Your Trusted
Real Estate Partner in
Australia

Written by Lily Chong, Head of IQI AustraliaAUSTRALIA’S HOUSING MARKET REMAINS RESILIENT AMID SOFTENING GROWTHAustralia’s housing market continued its upward trajectory in April, with CoreLogic’s Home Value Index marking a third consecutive month of growth. National dwelling values rose by 0.3%, pushing the median home price to a new record high—adding approximately $2,720 in value over the month.Every capital city posted value gains, with Darwin leading at +1.1%. Sydney and Melbourne saw more modest increases of 0.2%. However, April’s growth eased slightly from March’s 0.4%, reflecting subdued buyer sentiment and a dip in auction clearance rates.Tim Lawless, CoreLogic’s research director, noted that the February rate cut initially stimulated housing momentum, but its effects are beginning to fade. Broader economic uncertainty—partly driven by international trade tensions and the upcoming federal election—has weighed on consumer confidence, prompting some buyers and sellers to delay their plans.This cooling trend was evident in reduced market activity. Auction volumes dropped to just 644 for the week ending April 20—the quietest Easter auction week since 2019. New listings also declined to 19,650 across the capital cities in the four weeks to April 27, marking a five-year low for this time of year.Looking ahead, market momentum could resume with a potential interest rate cut expected around May 20 and post-election clarity. CoreLogic forecasts modest price growth for the remainder of 2025.Despite the overall gains, not all cities have reached new price peaks. Only mid-sized capitals like Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth have hit record highs. Sydney remains 1.1% below its September 2024 peak, while Melbourne lags 5.4% behind its 2022 high. Hobart, Darwin, and the ACT are still down 11.1%, 2.7%, and 6.4%, respectively.Annual price growth slowed to 3.2% in April—its lowest level since August 2023—underscoring the market's cooling from mid-2024 to early 2025, despite a rebound beginning in February.House values continue to outperform units. Over the past three months, house prices rose by 1.1% across the combined capitals, compared to 0.5% for units. Sydney showed the widest disparity, with house values rising 1.4% while unit values slipped 0.3%. Hobart followed a similar trend. Meanwhile, Melbourne and Adelaide recorded balanced growth, and Perth and Brisbane saw stronger unit price gains.Click here now for more info!Download

This article is contributed by Lily Chong, Country Head of IQI AustraliaAustralia’s property market is back on the rise, with national home values increasing by 0.4% in March, marking the second month of growth after a brief three-month decline. According to CoreLogic’s Home Value Index, this broad-based recovery saw positive results in every capital city except Hobart, and gains across all regional areas. Darwin led the way with a 1.0% rise, while Sydney and Melbourne—Australia’s largest markets—have now enjoyed two months of upward movement. Sydney values are just 1.4% below their record high, and Melbourne, despite a longer downturn, has recovered by 0.9% over the past two months. What’s behind the bounce? Improved sentiment following the February interest rate cut is likely the main driver, improving both borrowing capacity and mortgage serviceability, says CoreLogic Research Director, Tim Lawless. However, he notes that with the rate-cutting cycle expected to be drawn out, affordability constraints could test the momentum. Interestingly, the growth in values is becoming more balanced across market segments. In Sydney, for example, upper-tier properties rose 0.6% in the past three months compared to 0.3% in the lower quartile, reversing a recent trend of stronger gains among more affordable properties. Perth has recorded a remarkable 75.9% surge in property values since the start of the pandemic, adding $348,519 to the median dwelling price, now at $807,715, according to CoreLogic. Houses rose by $367,000 and units by $225,000 over five years, making Perth the top-performing capital city in Australia, ahead of Adelaide and Brisbane. Regional WA also saw strong growth, with Geraldton up 94.4% and Bunbury rising 81.1%. The rapid rise is attributed to Perth’s previously low price point, following a market decline before 2020. Despite these gains, Perth remains more affordable than Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and Adelaide. Analysts predict values will grow by another 8% in 2025, though housing affordability remains a concern, especially for younger buyers, as highlighted by recent research from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre. For investors and homeowners alike, Perth’s property market presents exciting opportunities. Whether you’re considering selling, buying, or investing, now is the time to explore your options. Contact our team at sales@iqiwa.com.au to discuss your property goals today. Want deeper insights into global property trends? Download our comprehensive market value report to explore opportunities beyond AustraliaDownload

Written by Lily Chong, Head of IQI AustraliaCoreLogic’s national Home Value Index rose by 0.3% in February, signaling an end to a brief three-month downturn that had lowered home values by 0.4%. While the increase was modest, it was widespread, with most regions except Darwin (-0.1%) and Regional Victoria (flat) experiencing growth.Key trends include:Melbourne and Hobart lead gains: Both cities saw a 0.4% rise, reversing Melbourne’s ten-month streak of declining values.Mid-sized capitals slowing: Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, previously the strongest markets, recorded slower monthly growth (0.2%-0.3%). While Adelaide (1.2%) and Brisbane (0.9%) still lead quarterly gains, Perth’s growth has decelerated to 0.3%.Premium market rebound: Sydney and Melbourne’s upper-tier housing markets, which faced sharp declines, are now driving growth, consistent with past trends of high-value markets responding first to rate cuts.CoreLogic’s research director, Tim Lawless, attributes the market improvement to rising buyer confidence, influenced by expectations of lower interest rates, rather than increased borrowing capacity. Auction clearance rates have also returned to long-term averages, further indicating improved market sentiment.In February, national rents increased by 0.6%, marking the strongest monthly rise since May last year. However, this remains below the 0.9% increase recorded in February 2023 and the 1.2% surge in February 2021 during the rental boom.Key trends:Seasonal influence: Rental growth typically accelerates in the first quarter due to seasonal patterns, rather than underlying market shifts.Annual growth slowing: Over the past 12 months, rents have risen by 4.1%, the slowest annual increase since early 2021. Despite this, the growth rate remains double the pre-pandemic average of 2.0%.Declining growth in key cities: Darwin saw the sharpest slowdown, with annual rent growth dropping from a peak of 25% during the pandemic to just 1.4%. Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane unit rents have also slowed significantly, with annual growth now at 2.7%, 3.2%, and 3.3%, respectively—down from peaks above 15%.Impact of migration and household changes: The easing of net overseas migration and a shift towards larger households have reduced rental demand, especially in major cities.Rental growth in some markets: Hobart, the ACT, and Darwin’s unit market have experienced slight rental growth improvements compared to last year, albeit from previously weak conditions.CoreLogic’s Tim Lawless attributes the overall slowdown to normalizing migration trends and changing household sizes, which have alleviated some pressure on the rental market.FOR MORE UPDATE NEWSLATTER, CLICK HERE!

Written by Lily Chong, Head of IQI Australia The start of the year saw national dwelling values remain steady, with only a slight dip of 0.03% in January. While capital cities experienced a collective 0.2% decline, regional areas continued to grow, reaching new record highs with a 0.4% increase. Among the capital cities, Melbourne led the declines with a 0.6% drop, followed by the ACT (-0.5%) and Sydney (-0.4%). In contrast, Brisbane and Perth maintained growth, though at a slower pace, particularly in the detached housing market. Perth’s quarterly growth rate eased from 7.1% in June 2024 to just 1.0% in the three months to January. Meanwhile, Adelaide remained resilient, leading capital city growth over the past six months with a 4.8% increase. On an annual scale, national home value growth slowed significantly, dropping from a 9.7% peak in February 2024 to 4.3% in January. Melbourne (-3.3%), the ACT (-0.5%), and Hobart (-0.4%) recorded yearly declines, while Sydney posted a modest 1.7% gain—the lowest since June 2023. Regional Victoria was the only broad regional area to see a decline over the past year (-2.6%) . Perth Property Market SnapshotPerth’s housing market remains strong, with the median house sale price rising by 1.4% in January to $750,000—an impressive 23% increase year-on-year. Units also saw positive movement, with the median price increasing by 1.0% to $500,000, reflecting a 20.5% annual rise.According to REIWA CEO Cath Hart, property prices are still on an upward trajectory but at a more measured pace compared to 2024. She noted that while some buyers are taking their time with purchasing decisions, well-presented homes in desirable locations continue to attract strong interest and sell quickly. Sellers are encouraged to set realistic prices and focus on presentation to maximize their chances in the current market. Perth Rental Market TrendsRental prices in Perth also increased, with the median dwelling rent rising 3.1% in January to $670 per week—up 8.9% from a year ago. House rents increased by 1.5% to $680 per week, marking a 6.3% annual rise, while unit rents remained steady at $650 per week, up 12.1% year-on-year.Ms. Hart highlighted that while monthly rent prices continue to fluctuate, the significant slowdown in annual growth rates suggests a more moderate rental market compared to last year. A year ago, annual rental growth was 18.3% for dwellings, 16.4% for houses, and 20.8% for units.For more global update. Click here