a dearth of transaction evidence in the traditional real estate market which has become less acute in recent times, changing for the better generally since late 2011. As the number and consistency of property transactions increases through 2015 and beyond, and despite the current uncertain economic and political c...

The second Self Storage Expo Asia was held in Hong Kong on 26-27 March 2014 following the launch of the Association last year. The Conference was host to more than 120 people from Asia and Japan and also included attendees from as far afield as Canada, the US, India, Bahrain, Europe and South America.  Australia […]

Introduction Malcolm wrote this personal high-level overview of the Australasian self storage market (“A Valuer’s Commentary”) to the 2012 SSAA Almanac. It reflected on issues that had affected the industry through the year and hopefully provided general information, market context and food for thought to members. A repeat at the end of t...

This article formed part of the SSAA Insider magazine October – November 2012. The initial comments are made by Rennie Schafer, CEO of the SSAA. Malcolm’s commentary follows Rennie’s… There have been very few sales of mature self storage businesses in Australasia over the last couple of years and those that have been so...

The Reserve Bank’s last reduction in the official cash rate is, amongst other things, recognition of the multi-speed economy affecting Australian business and its customers. The uncertainty created by the GFC and its aftermath has included the withdrawal and tightening-up of traditional financing and credit sources over time by the major banks t...