The City Investors Are Targeting

While just a few years ago high taxes were driving investors out of Melbourne, new data shows investors are now back in force.

The FOUNDIT Investor Index shows that in the three months to February 2026, investors have been particularly attracted to Victorian markets with a high percentage of houses and larger blocks of land.

Latrobe Valley had the highest increase of investors of 71.7%, followed by Wallan at 47.9%, Casey-South 42.6% and Wyndham 32%.

The analysis says investors in Western Australia are also turning away from apartments and towards house and land options.

It says Perth City, which is dominated by unit markets, had a 33.3% drop in investor purchases, as did Inner Brisbane in Queensland which is down 51.4%.

FoundIt head of research Kent Lardner said investors have spotted a “rare window” in Victoria where entry prices and tenant demand are aligning.

He says South Australia continues to perform as a low-volatility market with a steady increase in investor activity across metropolitan Adelaide.