Invest
Property industry confidence remains elevated despite setbacks
Confidence in residential property has fallen slightly but is still above pre-COVID levels.
Property industry confidence remains elevated despite setbacks
Confidence in residential property has fallen slightly but is still above pre-COVID levels.
A new survey by ANZ and the Property Council of Australia has found that confidence in Australia’s property industry moved slightly lower in the March quarter, while still remaining at historically elevated levels.
The quarterly survey’s confidence index fell five points during the quarter to a score of 137 but remained well above the neutral level of 100.
Property Council of Australia chief executive Ken Morrison said that both the forward work and staffing level expectations had increased over the period.
“This means that the property sector – which employs more Australians than any other sector – is set to hire more people and deliver more work, something both sides of politics should welcome as we begin the federal election campaign,” he said.

“Given the extent of turbulence the sector has suffered over the previous quarter, this is a resilient outcome that stays above the historic average.”
Survey respondents highlighted housing supply and affordability as the most critical issues that they would like to see addressed by the federal government over the next year.
“Research from the Property Council of Australia recently revealed almost 70 per cent of voters fear younger people will never be able to buy a home in this country, with 90 per cent of those trying to enter the market indicating it was the most important issue in deciding their vote in the May federal election,” said Mr Morrison.
“Also on the agenda for our members is ESG, with cities and infrastructure delivery, alongside economic management, remaining key issues.”
Residential property confidence dipped in the March quarter but was still stronger than prior to the pandemic, while improving sentiment in the industrial, retail and tourism sectors helped boost confidence in commercial property.
“Industrial property sentiment continues to power ahead, with the strong construction outlook backed up by the sharp lift in building approvals over the last few years,” said ANZ senior economist Felicity Emmett.
“The opening of the international borders has buoyed tourism sentiment, lifting it to its highest level since 2018.”
62 per cent of respondents said they expected that the impacts of the pandemic would ease over the next three months while only 5 per cent believe the effects will get worse.
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
