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 decades, Australians became accustomed to the idea that each generation would enjoy a better standard of living than the one before it. We worked, we saved, we bought homes, we built businesses and, despite the occasional recession or economic shock, most households expected their incomes and wealth to rise over time. Unfortunately, that expectation…
If you only looked at today’s monthly housing costs, it would be easy to conclude that buying a home in Australia no longer makes financial sense. After all, new research from Compare the Market shows that in every Australian capital city except Darwin, renting is cheaper than buying, and in some cities the difference is…
Australia desperately needs more homes, and the latest building approval figures appear to offer some welcome news. Approvals increased in June, apartment approvals rebounded strongly, and the quarterly trend is finally moving higher. However, another set of figures tells us why Australia’s housing shortage could remain with us for years. The cost of building a…
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,…
Australia’s property investment landscape is changing. From 1 July 2027, negative gearing benefits for residential property will generally be restricted to newly built homes, while the familiar capital gains tax discount will be replaced by a different system based on inflation indexation and a minimum tax rate on future gains. Understandably, many investors are asking…
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…
![[PODCAST] Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson on Housing, Property Markets, Tax, Debt and Australia’s Economic Future](https://cdn.propertyupdate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/810-Shadow_Treasurer-TW-Youtube-cover-270x200.jpg)
Negative gearing on established homes has just been abolished. The capital gains tax discount you’ve relied on for twenty years has been rewritten. And somewhere between the government’s press conference and the Treasury modelling, a trillion dollars in debt got added to the tab for a generation that hasn’t even been asked if they’re willing…
