Over the last week the tone in global financial markets has shifted noticeably, and that uncertainty is starting to filter through to sentiment in Australia’s housing markets. The escalating conflict in the Middle East has pushed oil prices sharply higher, which in turn is raising concerns that inflation will remain stubbornly elevated for longer than…
![Melbourne housing market update [video] | March 2026](https://cdn.propertyupdate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/melbourne-1-270x200.jpg)
Following subtle declines through December and January, Melbourne’s housing market remained flat (0.0%) in February. The sluggish performance has dragged the market 0.4% lower over the rolling quarter, making Melbourne one of the less resilient capital city markets following the February interest rate hike and a noticeable softening in buyer sentiment. Leading Segment and Growth…
There is no doubt that our housing markets are facing challenges from all directions, but clearly, they have remained resilient. To better understand what’s happening, this monthly collection of charts from Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) paints an interesting picture. Buying a home for roughly the same cost as renting might sound unlikely in Australia’s current housing market,…
Australian housing values continued to rise in February, but the market is showing a clear and widening divergence. While the national headline recorded a 0.8% increase, this figure masks contrasting trends between the cooling major capitals and the surging mid-sized cities. Sydney and Melbourne have largely flatlined, whereas Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide continue to see…
Every year the property market follows a familiar rhythm. January is sleepy. Buyers are still on holiday, sellers are hesitant, and the market feels like it’s barely moving. Then February arrives… and the real year begins. This year has been no exception. As soon as the market woke up, activity lifted sharply – more properties hit…
Capital city auction clearance rates have continued to fade over the past week with the market now looking towards the coming weeks RBA interest rate decision with the possibility of a follow-up rise from the February move. Capital City This Week Last Week Same Week Last Year Auctions Rate Auctions Rate Auctions Rate Sydney 1307…
SQM Research released its latest data on residential rental property vacancy rates. Australia’s national residential vacancy rate fell to 1.1% in February 2026, down from 1.2% in January and notably down from February 2025 (1.3%). The total number of residential vacancies declined to 34,572 dwellings, indicating continued tightening in rental market conditions across most capital…
Capital city rental markets have continued to tighten over February with most cities reporting lower vacancy rates for both houses and units. Most capitals reported higher or steady house rents over the month with Hobart the top performer up by 1.7% followed by Perth higher by 1.4%, Darwin up 0.2% with Melbourne and Adelaide steady….
2026 is shaping up to be another year of solid, though uneven, growth. At its first meeting for 2026, the Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 3.85%, up from 3.6%, exactly as most economists expected. That move officially ends the shortest and most modest rate-cutting cycle since the RBA began inflation targeting back in…
Something interesting has just happened in the interest rate debate. For months Australians were told the worst of the interest rate cycle was behind us. Inflation was easing, the economy was slowing, and many commentators were confidently predicting rate cuts sometime in the near future. But suddenly the narrative has flipped. Two of Australia’s largest banks…
