Australia's property market is full of contradictions—capital is abundant, demand is surging, yet developments are stalling. In this episode of The Cut, listeners get an unfiltered look at what's really holding the sector back, from a mid-market feasibility crisis to the construction insolvency wave that's shaken the industry. Learn how regulatory changes, labor shortages, and private credit expansion are impacting the market today—and where opportunity lies for those ready to adapt.

Dominic Lo Surdo, Executive Chairman of Stamford Capital and President of CAFBA, shares candid insights from the frontlines of real estate lending and development. With access to over $6.3B in pipeline deals and responses from 100+ lenders in their Debt Capital Market Survey, he sheds light on the emerging trends, the data gaps that regulators are scrambling to fill, and what needs to happen next to unlock housing supply.

Key Points

• The construction industry is under immense financial pressure, with insolvencies hitting record levels—yet capital is readily available if feasibility and labor align.
• Regulatory reforms and building commissioner crackdowns are lifting quality, but the market still lacks contractor depth to meet urgent housing demands.
• Private lending is booming amid tight bank conditions, but growing scrutiny from ASIC suggests a call for more transparency and self-regulation.

Timestamps

• [00:00] – The paradox of a capital-rich, labor-short property market
• [01:03] – Intro to Dominic Lo Surdo and overview of Stamford Capital
• [03:21] – Current market conditions: risk, feasibility, and stagnation
• [06:08] – Construction insolvencies and their ripple effect
• [08:52] – The housing crisis vs. broken developer-contractor dynamic
• [10:58] – TOD zones and how they're reshaping feasibility
• [13:46] – Building commissioner reforms and consumer trust
• [16:43] – Insights from the Real Estate Debt Capital Market Survey
• [22:51] – ASIC's private credit review and future industry regulation
• [34:32] – Property outlook: What's next for the next 2–3 years

Links:

• Dominic Lo Surdo Linkedin
• Simon Cathro's Linkedin
• Andrew Blundell Linkedin
• Stamford Capital

Cathro & Partners are experts in providing insolvency and restructuring services that help to create and preserve business value and to enable individuals to make a fresh start. The firm specialises in restructuring, turnaround, personal and corporate insolvency, safe harbour, secured enforcement services, government advisory services and pre-lending services.

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