SQM Research released its latest data on residential rental property vacancy rates. Australia’s national residential vacancy rate increased to 1.3% in June 2026, up from 1.2% in May, with the total number of residential vacancies rising slightly to 39,229 dwellings from 37,844 the previous month. While the increase suggests a modest easing in rental market…
Headline inflation has eased slightly, falling to four per cent, and normally that would be cause for celebration. But dig one layer deeper into the recent data and you’ll find the number the Reserve Bank actually cares about just hit its highest point in almost two years, and it’s still sitting well outside their target…
Are you considering Commercial Property as a means to create wealth? It has been relatively untouched by the changes to the Federal Budget, and for some investors, commercial property has become the latest “must-have” investment. With stronger rental yields, tenants paying many of the outgoings, and growing media attention, it’s easy to understand why more…
Good locations tend to get better over time because they have something most other locations can’t manufacture quickly – scarcity plus enduring demand. And in property, that is the combination that quietly does the heavy lifting. Good locations have advantages that compound A good location is usually good because it already has a cluster of…
SQM Research’s Weekly Asking Prices Index for the week ending 30 June 2026 showed a softer month for asking prices across many capital cities, although annual price growth remains positive. Nationally, asking prices declined 1.4% for houses and 0.7% for units, with combined dwelling asking prices down 1.3% over the month, while remaining 7.6% higher…
Suburbs with a higher share of owner-occupied homes recorded significantly stronger long-term capital growth between 2010 and 2026, driven by a 34-percentage point performance gap across the unit market, according to new analysis from Cotality of 3,000 suburbs over 16 years. The performance divide is steepest in the unit market, where owner-occupied areas deliver more…
Are you looking to buy a new property or considering purchasing an off the plan property? I know many investors are considering this since the recent federal budget, which leans heavily towards supporting brand-new property. There is also a seductive story being told about buying off the plan or brand new: no repairs, no defects,…
Generally low vacancy rates have eased over June but rents have continued to rise for both houses and units – particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney was the top performer with house rents surging by 2.9% over the month followed by Melbourne higher by 1.7% and Adelaide up 0.8%. Brisbane, Darwin and Perth house rents…
Cotality’s national Home Value Index (HVI) dropped 0.4% in June, marking the largest month-on-month fall since December 2022. A 1.2% decline in Sydney home values served as the most significant drag on the headline result. Melbourne followed closely with a 1.0% decline, while ACT values fell 0.6%. Every month, investors, homeowners, and would-be buyers turn…
I am often asked what it would take for housing values to fall across Australia in a meaningful and sustained way. My short answer is always the same. Australian dwelling values fall only when borrowing power contracts hard enough, and for long enough, to seriously undermine demand. At its core, this is not a story…
