Most Australians hear the idea of property inside super and instantly picture something complicated or risky or unusual.They imagine it as some exotic strategy that belongs on a finance podcast.
Let me translate this misconception.
No. Absolutely not.
You are already investing in property through your super.You just do not own any of it.And that is the part your fund forgets to mention in the glossy brochures.
Super Funds Love Property More Than Anyone Else
Here is the truth. Every major super fund in Australia has billions tied up in property.
Commercial towers.
Shopping centres.
Logistics warehouses.
Hotels.
Industrial estates.
Developments you have probably walked past without knowing you were one of the hidden financiers. AustralianSuper reported more than $20 billion in direct property and private market real estate. Hostplus has stakes in airports hotels and hospitality portfolios. UniSuper lists global property assets from student housing to premium office blocks. Cbus invests heavily in commercial and industrial developments through its property arm.
Let me translate this.
Your fund believes in property so much that it buys more of it than almost anyone in the country but somehow you are the only person in this relationship who does not get to own a single brick.
Your fund gets the rental income.
Your fund gets the capital growth.
Your fund gets the compounding benefits.
You get a smoothed return and a statement.
Meet The Invisible Landlord You Have Been Funding For Years
This is not one person. This is the structure of big super itself. For fun let us call this character The Invisible Landlord. This is their red flag resume.
WARNING: This is satire but based on publicly reported behaviour.
Name:
The Invisible Landlord
Industry:
Collecting rent with your money
Experience:
Decades of buying premium assets using contributions you barely notice leaving your pay
Highlights:
Buys commercial buildings using your super.
Keeps the rental income for the fund.
Reaps the capital growth while you get the blended leftovers.
Owns half the CBD while you squint at your annual statement.
Takes no personal risk because you funded the entire portfolio.
Decides what buildings get bought.
Never asks your permission.
Never gives you the keys
Reality Check
If The Invisible Landlord handed you this resume you would ask one question. How come this bloke controls all the assets and I do not?
Exactly.
The Real Problem Your Fund Owns The Asset And You Do Not
Property is simple.
It earns rent.
It grows over time.
It compounds quietly without drama.
But here is how it works inside your super fund.
The property earns the income.
The income goes to the fund.
The fund mixes everything into a giant performance smoothie.
You see a number on a screen.
You never see the true property returns.
Here is what regulators say about this structure.
“Members rarely see the full impact of asset class performance as returns are blended within diversified options.”
APRA Annual Superannuation Bulletin
https://www.apra.gov.au
Let me translate that.
When property does well the fund keeps the premium. When property struggles the losses get spread out quietly. Either way.
You never get the keys.
You never get the rent.
You never get the pure compounding.
And you never get to decide what your money buys.
Your fund becomes the landlord.
Super Funds Do Not Want You Owning Your Own Property Inside Super
Of course they do not. Think about what happens if you do.
You take control.
You own the building.
You get the rent.
You decide what you buy.
You see the actual numbers.
You stop paying hidden layers of fees.
And most importantly your wealth grows directly for you not for a fund manager allocating billions into private markets.
Even the Productivity Commission pointed out the structural problem.
“Superannuation funds have strong incentives to retain members in pooled products where investment decisions remain under trustee control.”
Productivity Commission 2019
https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/superannuation/assessment/report
Let me translate that.
If members owned their own property inside superfunds would lose control they would lose fees and they would lose billions in private market profits. The issue is not that property inside super is risky. The issue is that letting you own the property is risky for them.
Where Super Equity Link Fits Into This
We exists because the system was built backwards.
Funds own the assets.
Members own the risk.
And no one tells you how the game really works.
Super Equity Link flips the structure.
You own the asset.
You understand it.
You see the rent.
You see the numbers.
You know what your future is built on.
You can stand in front of your own investment property inside your own super.
You can walk through it.
You can point at the wall and say I own this not the super fund. Try doing that with the forty-storey building your fund bought behind the scenes.
What You Should Take Away
You are already a property investor through your super.
You just do not get the benefits.
Your fund believes in property.
Your fund invests in property.
Your fund trusts property.
But they do not want you owning any of it yourself.
If you are already paying for the building, why would you not want the keys?
References
APRA. (2024). Superannuation statistics and asset allocation data.
https://www.apra.gov.au
AustralianSuper. (2024). Annual report and investment portfolio.
https://www.australiansuper.com
Cbus Property. (2024). Portfolio overview.
https://www.cbusproperty.com.au
Hostplus. (2024). Investment holdings and portfolio updates.
https://hostplus.com.au
Productivity Commission. (2019). Superannuation: Assessing efficiency and competitiveness.
https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/superannuation/assessment/report
UniSuper. (2024). Property investments portfolio summary.
https://www.unisuper.com.au