Real Estate

Trends and updates on property markets, including residential and commercial sectors.

Real Estate
Brisbane rent prices steady for first time since 2022
Queensland house rent rates have not increased quarter-on-quarter for the first time since December 2022. Despite this, renters aren’t out of the woods yet as Brisbane rent prices reach record high median prices of $650 per week. The price has remained steady over three months, marking the first flat result since December 2022 according to Domain. Domain chief of research and economics Nicola Powell said while it’s still a landlords, the worst of the rental squeeze has passed for tenants. “Over 2023 and 2024 we saw double-digit growth that tenants simply couldn’t sustain,” she said. “And they’ve since sought cheaper rentals or gone into house shares.” “So now we have an unusual dynamic in Brisbane. It’s still a landlord’s market and the vacancy rate is at 0.7% – barely above the record low of 0.6.” According to Ray White Brisbane Apartments associate director, Ben Stockwell, tight vacancy rates are driving prices higher with one-bedroom units now renting for up to $800 even without a carpark. “Over the past 12 months, that price has shifted a lot. A year ago, we’d rent a one-bedroom for about $650 per week,” he said. “You’ve got a real demographic mix of tenants too – working professionals, students and,
Real Estate
Homebuyers urged to compare rates amid lack of cuts
Compare the Market urges homeowners to negotiate rate cuts or switch to cheaper rates to save. The recommendation came despite the RBA’s decision to hold rates at 3.85% in a split decision between the RBA board. Compare the Market's economic director, David Koch said that while the RBA announcement may be disappointing, there is still hope for borrowers who are willing to negotiate or switch to a better rate. “There can be a 0.50% difference between some of the advertised rates on Compare the Market’s home loans panel so you can effectively create your own rate cut by shopping around,” Koch said. “That could represent a saving of $210 on monthly repayments – or $2,520 over a year – for someone with an average $660,000 loan. “And that’s just looking at rates for new customers, which we know are often much more enticing than the rates available to older customers who have not refinanced in a number of years.” A survey of homeowners by Compare the Market found that around 65% of respondents who had mortgages for +3 years had not refinanced for more than three years. While more rate cuts are forecast for the rest of the year, Koch advised that it’s a good idea to compare options now. He said homeowners can’t al
Real Estate
MA tips $380m into $540m Gold Coast tower project
MA Financial Group, in partnership with Warburg Pincus via their $1 billion Australian Real Estate Credit Vehicle, has committed $380 million in institutional funding to the $540 million Burly Residences project in North Burleigh. The syndicated facility — split evenly between MA Financial and the Credit Vehicle — aims to address Australia’s chronic housing undersupply while offering global investors access to premium real estate credit opportunities. Developed by DD Living and led by veteran David Devine, Burly Residences is a 25-storey, six-star beachfront tower featuring 101 luxury apartments designed by Koichi Takada Architects with interiors by Mim Design. Construction is underway, with completion targeted for late 2027. The project follows DD Living’s Royale Gold Coast project, which is fully funded for delivery. The development attracts high-net-worth buyers seeking lifestyle assets, with TOTAL Property Group reporting strong pre-sales momentum. MA Financial’s Drew Bowie and Rodney Norris said the deal aligns with their strategy to back high-quality developers in growth markets, citing stabilising costs and renewed confidence in the private credit space. “We’re seeing signs of a more constructive enviro
Real Estate
New Zealand's golden visa to boost luxury home market
New Zealand’s luxury home demand is about to rise as wealthy Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese become top applicants for the country’s golden visa program. The golden visa, also known as the Active Investor Plus (AIP) program restarted in April and was designed to incentivise wealthy migrants to invest in New Zealand. As of 28 May, Greener Pasturers New Zealand said the program had received over 100 formal applications, representing an estimated NZ$600 million in committed capital to be deployed across New Zealand’s private sector. The number of applications has now jumped to nearly 200. The top sources are from the U.S., China and Hong Kong. While investing in residential property does not qualify applicants for the scheme, it does allow them to reside in New Zealand and buy their own property. “Almost any number of new high-net-worth individuals buying homes in New Zealand will have a significant impact on the country’s relatively small land and luxury home markets,” said Kashif Ansari, founder and group CEO of real estate broker Juwai IQI. “They will be buying houses in premium suburbs and land for large estates.” Overall, median prices in New Zealand have steadied while the luxury housing sector has faced
Real Estate
Dubai branded residences surge; global capital shifts
Dubai has emerged as the global epicentre of branded residences, with the sector expanding 160% over the past decade and more than 140 new projects expected by 2031. In 2024 alone, the city recorded over 13,000 branded home sales — a 43% year-on-year increase — generating AED60 billion (US$16.3 billion) in transaction value. These properties now account for 8.5% of all real estate transactions in the emirate. Branded residences are private residential properties developed in partnership with a well-known brand, typically in the luxury or hospitality sector. Branded residences in Dubai typically command a 40%-60% premium over non-branded counterparts, driven by integrated services, curated amenities, and the long-term value associated with global brand affiliation. Dubai’s appeal to luxury real estate investors is underpinned by a regulatory environment that offers 100% foreign ownership, zero income and capital gains tax, and long-term residency through the Golden Visa program. The city is more tax-efficient than London and more competitively priced than Miami, positioning it as a compelling alternative for global capital. Analysts project Dubai will capture 25% of the branded residence market share across the

Real Estate
Commercial real estate sales surging amid rate cuts
Commercial real estate sales in Australia surged in the first half of 2025, following interest rate cuts and positive investor sentiment. Sales rose by 13% year-over-year to A$15.5 billion, according to a report by CBRE. This was driven by increases in the Retail and Industrial & Logistics sectors. “This positive momentum was fuelled by improved investor sentiment, spurred by two interest rate cuts year-to-date in Australia and expectations of further easing,” according to CBRE. “The outlook remains positive with the market pricing in more rate cuts over the coming 12 months in Australia. In addition, pricing looks relatively attractive across asset classes which is attracting investors back into the market.” The Industrial & Logistics sector saw a 98% jump in sales activity year-over-year, reaching $5.4 billion. Retail, the second-largest sector by sales activity, recorded 29% growth to $4.7 billion. The Hotels sector posted the greatest decline, falling by 54%. Offshore investment in Australia’s commercial property rose by 17% year-over-year, with 45% of investment in the Office sector and 41% in Industrial & Logistics properties. North American investors were the largest source of capital, bringing $1.86 bi
Real Estate
Australian rental investor numbers drop by 0.3%
The number of Australians declaring rental income has declined by 0.3%, the largest annual drop in more than a decade. Rental investor numbers fell by 7,081 in 2022-2023, per the Australian Tax Office. This is just the third ever annual decrease, and the largest since 2008-2009, during the global financial crisis. Housing values rose by 8.1% in 2023, and have continued to gain so far in 2025. “Although value rises have been broad-based, the pace of growth remains mild compared to mid-2023 when the quarterly rate of growth in national home values peaked at 3.3%, and for that matter, positively tepid relative to the extreme 8.1% quarterly peak growth recorded through the height of the pandemic,” said Cotality research director Tim Lawless. The number of rental investors increased by 18,698 in 2020-2021, and by 22,622 in 2021-2022. A decline of 333 was also seen in 2019-2020, impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Rental investors owning more than one property dropped significantly in 2022-2023. Investors with two properties fell by 1.1%, while those with six or more fell by 2.9%. The number of rental investors owning just one property grew by 0.1%, however. Investors represented 33% of property lending in March 2023
Real Estate
Adelaide home prices see highest gains in June
Australian home prices rose by 0.4% in June, with Adelaide leading the increases seen across all markets. Housing prices nationwide are now 4.6% higher than in June 2024, according to PropTrack and REA Group’s Home Price Index report. Adelaide’s monthly increase was the largest in any market at 0.6%, with prices up 0.4% in the capital cities. “National home prices rose 0.4% in June, pushing values to a record high. As interest rates have fallen, price momentum has strengthened and extended across the country, with all markets recording gains in June,” according to the report. “Capital city markets are leading the upturn, with price growth in all cities in June, following outperformance by Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth in 2024.” Sydney and Hobart both saw 0.5% monthly price increases, with Sydney posting the highest median housing value nationwide at A$1.18 million. Darwin’s prices rose the least in June, by 0.2%. Among regional areas, regional Queensland reported the highest growth at 0.5%, while housing prices in regional Victoria, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory all increased by 0.1%. Regional housing prices were up 0.3% in June. Capital city housing prices have grown by 4.1% over the past twelve months, wi
Real Estate
Cotality: Prices climb as housing is less affordable
Australian housing values rose in June, marking the fifth consecutive month of growth. According to Cotality, the housing values increased by 0.6% in June. During the month, gains could be seen in every capital city except Hobart, where housing values fell by 0.2%. In the June quarter, national home values grew by 1.4% following a 0.9% increase in the first quarter of the year and a 0.1% drop in Q4 last year. The quarterly growth is nearly double the pace of wage growth in the same period, making Australian homes even more affordable for prospective buyers. Every capital city and rest-of-state region recorded a rise in values, with the only outlier being Regional Tasmania. While the quarterly pace of growth currently favours regional Australia at 1.6% compared to 1.4% in capital cities, Cotality predicts that the trend will swing back round to the combined capital cities in the coming months. Cotality research director, Tim Lawless, said falling interest rates have created momentum in the market. “The first rate cut in February was a clear turning point for housing value trends. An additional cut in May, and growing certainty of more cuts later in the year have further fuelled positive housing sentiment, pu