Early season auction markets remained clearly in favour of sellers in most capitals, although clearance rates were generally lower compared to the previous week’s results. The national weekend auction market reported an average clearance rate of 71.0% over the past week, which was lower than the 75.3% reported over the previous week but higher than…
There has been a spate of articles and commentary in recent days calling on the Australian government to reduce spending. Those calling for government cuts – mostly long-time advocates of smaller government – claim this would lower inflation, and as a consequence reduce interest rates. In fact, claims that government spending is now a very…
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…
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…
When the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board voted unanimously to lift the cash rate to 3.85% on Tuesday, the decision was driven by one overriding concern. It wants to stop the rising cost of living from becoming entrenched. For some, like self-funded retirees, the rate rise was good news. Higher interest means their savings…
SQM Research’s Weekly Asking Prices Index for the week ending 27 January 2026 showed mixed price movements across capital cities, though annual growth remains strong. Nationally, asking prices eased slightly over the month for houses (-0.3%), while unit prices rose 1.3%, with combined dwellings broadly flat (-0.1%) but 11.4% higher year-on-year. Sydney house asking prices…
Australian home values rose by 0.8% in January according to Cotality’s Home Value Index, a subtle acceleration from the 0.6% increase recorded in December. Sydney and Melbourne are weighing on the headline numbers, recording a 0.2% and 0.1% increase respectively in January; a marginal pickup following the slight falls recorded in December. Every month, investors,…
RBA reverses course to regain control over inflation, but a single hike is unlikely to alter the housing market balance. At its first meeting for 2026, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifted the cash rate to 3.85% (from 3.6% previously). This decision came in the wake of a surprise tightening in the labour market…
National home values increased in January, but a looming rate rise weighed on price growth, according to PropTrack. The report shows Sydney and Melbourne have seen home price growth soften in recent months. Melbourne has posted three months of modest declines, and while Sydney prices were up in January, they are below their recent peak….
Australian home values rose by 0.8% in January according to Cotality’s Home Value Index, a subtle acceleration from the 0.6% increase recorded in December. While every capital city and broad rest of state region recorded an increase in home values through the month, the start of the year returned a mixed result. Sydney and Melbourne…
