Invest
Aussies on the fence as housing sentiment shifts
A number of political and economic factors have triggered a spike in Australia’s property price sentiment despite few people being willing to make a move in the market, according to new research.
Aussies on the fence as housing sentiment shifts
A number of political and economic factors have triggered a spike in Australia’s property price sentiment despite few people being willing to make a move in the market, according to new research.
ME’s latest Quarterly Property Sentiment Report found that Australians are increasingly optimistic about housing prices over the next 12 months, with less than one in five survey participants expecting house prices to fall .
Across all major cities, there appeared to be a more positive outlook on prices, with significantly more people in NSW, Victoria, Queensland predicting prices to go up, and noticeably more people in the Northern Territory, Tasmania, NSW and Victoria predicting prices to at least remain the same.
ME’s group executive of customer banking, Craig Ralston, said the research showed that “Australians in the property market have become more optimistic about house prices, perhaps reflecting a number of changes in the external environment since the last survey”.
Worries ease, but affordability and credit tightening remain
According to the report, housing affordability remains the top concern for Australians, with 93 per cent of people agreeing that despite falling prices in some areas, housing affordability is a big issue in Australia.
“House prices remain high by historical and international standards; hence, perceived worries about affordability may take time to shift,” Mr Ralston said.
Despite this concern, Australians surveyed in the report indicated less worry around the tightening of credit policies, negative equity, being forced to switch to interest-only repayments, and current property values.
The report found that more people are sitting on the fence when it comes to transacting property less are intending to buy (down 3 percentage points), less are intending to sell (down 1 percentage point) and more people intend to do neither (up 5 percentage points).
Overall, property sentiment remains stable
The report does show a polarised property environment, with 41 per cent having indicated that they feel neutral about the property market.
A slightly lower number noted that they feel positive about the property market, at 33 per cent, but just one in four shared negative feelings towards the marketplace (26 per cent).
Despite an overall drop in property sentiment on previous figures, the outlook remains stable, according to the report, thanks to a net positive position.
Mr Ralston said the drop in positive investor sentiment is still surprising “considering [that] negative gearing now seems to be off the table and APRA has proposed changes to home loan serviceability”.
RELATED ARTICLES
-
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
-
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
-
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
About the author
About the author
Property
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
NSW’s latest enforcement action on real estate trust accounts isn’t a one-off embarrassment; it’s a stress test of sector governance. With licences suspended and penalties applied, the message is ...Read more
Property
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
After a blistering run, Australia’s rental market is loosening at the edges. Vacancy is edging up off historic lows, rent inflation is set to moderate into 2026, yet underlying demand remains ...Read more
Property
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
Deposit redirection scams are quietly eroding buyer savings and agency reputations in Australia’s property market. This case study unpacks how a mid-tier real estate group redesigned its settlement ...Read more
Property
The $12m threshold: Why portfolio value, not property count, now defines Australia’s investor elite
The old yardstick of six properties as shorthand for investment success has been overtaken by a harsher reality: in today’s market, elite status is defined by balance-sheet strength, not asset countRead more
Property
From intuition to instrumentation: How a "two-stakeholder" sales playbook lifted close rates and cut cycle times
High-stakes consumer purchases are increasingly joint decisions. When one partner is under-served, deals stall. This case study follows an Australian real estate group that rebuilt its sales motion ...Read more
Property
Selling in 2025: How to spot bad agents fast—and build an ROI-first vendor playbook
In Australia’s property market, choosing the wrong listing agent isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a textbook principal–agent failure that can wipe tens of thousands off your sale outcomeRead more
Property
Selling in 2026: How to de‑risk your agent choice and protect tens of thousands at settlement
Choosing the wrong selling agent isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a balance‑sheet risk. In a market where digital discovery is concentrated and AI is recasting how listings are priced and promoted, ...Read more
Property
Rate resilience in Australian housing: why scarce supply is overpowering monetary tightening
Australia’s housing market is defying higher borrowing costs because the binding constraint isn’t demand—it’s supply. Brokers report persistent buyer competition and investor repositioning, while ...Read more
Property
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
NSW’s latest enforcement action on real estate trust accounts isn’t a one-off embarrassment; it’s a stress test of sector governance. With licences suspended and penalties applied, the message is ...Read more
Property
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
After a blistering run, Australia’s rental market is loosening at the edges. Vacancy is edging up off historic lows, rent inflation is set to moderate into 2026, yet underlying demand remains ...Read more
Property
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
Deposit redirection scams are quietly eroding buyer savings and agency reputations in Australia’s property market. This case study unpacks how a mid-tier real estate group redesigned its settlement ...Read more
Property
The $12m threshold: Why portfolio value, not property count, now defines Australia’s investor elite
The old yardstick of six properties as shorthand for investment success has been overtaken by a harsher reality: in today’s market, elite status is defined by balance-sheet strength, not asset countRead more
Property
From intuition to instrumentation: How a "two-stakeholder" sales playbook lifted close rates and cut cycle times
High-stakes consumer purchases are increasingly joint decisions. When one partner is under-served, deals stall. This case study follows an Australian real estate group that rebuilt its sales motion ...Read more
Property
Selling in 2025: How to spot bad agents fast—and build an ROI-first vendor playbook
In Australia’s property market, choosing the wrong listing agent isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a textbook principal–agent failure that can wipe tens of thousands off your sale outcomeRead more
Property
Selling in 2026: How to de‑risk your agent choice and protect tens of thousands at settlement
Choosing the wrong selling agent isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a balance‑sheet risk. In a market where digital discovery is concentrated and AI is recasting how listings are priced and promoted, ...Read more
Property
Rate resilience in Australian housing: why scarce supply is overpowering monetary tightening
Australia’s housing market is defying higher borrowing costs because the binding constraint isn’t demand—it’s supply. Brokers report persistent buyer competition and investor repositioning, while ...Read more
