Australia’s labour market is beginning to show clearer signs of cooling, with unemployment rising slightly, employment falling and wage growth remaining subdued. This matters because the Reserve Bank has repeatedly highlighted the strength of the labour market and the risk of persistent wage and services inflation when explaining its cautious approach to interest rates. The…
Three months on from the federal budget changes, the verdict is in, and it isn’t pretty. Fewer first home buyers are active in the market than before the changes landed, and everyday property investors have almost entirely been swept aside. For anyone who has ever wanted to work hard and improve their position by buying…
One of the reasons I’ve always been attracted to property is that it’s an imperfect market. And I mean that in the best possible way. When I look at investments, I’m drawn to asset classes where knowledge, strategy, relationships, patience and negotiation can give me an edge. That’s why property appeals to me. It gives…
We Australians are very good at finding fault with the cities in which we live. We complain about congestion, expensive housing, crowded trains, planning delays and infrastructure that often seems to arrive years after it is needed. Sure, many of those concerns are justified, but every so often an international comparison allows us to step…
Australia’s housing shortage is usually blamed on population growth, sluggish construction, planning delays, labour shortages and the rising cost of building new homes. All of these factors matter, but another powerful force is sitting quietly in the background. Australia has around 4.5 million baby boomers, aged between 62 and 80, and many remain in the…
SQM Research today released its latest data on residential property vacancy rates. Australia’s national residential vacancy rate remained steady at 1.3% in July 2026, unchanged from June. The total number of residential vacancies increased to 40,771 dwellings, up from 39,229 in June, indicating a modest increase in available rental stock despite the unchanged headline vacancy…
If a picture paints a thousand words, then this collection of charts should do a pretty good job of painting the landscape as it affects our economy and our property markets. Each month the RBA summarises macroeconomic and financial market trends in Australia by providing a detailed chart pack. World Economy Australia’s economy doesn’t operate in…
For millions of Australian homeowners and property investors, the Reserve Bank’s decision to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.35% will come as welcome relief. After three interest rate increases earlier this year, the RBA has now kept rates steady for two consecutive meetings, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean the tightening cycle is over,…
Have you been wondering what’s ahead for interest rates, especially with the RBA meeting coming up next week? There’s been a lot of chatter lately from some high-profile commentators suggesting we’re “off the hook” when it comes to inflation. I don’t think that’s the case just yet, and when you look beyond the headline number,…
SQM Research’s Weekly Asking Prices Index for the week ending 4 August 2026 showed a softer month for asking prices across most capital cities, reflecting the increased level of supply now available to buyers. Capital asking prices declined 1.5% for houses, while unit prices fell 0.2%. Combined dwelling asking prices eased 1.2% over the month…
