Invest
Upsizers win big despite property market slump
Looking for more space to spread out? Now could be the perfect time to make the move into a bigger home, according to a property researcher and expert analyst.
Upsizers win big despite property market slump
Looking for more space to spread out? Now could be the perfect time to make the move into a bigger home, according to a property researcher and expert analyst.
Speaking on a recent episode of the nestegg podcast, Domain’s senior research analyst, Dr Nicola Powell, reflected on some of the winners and losers in the property market of today, paying particular attention to upsizers and first home buyers as well placed to capitalise on market trends.
According to the analyst, it’s the upper end of the market that’s currently experiencing more substantial price falls than other areas in the broader property market.
“We’re seeing that top percentile of property is losing the most value compared to the other segments or price brackets,” she observed.
“What I think [this] presents is opportunities for buyers to upsize because what they will find is their sector – their price point – may still be rising.”
Price rises are still observable across a number of market segments, but because that upper end of the market is feeling the brunt of the falls, the “gap to upsize has actually decreased – it’s a smaller gap to jump upwards”, Dr Powell expressed.
She’s also lauding the ability of first home buyers to make their way onto the property ladder at the present time, “much sooner than they once thought”.
“Obviously, the amount that they need to save and their deposit is lower,” Dr Powell stated.
In addition to recent price falls, the initiatives that are prevalent across states and territories and even federally are contributing to the overall improvements in ownership mobility across the buyer segment.
Dr Powell’s perception of the market did lead her to provide the caveat: “If you are buying and selling in the same market, one counterbalances the other anyway.”
“It’s very hard, even as an analyst, to pick precisely the peak and precisely the trough.”
“You really have to factor in your own personal circumstances when you are buying and selling or you are looking for new rental accommodation,” she advised.
And despite the analyst’s optimistic outlook, she did acknowledge that individuals who are close to the end of their working life as feeling the heat due to the current conditions.
“I think the only segment that would perhaps find these conditions challenging are those looking to completely cash out of their home,” Dr Powell flagged, placing emphasis on those who are looking to transition into a retirement home.
As a result, “those coming to retirement [age] may feel the pinch a bit more than others”, she warned.
RELATED ARTICLES
About the author
About the author
Property
ANZ’s mortgage growth, profit slump: why volume without margin won’t pay the dividends
ANZ lifted home-lending volumes, yet profits fell under the weight of regulatory and restructuring costs—an object lesson in the futility of growth that doesn’t convert to margin and productivityRead more
Property
Rate pause, busy summer: where smart capital wins in Australia’s property market
With the Reserve Bank holding rates steady, the summer selling season arrives with rare predictability. Liquidity will lift, serviceability stops getting worse, and sentiment stabilises. The ...Read more
Property
The 2026 Suburb Thesis: A case study in turning trend lists into investable strategy
A new crop of ‘suburbs to watch’ is hitting headlines, but translating shortlist hype into bottom-line results requires more than a map and a mood. This case study shows how a disciplined, data-led ...Read more
Property
From signals to settlements: A case study in turning property insight into investable action
Investor confidence is rebuilding, first-home buyers are edging back, and governments are pushing supply — yet most property players still struggle to convert signals into decisive movesRead more
Property
Australia’s rental choke point: why record-low vacancies are now a boardroom issue
A tightening rental market is no longer just a housing story—it’s a macro risk, a labour challenge and a strategic opening for capital. With vacancies near historic lows and rents still rising, ...Read more
Property
Rents are rewriting the inflation playbook: what record‑low vacancies mean for Australian business
Australia’s rental market is so tight that housing costs are now a primary transmission channel for inflation and interest rates. This isn’t just a property story; it’s a business risk story—affecting ...Read more
Property
Off-market real estate is going mainstream — and changing the rules of dealmaking
With public listings tight and sales still climbing, Australia’s investors are shifting to off-market channels that reward speed, networks and data advantage. The playbook is closer to private equity ...Read more
Property
Australia’s rental squeeze is now a business problem: inflation, capacity and the new growth calculus
Record-low rental vacancies are no longer just a social headline – they’re reshaping cost structures, wage dynamics and capital allocation across corporate Australia. With economists warning of a ...Read more
Property
ANZ’s mortgage growth, profit slump: why volume without margin won’t pay the dividends
ANZ lifted home-lending volumes, yet profits fell under the weight of regulatory and restructuring costs—an object lesson in the futility of growth that doesn’t convert to margin and productivityRead more
Property
Rate pause, busy summer: where smart capital wins in Australia’s property market
With the Reserve Bank holding rates steady, the summer selling season arrives with rare predictability. Liquidity will lift, serviceability stops getting worse, and sentiment stabilises. The ...Read more
Property
The 2026 Suburb Thesis: A case study in turning trend lists into investable strategy
A new crop of ‘suburbs to watch’ is hitting headlines, but translating shortlist hype into bottom-line results requires more than a map and a mood. This case study shows how a disciplined, data-led ...Read more
Property
From signals to settlements: A case study in turning property insight into investable action
Investor confidence is rebuilding, first-home buyers are edging back, and governments are pushing supply — yet most property players still struggle to convert signals into decisive movesRead more
Property
Australia’s rental choke point: why record-low vacancies are now a boardroom issue
A tightening rental market is no longer just a housing story—it’s a macro risk, a labour challenge and a strategic opening for capital. With vacancies near historic lows and rents still rising, ...Read more
Property
Rents are rewriting the inflation playbook: what record‑low vacancies mean for Australian business
Australia’s rental market is so tight that housing costs are now a primary transmission channel for inflation and interest rates. This isn’t just a property story; it’s a business risk story—affecting ...Read more
Property
Off-market real estate is going mainstream — and changing the rules of dealmaking
With public listings tight and sales still climbing, Australia’s investors are shifting to off-market channels that reward speed, networks and data advantage. The playbook is closer to private equity ...Read more
Property
Australia’s rental squeeze is now a business problem: inflation, capacity and the new growth calculus
Record-low rental vacancies are no longer just a social headline – they’re reshaping cost structures, wage dynamics and capital allocation across corporate Australia. With economists warning of a ...Read more
