Just when many Australians were daring to believe the rate-hike cycle was behind us, the narrative has flipped again. And boy has it flipped quickly! Two of our biggest banks—CBA and NAB have now revised their forecasts and expect the RBA to lift the cash rate as early as February 2026. And that’s just six…
If you’ve been following the headlines lately, you’d be forgiven for feeling a bit confused. Interest rates are on hold… inflation seems to be creeping up again… and yet property prices keep rising, and our auction markets are holding up better than most people expected. Rather than reacting to noise or opinion, in this week’s…
2026 is shaping up to be another year of solid, though uneven, growth. While interest rates are not expected to fall again, their stability, combined with strong population growth, a whole wave of new first-time buyers entering the market and affluent downsizers with significant equity in their properties at a time of ongoing supply shortages,…
If you listened only to the headlines this week, you’d be forgiven for thinking Australia’s property market is on shaky ground. Interest rates are described as restrictive, affordability pressures dominate the commentary, and buyers are often portrayed as hesitant or exhausted. But when you look past the noise and focus on the data, a very…
It’s the end of another year, and while many Australians were hoping for some Christmas cheer from the Reserve Bank, there will was no interest rate relief under the tree this festive season. The RBA has made it clear that interest rates are staying higher for longer. But that doesn’t mean homeowners are completely out…
Want to know what’s happening to the housing markets around Australia? Well… this monthly collection of charts from Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) paints an interesting picture. Affordability strain, stretched serviceability requirements and rising living costs in Australia’s two largest capitals are driving a pronounced ‘K-shaped’ shift in housing conditions, with Sydney and Melbourne losing short-term momentum…
Auction markets continue to deliver robust results as year-end approaches, with solid clearance rates despite high auction volumes. This weekend’s auction results around Australia: Capital City This Week Last Week Same Week Last Year Auctions Rate Auctions Rate Auctions Rate Sydney 1113 64.4% 1304 66.8% 979 61.7% Melbourne 1421 66.6% 1560 66.1% 1190 63.7% Brisbane…
SQM Research released its latest data on residential property vacancy rates. Australia’s national residential vacancy rate rose to 1.3% in November 2025, up from 1.2% in October. The total number of residential vacancies increased to 38,690 dwellings, up by 2,538 from the previous month, signalling a mild seasonal easing in the national rental market. Vacancy…
Capital city unit rents generally increased over November with house rents steady overall compared to the previous month. Most capitals continued to report stable house rents over the month with Canberra and Brisbane higher by 0.9% and 0.7% respectively. Hobart house rents fell by 1.3% with Darwin down sharply by 3.6%. Sydney continued to report…
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…
