23/10/2026
With the Reserve Bank lifting the cash rate to 4.6 per cent, its fourth rise this year, with a possible fifth in less than two weeks, this quarter’s Property Market Update shows buyers adapting rather than stepping back, shifting towards regional centres and more affordable property types:
• Regional centres are gaining ground in both states. Dubbo has taken the top spot in New South Wales for the second consecutive quarter, with Port Macquarie third and Orange fifth. In Queensland, four regional locations broke into the top 10 for house sales: Kirwan, Maryborough, Gracemere and Emerald.
• Apartments are now more than a third of NSW purchases. Apartments rose to 37.05 per cent of purchases in Q3, up from 26.32 per cent in Q2, while houses fell from 67.3 to 55.38 per cent. The shift is sharpest among first home buyers, with apartments making up 77.9 per cent of their purchases, the third consecutive quarterly increase.