Listings Rising
The number of properties listed for sale rose slightly in January, but remained much lower than at the same time last year.
SQM Research data shows residential listings were up by 3.1% in January to 216,826 dwellings (from the seasonally low numbers in December), but were 11% lower than at the same time last year.
Listings are up in January in almost every capital city market, with Darwin the exception with its listings down by 0.7%. Listings are down in every market over the year.
Melbourne has the highest number of properties listed for sale, 35,980, followed by Sydney, 28,922 and then Brisbane, 12,546 and Perth, 11,971.
SQM Research head of property Sam Tate says distressed listings are down again in January, which shows that there is limited forced selling.
“While listings have lifted modestly, the bigger picture is that stock levels remain well below last year, which continues to underpin prices in most capital cities,” he says.
He says overall, the market remains undersupplied and unless new listings rise materially in the coming months, upward pressure on prices – especially in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide – is likely to persist through the first half of 2026.
