Current Market Trends and Insights
While Australia’s property market may currently be displaying signs of a slowdown, national house prices are climbing, with a slight increase of 0.3% in October, bringing the median to $809,849.
According to CoreLogic data, this marks the 21st straight month of property price increases, yet growth remains uneven across the capital cities. While Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, and Brisbane led with solid price gains, other capitals such as Melbourne and Sydney have seen a slowing down in house prices.
We’ve used the latest data from Domain to reveal current market trends driving house prices and rental demand in Australia’s major cities.
Sydney
Despite growth halving compared to the previous quarter as well as the same period last year, Sydney house prices still rose by $9,000 (or 0.6%) in the September quarter. This marks the seventh consecutive quarter of growth for the city.
Sydney house rents also grew about 1.5 times faster than the previous quarter. Rising by 2% or $15 to reach a new high of $775 per week, the median weekly rent for houses continues its upward trend. In contrast, Sydney unit rents held steady for the first time this year, staying at a record $720 per week during the September quarter.
Melbourne
Melbourne’s house prices decreased by 1.5% or $6,000 in the September quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of falling prices. On the other hand, Melbourne’s unit market saw a slight increase in prices with a growth of 0.5%. This is due to an increase in demand for apartments in inner-city areas as well as strong population growth driving rental demand.
Brisbane
For the seventh consecutive quarter, Brisbane house prices have risen, increasing by nearly $15,000 (or 1.5%) to reach $994,945. However, the growth rate has clearly slowed, with this quarter’s increase being about one-third slower than the previous quarter. Brisbane unit prices also experienced moderate growth, increasing by 0.8% to reach a record high of $409,795.
Adelaide
Adelaide’s housing market is rising, with the median house price increasing by nearly $39,000 (or 4.2%) over the September quarter, reaching $973,336 and nearing $1 million. While growth remains high and above the historical average of 2.6%, it has slightly slowed compared to the previous quarter.
Adelaide also ranks as the second strongest capital city unit market, experiencing a 3% increase (equating to $16,000) over the September quarter.