Super Strategy with Murray McCarthy
John Caruso discovers how a fresh perspective could reshape your retirement.
For most of us, superannuation is about numbers on a statement, percentages rising and falling, a nest egg that one day we hope will cushion retirement.
For some though, super is tangible. It looks like a neighbourhood shopping centre, a cluster of industrial sheds, or a well-positioned retail strip. For those people, commercial property isn’t just bricks and mortar, it’s the foundation of their retirement strategy.
That’s where Murray McCarthy comes in. A buyers agent with decades of property experience across Queensland and New South Wales, Murray has carved out a niche helping clients secure commercial real estate through self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs). It’s a specialised area where having the right guide makes all the difference.
“People often don’t realise just how effective commercial property can be inside a self-managed super,” Murray explains. “You’ve got longer-term leases, reliable tenants, and the rental income is taxed at just 15% in accumulation, or potentially zero once you’re in pension phase.
“There’s real scope for growth if you choose well.”
Growth is a point worth pausing on. A common misconception is that commercial assets don’t appreciate like residential but Murray pushes back.
“Buy in the right location or find something with value-add potential, repositioning tenants, upgrading shopfronts, even adding a mezzanine, and your rents can rise, which instantly lifts the value of the asset,” he says.
It’s this ability to see not just what a property is, but what it could be, that makes Murray different. He rattles off recent examples: a neighbourhood centre in Rochedale purchased for $2.2 million, “neat as a button, with scope to increase rents over time”; a mixed-use site at Gateshead where simple cosmetic changes and a smarter tenant mix will more than double income in one year; and a Pacific Highway building near Wollongong where rents jumped from $250 to $500 per square metre after
a strategic uplift.
“People wonder why they didn’t do this earlier,” he says.
It’s not as simple as picking something off the shelf. SMSFs come with strict rules around what you can and can’t do. Major renovations are generally off the table and borrowing limits are tighter, compared with outside super.
Which is why Murray’s first question to any prospective client isn’t about the property, it’s about finance.
“I need to know what you can borrow. Then we can look with confidence,” he says.
It’s also why engaging a buyers agent makes sense. Residential property is familiar territory; everyone fancies themselves an expert. Commercial, on the other hand, is less forgiving. Lease covenants, guarantees, weighted average lease expiries, these aren’t terms most investors throw around at the barbecue.
“If it’s an area you don’t play in, you can get burnt,” Murray says. “You need someone reputable to guide you.”
That guidance isn’t limited by postcode. Murray operates across Queensland and New South Wales, areas he knows intimately, having lived and worked in both.
“I grew up in Brisbane, lived on the Sunshine Coast, spent years in Sydney,” he says. “I only operate in areas I know, and I collaborate with colleagues who know them just as well.”
For clients, that means the search isn’t confined to what’s around the corner.
A Sunshine Coast investor might end up owning a high-performing asset in suburban Sydney or regional Newcastle, with Murray and his network opening doors that would otherwise stay shut. At the centre of his process is a good ear.
“We always start with the brief, budget, risk appetite, preferred locations,” he says. “From there, we hunt. On market, off market, it doesn’t matter. We crunch the numbers, put together summaries, and walk the client through the options.”
It’s not about transactions, he insists, but about strategy.
“The right asset isn’t just an investment; it’s a way to secure lifestyle,” he says. “Imagine heading into retirement with positive cash flow from a commercial property paying for your holidays. That’s the sort of story I love being part of.”
The advice, naturally, comes with caveats, always talk to your accountant, know the rules, and think long-term. But the opportunity is clear. With the right asset and the right guidance, commercial property in an SMSF can be a powerful tool, one that turns abstract retirement numbers into a tangible plan.
And for that, Murray McCarthy is the person many turn to first.
DISCLAIMER: The advice in this story is generic in nature. Seek your own financial advice before making investment decisions.
