Australian rents have surged almost three times faster than wages over the past five years, pushing rental affordability to record lows and stretching household budgets across the country, according to Cotality’s latest Chart Pack. Cotality’s analysis shows national rents have jumped 43.9% over the five years to September 2025, compared with a 17.5% rise in…
Australian home values rose by 0.8% in January according to Cotality’s Home Value Index, a subtle acceleration from the 0.6% increase recorded in December. While every capital city and broad rest of state region recorded an increase in home values through the month, the start of the year returned a mixed result. Sydney and Melbourne…
Confidence across Australia’s housing market remains strong entering 2026, but the mood is splitting along state lines as affordability and interest rate jitters reshape the landscape, new Cotality research shows. Findings from the Decoding 2026 report, based on responses from real estate agents and financial professionals across the property and finance sectors, show 87% of…
New analysis from Cotality shows that since September last year, lower-priced homes – that is those under the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme price caps – have generally recorded stronger growth than higher-priced homes. Growth in home values has diverged based on whether properties fall under or above the scheme’s price caps. Quarterly Growth Trends Homes under…
Renters saw some welcome relief in December, with the rental vacancy rate rising from 1.5% to 1.6% through the month. However, the vacancy rate is still close to record lows, and the subtle rise could have more to do with seasonal factors through December than an actual loosening in rental conditions. The higher vacancy rate…
Cotality Home Value Index surged 8.6% higher in 2025, adding approximately $71,400 to the national median dwelling value. But recorded the smallest gain in five months in December, with value rising 0.7%. Sydney and Melbourne were the biggest drag on the headline growth outcome with values sliding -0.1% lower. The subtle decline in values across…
The decision to keep rates on hold was widely expected, but what does it mean for housing trends? The Reserve Bank of Australia held the cash rate at 3.60% at its final meeting of 2025. The decision came after core inflation trended above the target range, reaching 3.3% over the 12 months to October. Recent…
Cotality’s national Home Value Index rose another 1.0% in November, marking the third month in a row where Australian home values have increased by one per cent or more. However, the pace of growth is moderating, coming down from 1.1% in October. The headline growth figure was weighed down by Australia’s two largest cities, with…
The pace of growth in Australian home values accelerated in October, rising by 1.1%, the fastest monthly gain since June 2023. Momentum has been building in the rate of housing value growth since the first rate cut in February, pushing the annual pace of growth to 6.1% nationally. Before the February rate cut, housing conditions…
Australian housing markets are gathering strength as we head further into spring, with September marking the strongest monthly gain for national dwelling values since October 2023. The Cotality Home Value Index (HVI) recorded a 0.8% increase in September, powered by robust growth conditions across the capital cities, where values rose 0.9% over the month. On…