Key takeaways
National residential listings surged 10.9% month-on-month in October, reaching 252,557, but remain 0.3% lower year-on-year.
Sydney and Melbourne led the monthly lift, up 13.2% and 15.4% respectively, reflecting robust spring activity.
New listings (<30 days) rose 18.2% nationally, driven by Melbourne (+23.7%) and Adelaide (+33.5%).
Nationally, asking prices rose 1.9% for houses and 1.4% for units over the month, with combined dwellings up 1.6% month-on-month and 9.7% year-on-year, according to SQM Research’s Weekly Asking Prices Index for the week ending 28 October 2025 which revealed a continued upward momentum.
Sydney house asking prices eased marginally (-0.04%) to $2.1 million yet remain 8.4% higher YoY.
Melbourne (+0.3% monthly, +4.3% YoY) and Brisbane (+1.7% monthly, +12.0% YoY) saw steady appreciation, while Perth recorded another strong month (+2.3% monthly, +10.2% YoY).
Adelaide and Canberra also posted healthy annual gains above 8%. Darwin remains the most volatile market, with house asking prices up 14.1% YoY.

Australia’s housing market recorded a sharp lift in total listings through October 2025, signalling sellers’ renewed confidence as the spring selling season hit full stride.
National listings rose to 252,557 dwellings, up 10.9% from September, only marginally below levels seen a year earlier.
Sydney listings rose 13.2% to 37,078, supported by strong new supply and steady buyer demand.
Melbourne surged 15.4% to 43,708, pushing above last year’s level by 2.3%—a sign of returning vendor confidence.
Adelaide and Canberra continued to climb, up 15.7% and 16.1% respectively, while Perth rose 8.4%.
Darwin’s listings inched up 3.5%, but remain sharply lower (-31.5% YoY), underscoring its long-term contraction in available stock.
Total Listings of Properties for Sale
| City | Oct 2025 Total | Sept 2025 Total | Oct 2024 Total | Monthly change | Yearly Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 37,078 | 32,759 | 35,290 | 13.2% | 5.1% |
| Melbourne | 43,708 | 37,867 | 42,731 | 15.4% | 2.3% |
| Brisbane | 16,284 | 14,745 | 17,569 | 10.4% | -7.3% |
| Perth | 14,140 | 13,049 | 13,698 | 8.4% | 3.2% |
| Adelaide | 8,999 | 7,777 | 8,216 | 15.7% | 9.5% |
| Canberra | 4,996 | 4,302 | 4,666 | 16.1% | 7.1% |
| Darwin | 966 | 933 | 1,411 | 3.5% | -31.5% |
| Hobart | 2,821 | 2,554 | 2,885 | 10.5% | -2.2% |
| National | 252,557 | 227,671 | 253,327 | 10.9% | -0.3% |
Source: SQM Research
New Listings
Fresh stock under 30 days soared 18.2% month-on-month to 87,986 listings, extending spring’s momentum.
Melbourne and Sydney led the charge, up 23.7% and 17.2%, respectively.
Adelaide posted a remarkable 33.5% monthly increase, while Canberra and Darwin climbed 20.5% and 44.4%, indicating broad-based vendor engagement.
Year-on-year, national new listings were 6.7% higher, reversing months of subdued inflows.
Sydney’s annual lift of 15.3% underscores rising confidence, while Melbourne (+14.7%) and Canberra (+23.7%) also recorded strong gains.
Only Brisbane (-0.5%) and Perth (-2.6%) saw slight annual dips, reflecting localised market tightness.
This surge in fresh listings highlights both seasonal momentum and growing willingness among sellers to test buyer appetite as clearance rates stabilise and price expectations recalibrate.
New Listings of properties for sale (less than 30 days)
| City | Oct 2025 Total | Sept 2025 Total | Oct 2024 Total | Monthly change | Yearly Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 19,240 | 16,422 | 16,690 | 17.2% | 15.3% |
| Melbourne | 22,127 | 17,886 | 19,290 | 23.7% | 14.7% |
| Brisbane | 8,132 | 6,969 | 8,169 | 16.7% | -0.5% |
| Perth | 6,485 | 5,541 | 6,657 | 17.0% | -2.6% |
| Adelaide | 5,129 | 3,841 | 4,572 | 33.5% | 12.2% |
| Canberra | 2,537 | 2,106 | 2,051 | 20.5% | 23.7% |
| Darwin | 338 | 234 | 306 | 44.4% | 10.5% |
| Hobart | 778 | 590 | 705 | 31.9% | 10.4% |
| National | 87,986 | 74,464 | 82,458 | 18.2% | 6.7% |
Source: SQM Research
Old Listings
Aged stock (180 + days) increased modestly, rising 1.0% nationally month-on-month and 3.9% year-on-year, to 72,364 properties.
The small uptick suggests most new listings are being absorbed efficiently.
Sydney’s old listings were steady (+0.2%), while Melbourne saw a marginal lift (+0.8%), reflecting relatively balanced conditions.
Adelaide’s decline of 17.8% indicates brisk turnover and pricing alignment, and Canberra’s 5.7% fall also signals healthy buyer engagement.
Darwin’s aged stock plunged 51.7% year-on-year, underscoring the city’s limited supply and volatility.
| City | Oct-25 | Sep-25 | Oct-24 | Monthly change | Yearly Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 6,006 | 5,993 | 5,088 | 0.2% | 18.0% |
| Melbourne | 8,180 | 8,114 | 7,910 | 0.8% | 3.4% |
| Brisbane | 1,702 | 1,726 | 1,638 | -1.4% | 3.9% |
| Perth | 1,566 | 1,557 | 1,283 | 0.6% | 22.1% |
| Adelaide | 982 | 1,194 | 878 | -17.8% | 11.8% |
| Canberra | 793 | 841 | 668 | -5.7% | 18.7% |
| Darwin | 288 | 307 | 596 | -6.2% | -51.7% |
| Hobart | 1,197 | 1,144 | 1,174 | 4.6% | 2.0% |
| National | 72,364 | 71,169 | 69,658 | 1.0% | 3.9% |
Source: SQM Research
Distressed Listings
Distressed property numbers remained unchanged nationally in October but are down nearly 30% from a year earlier, pointing to improved household balance sheets and reduced mortgage stress despite higher interest rates.
Queensland (-32.8%), Western Australia (-50.1%), and New South Wales (-24.9%) led annual declines, while the ACT bucked the trend with a 36.7% rise YoY, following a 24.2% monthly increase—a small but notable shift reflecting isolated financial pressure pockets.
South Australia also recorded an uptick (+25.8% monthly), though from a low base.
Distressed Property Listings

Source: SQM Research
Asking Prices
Sydney Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 2,102,115 | 2.363 | -0.4% | 7.6% |
| All Units | 876,562 | 5.233 | -0.3% | 4.5% |
| Combined | 1,602,270 | 3.533 | -0.4% | 6.7% |
Source: SQM Research
Melbourne Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 1,306,369 | 2.321 | 0.7% | 4.4% |
| All Units | 657,413 | 1.587 | 0.6% | 7.4% |
| Combined | 1,101,055 | 2.089 | 0.7% | 4.8% |
Source: SQM Research
Perth Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 1,187,378 | 1.515 | 1.5% | 9.6% |
| All Units | 692,693 | 8.087 | 2.0% | 18.9% |
| Combined | 1,057,641 | 3.239 | 1.6% | 11.1% |
Source: SQM Research
Brisbane Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 1,334,768 | 9.032 | 2.7% | 12.5% |
| All Units | 801,839 | 6.961 | 2.0% | 19.7% |
| Combined | 1,200,541 | 8.510 | 2.6% | 13.5% |
Source: SQM Research.
Adelaide Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 1,067,282 | 4.318 | 0.3% | 13.0% |
| All Units | 587,485 | -5.985 | 0.4% | 24.3% |
| Combined | 980,911 | 2.463 | 0.3% | 13.0% |
Source: SQM Research
Canberra Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 1,278,069 | -6.319 | 1.2% | 8.5% |
| All Units | 584,092 | 1.033 | -0.4% | -3.0% |
| Combined | 1,017,471 | -3.558 | 0.9% | 5.3% |
Source: SQM Research
Darwin Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 784,534 | 1.466 | 0.5% | 13.4% |
| All Units | 444,262 | 4.238 | 0.7% | 15.5% |
| Combined | 650,473 | 2.556 | 0.6% | 13.9% |
Source: SQM Research
Hobart Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 870,754 | -12.391 | 0.6% | 8.7% |
| All Units | 497,564 | 0.836 | 1.4% | 3.9% |
| Combined | 813,808 | -10.373 | 0.6% | 8.2% |
Source: SQM Research
National Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 1,049,091 | -0.216 | 1.7% | 10.1% |
| All Units | 621,871 | 2.631 | 1.2% | 10.5% |
| Combined | 956,461 | 0.401 | 1.6% | 10.1% |
Source: SQM Research
Capital City Average Weekly Asking Prices Index
| Property type | Price ($) | Weekly Change | Monthly Change % | Annual % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Houses | 1,523,230 | 1.427 | 0.4% | 7.5% |
| All Units | 769,259 | 6.343 | 0.5% | 8.8% |
| Combined | 1,298,091 | 2.895 | 0.4% | 7.6% |
Source: SQM Research
Final note...
The October surge in listings is a clear sign of renewed vendor activity heading into the final quarter of the year.
We’ve seen a 10.9% national lift—an unusually strong result even for spring—suggesting sellers are more confident in finding buyers, particularly in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
While total stock is still fractionally below last year’s level, the balance between new and old listings shows a healthier, more dynamic market.
Distressed listings remain low nationwide, reinforcing that most homeowners are coping with current financial conditions.
We do, however, continue to watch Canberra closely.
The lift in older and distressed listings there points to some market fatigue, possibly due to pricing mismatches.
Overall, though, the market is functioning well—buyers are selective, and realistically priced homes are selling.




