Real Estate

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

Residential

Residential
US home sales rise in September as mortgage rates dip
United States existing home sales increased to a seven-month high as mortgage rates fell to their lowest point of 2025. Existing home sales rose by 1.5% month-over-month in September, which is the highest level since February, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This comes as the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 6.19% for the week ending 23 October, down from 6.27% according to Freddie Mac. This is the lowest level they’ve been in more than a year. The NAR chief economist said the falling mortgage rate and improving housing affordability are contributing to the increase in home sales. "Inventory is matching a five-year high, though it remains below pre-COVID levels," Yun added. "Many homeowners are financially comfortable, resulting in very few distressed properties and forced sales. Home prices continue to rise in most parts of the country, further contributing to overall household wealth." Home inventory in September also rose 1.3% from August and 14% from September last year to 1.55 million. The median sales price for September reached US$415,200, which is 2.1% higher than a year ago, marking the 27th consecutive month of year-over-year growth. The highest month-over-mo
Residential
China's new home sales to drop 8% in 2025: S&P
China’s new property sales are set to drop by 8% in 2025, extending the decline in its real estate market for a fifth year. Nationwide new home sales in the country will be around RMB8.8 trillion (A$1.9 trillion) this year, S&P Global forecasts. S&P Global had projected in May that sales would fall by 3% this year, but China’s government has introduced fewer measures to encourage demand than expected. “Homebuyers' confidence remains fragile. As such, we expect the government could roll out further measures to support demand. However, additional supportive measures may only come gradually, and on a city-by-city basis, in our view,” wrote S&P Global. “In contrast to our previous expectation that China's nationwide property sales may approach stabilisation toward the latter part of 2025, we now believe China's nationwide property sales will continue to moderately decline in 2025 and 2026.” Primary housing prices will fall by 2.5-3.5% across 2025, S&P Global estimates, and by 1.5-2.5% in 2026. New property sales were down 8% to RMB5.5 trillion in 2025’s first eight months, per China’s National Bureau of Statistics. Completed unsold inventory rose from 753 million square metres in December to 762 million square metres in
Residential
UBS: Miami, Tokyo, Zurich top 2025 bubble risk
Miami has topped investment bank UBS’ 2025 Global Real Estate Bubble Index, marking it as the world’s riskiest housing market. Tokyo and Zurich followed closely behind, while Los Angeles, Dubai, Amsterdam, and Geneva were also listed as cities with elevated bubble risk, according to the Swiss lender’s annual report. In contrast, Singapore, Sydney, Vancouver, and Toronto were classified as moderate-risk markets, while European hubs including Madrid, Frankfurt, and Munich shared similar risk levels. UBS identified London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New York, and São Paulo as lower-risk cities, with São Paulo displaying the most restrained housing exposure among the 50 urban centres analysed. UBS reported that global housing markets have broadly cooled over the past year, with price-to-rent ratios falling across Europe and Asia - except in Tokyo. Mortgage lending has slowed, reflecting persistently high financing costs. Although interest rates have gradually eased since 2023, borrowing costs remain roughly double the levels seen between 2020 and 2022. Construction activity remains subdued, worsening supply shortages in high-demand cities. “Average bubble risk in major cities has declined for the thir
Residential
Compass to buy competitor Anywhere Real Estate
Brokerage Compass is set to become the largest real estate firm after buying Anywhere Real Estate in a deal valued at US$4.2 billion (A$6.37 billion). The transaction is expected to add over $1 billion in revenue to Compass’ topline from Anywhere’s established franchise, title and relocation. According to the companies, the combined company is estimated to have an enterprise value of around $10 billion. Anywhere CEO and president Ryan Schiender said the merger will increase their international footprint and build a better real estate experience. "We have a unique opportunity to utilise the incredible breadth of talent across our companies, especially our world-class agents and franchisees, to deliver even more value to home buyers and home sellers across every phase of the home buying and home selling experience,” Schnieder said. Compass will pay $13.01 per share to Anywhere stockholders, representing a premium of 84%. According to Compass, the merger will expand its presence to every major U.S. city and 120 countries, with a combined workforce of 340,000 real estate professionals globally. “By bringing together two of the best companies in our industry, while preserving the unique independence of Anywhere's l
Residential
Over 1.5m Australians at risk from rising sea levels
Over 1.5 million Australians live in areas at risk from rising sea levels by 2050, according to the first National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA). Australian sea levels will rise by 0.14 metres by 2050 if global temperatures increase by 1.5-2ºC, with an extra 24 days of coastal flooding each year. Australia’s Government will announce its emissions reduction target for 2035 this week. “One thing that is very clear from this climate assessment is that our whole country has a lot at stake; that every Australian, regardless of where they live, has a lot at stake,” said Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen. Low-lying communities near soft shorelines are currently the most vulnerable to a rise in sea levels, the NCRA said. By 2090, 34% of Australia's coastal communities could be at high risk. Coastal urban centres are also at particular risk from rising sea levels, as “the relatively high value of assets exposed to hazards will increase the impacts if risks are realised,” according to the NCRA. Flooding and greater rainfall is set to raise economic costs from property damage and business disruptions. Areas of above-average climate risk will include an additional 35,000 small businesses by 2030. Australia is also likely

Real Estate

Residential

US home sales rise in September as mortgage rates dip

China's new home sales to drop 8% in 2025: S&P

UBS: Miami, Tokyo, Zurich top 2025 bubble risk

Compass to buy competitor Anywhere Real Estate

Over 1.5m Australians at risk from rising sea levels

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