Martin van Breda, a South African who worked in Queensland for Engel & Volkers Australia, has been killed near Cape Town along with his wife and son. "A very sad time for the Engel & Volkers network with the loss of Martin van Breda, our thoughts are with everyone affected," the firm tweeted.

Seven years after the U.S. housing market triggered an economic collapse, the business of bundling riskier U.S. mortgages into bonds without government backing is gearing up for a comeback. Sydney-based bank Macquarie Group Ltd. are among firms buying up loans to borrowers who can’t qualify for conventional mortgages.

The hot residential property market could see developer David Devine make a return to public markets. His privately held Metro Property Development is on track to generate $500 million in sales this year and has about $2.5 billion worth of projects under way in Brisbane alone.