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Front Cover: Restaurant/Cafe Inside Cover: 1/40-42 Clyde Road, Berwick

EXPOSURE OR CLIENT PROXIMITY?

05 NEW LISTINGS FOR SALE AND RENT

RECENTLY LEASED & SOLD

20 BERWICK STORAGE UNIT FACILITY

PROXIMITY TO CLIENTELLE OUTWEIGHS

EXPOSURE LOCATIONS

There’s a shift happening in commercial property right now, and it’s not in the CBD It’s playing out in the suburbs, especially across areas like Pakenham, Berwick and Dandenong.

For years, it was all about exposure. Big roads, high traffic, maximum visibility That still has its place, but it’s no longer the main driver. Convenience is starting to win.

Tenants are thinking a lot more about where their customers actually live and how easy it is to get to them. If a site saves someone a 20 minute drive, that matters. If there’s easy parking, that matters even more

And right now, with fuel prices, tolls and general cost of living biting, people are paying attention to every extra kilometre

That quick trip across town is not so appealing anymore. Businesses are seeing that and adjusting. The easier you are to access, the more attractive you become. Simple as that.

You can see it with medical, consulting and service based tenants in particular. They are not as fixated on the “perfect” main road position. Give them a clean, functional space in the middle of a strong residential pocket and they are very interested.

Staffing is another big factor with long commutes wearing thin.

Businesses that are closer to where their team lives have a real edge. It is easier to hire, easier to retain, and it makes day to day life simpler for everyone involved.

From an ownership point of view, this is where it gets interesting. Secondary locations are not so secondary anymore. If a property is easy to access and surrounded by rooftops, it is ticking a lot of boxes.

In many cases, that is now more valuable than sitting on the busiest road in town.

We are also seeing spaces being used differently. Offices becoming consulting suites, retail blending into service businesses, and tenants focusing less on labels and more on what actually works.

This is not a short term thing. It is a reflection of how people are living right now. More local, more conscious of time and cost, and more focused on convenience.

If there is a takeaway, it is this. The best commercial properties are not just the ones that are seen the most.

They are the ones that are easiest to use.