Australian commercial property sales to overseas buyers are set to increase by about a quarter in 2010 as international investors are lured by the nation’s economic growth, according to Kevin Stanley, head of research at CB Richard Ellis.

Overseas buyers will spend about A$2bn ($1.9bn) on Australian commercial real estate in 2010, up from about A$1.6bn in 2009, he said. The South Korean National Pension Fund’s purchase of the Aurora Place Office Tower in Sydney for A$685m on 30 Dec, the biggest deal in two years, shows overseas buyers continue to see strong prospects for the Australian market, Stanley said

bloomberg.com