Luxury developers dominate at 2026 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Australia)

Sterling Global wins Best Luxury Developer

Promoted by PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards

The black-tie gala held at Shangri-La Sydney saw 19 organisations recognised, including the nation's finest developers, architects, and designers across residential, commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use developments

Sterling Global emerged as the year's dominant force, securing three major accolades including the coveted Best Luxury Developer title, alongside Best Luxury Developer (Victoria) and Best Apartment Architectural Design for 623 Collins State Bank House.

The forefront of luxury development

This year's winners showcased the sophistication of Australia's property sector, alongside companies at the forefront of luxury development in diverse states. 

MD Living was named the Best Luxury Developer (New South Wales) and also collected awards for the project Catello Al Mare, including Best Luxury Single Residence (New South Wales) and Best Oceanview Single Residence. 

Capital Luxury Residences received Best Luxury Developer (Queensland) and Best Waterfront Single Residence for NOI.

OSK Property wins Best Lifestyle Apartment Developer

OSK Property was recognised as Best Lifestyle Apartment Developer and won multiple golden statuettes for Aura, including Best Apartment Development (Australia). 

Palm Lake Group proved its mastery across multiple segments, winning Best Lifestyle Housing Developer and earning wins for Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters, including Best Housing Development (Australia). 

Broadview wins Best Housing Developer

Broadview took home Best Housing Developer, supported by its award-winning project Verna Estate.

Marwood earned multiple awards for Exchange 432, while The Living Company claimed a win for Scape Lachlan. 

Finbar was recognised for Garden Towers, and Brick Stone Development Pty Ltd won for Kokomo Gold Coast. ArNik Design & Build earned a double victory with Wynyard House and Elizabeth St House. 

Other winners included UFN won for Homeland Residences, Blue Run for Kings Lane, and WBG Property for Jolie Residences.

Design excellence recognised

The awards also celebrated outstanding achievements by architectural and interior design firms. 

OIA earned dual honours for Odara Chatswood Collection while Aform Architecture bagged a win for 30 Abernethy St, Seaforth. 

JRZ Group won for Kensington Crest while WEN Architects was recognised for Burwood Chinatown.

Individual honours

Neil Li wins Real Estate Personality of the Year (left); Rafer Gao wins the Rising Star award (right)

In the individual honours, selected by the editorial team of Property Report Magazine by PropertyGuru, Neil Li, founder and chief executive officer of Sterling Global Property Group, was named Real Estate Personality of the Year. 

Li has envisioned an impressive range of residential and commercial projects, including its heritage-integrated, mixed-use tower in the Melbourne CBD.

Meanwhile, Rafer Gao, project developer and sales manager at Kokomo Gold Coast, received the Rising Star award, recognising his achievements in the property sector, particularly his stellar vision of low-rise riverfront living in Queensland.

Raising the bar for quality and liveability

Jules Kay, managing director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, emphasised the importance of recognising developers, architects, and industry leaders who continue to elevate standards across Australia. 

“From luxurious homes and waterfront residences to wellness communities and commercial developments, this year's awardees demonstrate that excellence is universal to all ages and covers all segments of the property market,” Mr Kay said.

Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters by Palm Lake Group wins Best Housing Development (Australia)

“With outstanding projects awarded from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia, resilient developers prioritise innovation, defying headwinds and shifting economic conditions. 

“Whether seeking affluence or accessibility, buyers demand a variety of fundamental features, including open views, energy efficiency, and sustainably designed spaces integrated with smart technology. These have become baseline expectations, and our winners deliver on them all, and more."

Ivan Lam, chairperson of the Awards in Australia and executive director for international business at Charter Keck Cramer, said the winners reflected changing buyer preference. 

Kokomo Gold Coast by Brick Stone Development Pty Ltd wins Best Waterfront Apartment Development

"Our 2026 awards celebrate developers and designers who understand how Australians want to live today, with a growing focus on wellness, experience, connectivity and integration with the natural environment,” Mr Lam said. 

“Buyers and investors are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with lifestyle, accessibility, amenity and long-term value all playing a greater role in decision-making.

“This year's winners are particularly impressive for their diversity, spanning luxury residences, student accommodation, senior living and more, across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. 

“What stands out is their ability to balance lifestyle desirability with thoughtful design, innovation and commercial viability. 

“Congratulations to all of this year's winners for setting new benchmarks in liveability, quality and innovation across Australia."

Distinguished panel, credible selection process

The awards were judged by an independent panel of industry experts led by chairperson Ivan Lam and vice-chairperson Lui Violanti, regional manager for Western Australia at Inhabit Group. 

The judging panel also included Amelia (Dan) Tian, director, W T Newey & Co. Strata; Benson Zhou, senior director, Capital Markets, Hotels, CBRE; Jackson Liew, director, Cameron Chisholm Nicol; Karen Kong, head of property lending, Bendigo Bank; Karl Fu, partner - Asian markets, Winning Commercial; Michelle Tay, group executive director, The SILC Group; Peter Li, principal, Plus Agency; Richard Newling Ward, director, Bayleyward; Shanker Ramakrishnan, director, SR Business & Finance Consulting; and Shona Leppӓnen-Gibson, president, general manager, Australia Malaysia Business Council Queensland Inc., Australian Leadership Skills Centre.

The selection process was supervised by HLB, upholding the integrity and credibility of the awards. 

Josh Chye, partner and head of tax consulting at HLB Mann Judd – HLB Australasia, brought his expertise to the evaluation process.

Winners from Australia may advance to the 2026 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on 11 December.

Complete list of winners at the 9th Annual PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Australia)

PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Australia) 2026

Developer Awards

Development Awards

Design Awards

Best of Australia

Individual Awards

Organised by PropertyGuru Group, Southeast Asia's leading PropTech company, the 9th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Australia) is supported by silver sponsor Sub-Zero & Wolf; official portal partner Apartments.com.au; official magazine Property Report by PropertyGuru; supporting associations Australasia Property Advisory Association (APAA), Australia Malaysia Business Council - QLD (AMBCQ), and Australia Malaysia Business Council - Victoria (AMBC-Vic); official AI photo experience partner Gump; media partners Australian Property Investor, Fang.com.au, Inside Queensland Daily, PhilTimes.com.au, Sydney Today, The Property Tribune, and Your Investment Property; and official supervisor HLB.

For more information, email awards@propertyguru.com or visit the official website AsiaPropertyAwards.com.

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