Listings Remain Critically Low

Listing levels remain critically low with only about 128,000 properties listed for sale throughout Australia – 18% below an already depressed five-year average.

In many suburbs, especially family-friendly areas in the major capitals, buyers are facing very little genuine choice, with quality homes attracting multiple offers as soon as they hit the portals.

Clearance rates have eased back from the 70+% highs to the mid-60% results of recent weeks, and daily price growth has cooled slightly in Sydney and Melbourne following the latest inflation surprise.

But with listings still so far below normal, conditions remain firmly in seller’s-market territory.

Many older owners are choosing to stay put, while tax settings and transaction costs discourage trading down.

For investors, this environment supports further gradual price gains and tight rental markets, but it also raises the risk of overpaying for compromised assets.

The edge comes from patiently targeting those few listings that combine strong fundamentals, realistic pricing and the potential for superior long-term demand.