Insights

In a retail landscape that is constantly evolving — shaped by changing consumer behaviours, economic cycles and shifting urban dynamics — there are very few streets that consistently outperform expectations while remaining fiercely authentic. Gertrude Street in Fitzroy is one of them.

From a retail leasing perspective, Gertrude Street stands apart not because it chases trends, but because it sets them. The strength of the precinct lies in its deeply curated tenancy mix, its strong sense of place and the longevity of businesses that have become inseparable from Melbourne’s cultural fabric.

Victorian seaside towns have always held a strong emotional pull for both locals and visitors. As someone who works closely with businesses navigating growth, brand presence, and commercial strategy and having spent time in Sorrento for a number of summers now, I’ve had time to analyse how retail thrives in this coastal location (currently full retail occupation by the way!) Suburbs like Sorrento demonstrate a particularly resilient form of retail ecology—one that thrives on a balanced mix of uses, seasonal versatility, and strong anchor tenants.

When a commercial lease ends, one of the most common—and costly—sources of tension between landlords and tenants is the “make-good” clause. At Miglic Dean, we’ve helped countless clients navigate this process, and we know that what’s written in the lease is only half the story. The other half is about timing, communication, and strategic foresight.

At the recent REIV Awards for Excel­lence our senior commercial property Manager Jane Leal was hon­oured to be award­ed a finalist for the REIV Com­mer­cial Prop­er­ty Man­ag­er of the Year 2025. Thanks to our great team, our amaz­ing clients, and the fab­u­lous trades­peo­ple who help us deliv­er such a high lev­el of service.

Join our Director for a Masterclass on the Retail Leases Act - July 25th 2025.

Hear from the Victorian Small Business Commissioner Lynda McAlary-Smith, Retail Leasing Expert Tamara Gross and Katherine Dean, the 2023 winner of REIVs Commercial Property Manager of the Year, and 2024 finalist of REIAs Commercial Property of the Year award.

In recent years, the vibrant neighbourhoods of Fitzroy and Collingwood in Melbourne, have witnessed a resurgence of vintage stores. On a recent trip to Newtown in Sydney we saw this trend was not only reshaping the retail landscape but also influencing commercial leasing dynamics.

We were absolutely thrilled to be named the Winner of the REIV Commercial and Industrial Award for Best
Campaign by a Small Agency for our sales campaign of The Tote Hotel in Collingwood.

We love a before and after. Outstanding square metre rates achieved for the lease brokered by our director Katherine Dean, followed by a stunning transformation.

The landmark reform, announced in the 2023-24 State Budget, transitions commercial and industrial properties from land transfer duty (also known as stamp duty) to an annual property tax known as the CIPT.

Finalist Commercial Property Manager of the Year REIA National Awards 2024

In ear­ly 2023 our direc­tor Richard Miglic bro­kered the leas­ing deal to Chi­a­ki — a cap­ti­vat­ing col­lab­o­ra­tion between Ali­cia Feng, Mo Zhou, and Kan­taro Oka­da. Chi­a­ki serves Japan­ese ochazuke and cof­fee by day and iza­kaya-style dish­es and sake cock­tails by night. This amaz­ing col­lab­o­ra­tion was recent­ly award­ed the Age Good Food Guide Café of the Year 2024.

The COVID Debt Repayment Plan introduced by the Victorian Government as part of the 2023-24 State Budget introduced a number of changes to property tax which significantly affect property owners in Victoria, below is a summary from the website of the State Revenue Office.