Global real estate giant Blackstone is keen to boost its $6 billion of Australian assets, even as it sells down the opportunistic buys of several years ago. Since arriving in Australia in 2011, Blackstone has built a portfolio of traditional buy-fix-sell assets, most recently as the Real Estate Investment Trusts sell non-core shopping centres and industrial facilities.

Companies and investment funds who operate in the corporate real estate sector throughout Australia and New Zealand are leading their international peers in terms of practices designed to promote environmental management, social impact and governance and accountability practices, a new survey states.

In another sign of the strength of the Sydney property market, two thirds of properties listed for auctions on Tuesday sold before the night and the rest were cleared in under an hour.