Housing Finance Values Reach Record Highs
It follows the eighth consecutive month of growth.
By Terry Christodoulou
Wed, Mar 3, 2021 3:13am
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The value of new loan commitments for housing has grown for the eighth consecutive month, reaching another record high across the country according to statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ January 2021 Lending to Households and Business figures and the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA).
The report shows that new loan commitments for owner-occupier housing rose 10.5% in January and follows a 44.3% rise for the past 12 months. A rise was seen in all states and territories, with the exception of the Norther Territory.
Further, the value of new loan commitments to owner-occupiers rose 10.9% which marks the largest monthly increase since August 2020.
According to Adrian Kelly, President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia: “The number of owner-occupier first home buyer loan commitments increased by 9.6 per cent for the month and is 70.8 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. This is the highest level since May 2009, when the Commonwealth Government’s response to the GFC included the temporary increase in the first home-owner grant.”
Owner-occupier first home buyer loan commitments accounted for 36.5 per cent of all owner occupier commitments excluding refinancing.
Further, investors had also increased their activity with loans also increasing for the eighth consecutive month.
“The value of loan commitments for investor housing increasing by 9.4 per cent for the month, the largest rise since September 2016, and 22.7 per cent for the year on the back of improving rental market conditions. The largest increase in the value of new loan commitments to investors was in Victoria with an increase of 12.9 per cent in January,” added Mr Kelly.
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With US$40 million already committed, the Global Talent Fund is attracting investor attention with a strategy focused on building globally scalable consumer brands alongside high-profile talent.
By Jeni O'Dowd
Tue, Jun 2, 2026 2 min
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A new investment fund targeting celebrity-founded consumer brands has secured US$40 million in commitments and is rapidly approaching its US$50 million fundraising target, signalling growing investor appetite for alternative opportunities beyond traditional asset classes.
The Global Talent Fund, which has a maximum raise of US$100 million, focuses on building and investing in consumer businesses alongside celebrities, athletes, and influential personalities who play an active role as co-founders rather than simply endorsing products.
The strategy is based on the belief that changes in consumer behaviour, particularly the rise of social media and digital engagement, have fundamentally altered how brands are built and scaled.
GTF founding partner Jeremy Hunt, who is helping lead the fund’s strategy, said consumers increasingly feel connected to personalities they follow online and are more willing to support products developed by those individuals.
“Consumers are searching for content to engage with, and when a celebrity they like or follow takes them on the journey of creating a product or brand, they genuinely feel part of that process,” he said.
The fund is targeting high-growth consumer sectors including wellness, hydration, beauty and recovery, areas Hunt believes continue to benefit from strong global demand and ongoing innovation.
Rather than backing celebrity endorsement deals, the fund is seeking businesses where talent is deeply involved in product development, brand creation and long-term growth.
According to Hunt, authenticity remains one of the biggest differentiators between successful celebrity-backed brands and those that fail.
“The consumer can see clearly if someone is simply being paid to promote a product,” he said. “The winners are typically the brands where the celebrity has genuinely helped build the business from the ground up.”
The model has attracted support from several prominent Australian investors and business families, reflecting broader interest in alternative investments with global growth potential.
Hunt said consumer brands offered a level of tangibility that many investors found appealing.
“Consumer brands are what we touch, feel, smell and taste every day,” he said. “Our investors understand the growth potential in the model, but they also want to be part of the journey.”
The fund’s rapid progress towards its fundraising target comes amid growing recognition that celebrity influence, when combined with strong commercial execution and scalable business models, can create significant enterprise value.
With several high-profile celebrity-founded businesses generating billion-dollar exits in recent years, supporters of the strategy believe the opportunity remains in its early stages.
