Inside Highett Common: One of Victoria's Largest Infill Developments

Mike Bird sits down with Scott Jessop, Head of Sales & Marketing at Sunkin Property Group, to unpack the full story behind a 1,000-apartment masterplanned community in Melbourne's Bayside.

About Highett Common

Highett Common is one of the largest infill projects ever delivered in Victoria — a 10-hectare masterplanned community in Hampton East, positioned at the heart of Melbourne's tightly held Bayside corridor.

‍

‍

About Sunkin Property Group

Sunkin is a private, family-owned developer with 30 years of experience across shopping centres, hotels, and commercial offices. Their builder-developer model — maintaining an in-house construction arm — gives them direct control over quality, risk, and delivery timelines, setting them apart from traditional developers.

‍

Episode Breakdown

What This Episode Covers

• How Highett Common was planned and positioned for Melbourne's Bayside market
• Who's buying — downsizers, first-home buyers, and investors
• Why Victoria's policy changes suppressed apartment supply for a decade
• The real impact of build-to-rent on average renters
• How Melbourne's population growth of ~150,000 in 12 months is reshaping demand
• Why Melbourne remains undervalued relative to other states — and what that means for investors
• How a builder-developer model manages risk differently to traditional developers

Market Context

Key Data Points

• Melbourne is Australia's fastest-growing city
• Active large-scale developers are declining amid rising costs and policy headwinds
• Removal of off-the-plan stamp duty concessions for investors in 2016 has had lasting effects on supply
• Build-to-rent is adding stock, but at rental premiums of 20–30% above market rate