115 – Maxwell Shifman – Is Property Development Dead?
From Property Developer Podcast by Justin Gehde
June 7, 2025 · 1h 18m
About this episode
This episode discusses the challenges facing property development in Australia, featuring insights from Maxwell Shifman.
Property development in Australia is getting harder—and this episode unpacks why. Soaring costs, endless planning delays, contradictory government policies, and a risk-averse planning culture are pushing developers to the edge. If you're struggling to make your numbers work, you're not alone. In this episode of the Property Developer Podcast, we explore what’s broken in the system and what needs to change. Our guest, Maxwell Shifman from Intrapac Property, shares blunt insights from the front lines of residential property development including: Why planning systems are paralysed by zero-risk thinking How rising construction and infrastructure costs are crushing feasibility The myth of affordable apartments near train stations Why government housing targets are set up to fail How rezoning taxes and red tape are stalling supply The real reason developers are shelving projects across Australia Strategies for surviving and adapting in today’s tough market "We tax housing like we want less of it—then wonder why no one’s building." Property Development Training Want to learn how to manage property development with confidence? If you're ready to take control of your development journey…
People in this episode
Host: Justin Gehde
Guest: Maxwell Shifman
Topics covered
- property development
- planning delays
- construction costs
- government policies
- market challenges
- feasibility issues
Keywords
- property development
- planning systems
- construction costs
- affordable apartments
- government housing targets
- rezoning taxes
- market strategies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Intrapac Property
Places: Australia
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