Property market sentiment continues to rise, finds ME Bank

Property market sentiment in Australia has risen to its highest levels since 2019, according to ME’s latest Quarterly Property Sentiment Report.

The lift in sentiment is being driven by widespread expectations property values will rise, along with increased market activity, record low interest rates and a host of government incentives.

More than half of respondents (54 per cent) said they believed prices will go up, compared to just 7 per cent who believed a market correction will occur. Owner occupiers were the most optimistic group, with 57 per cent predicting prices will continue to rise.

“While there are still many challenges such as unemployment and job insecurity, it’s promising to see how sentiment and market activity have rebounded,” said ME’s head of home loans and personal banking, Claudio Mazzarella.

“Government incentives such as HomeBuilder and record low interest rates have no doubt been large contributors to driving momentum across the market.”

Among those with eyes on the property market, 72 per cent said the HomeBuilder scheme, stamp duty relief, and first home buyer incentives had made buying or investing a much more attractive option.

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Confidence was highest among the investor and owner occupiers cohorts, where property sentiment rose 15 and 17 percentage points, respectively. Mazzarella said this reflects a broad improvement in households’ finances.

“It’s clear from our latest Report that most Australians anticipate a strong uptick in residential property prices. The data also shows a general increase in people’s sense of wealth and financial confidence as a result of these price movements,” he said.

First home buyers were less optimistic, however, with positive sentiment sitting at just 27 per cent, 4 percentage points lower than last quarter. A staggering 95% of first home buyers said housing affordability remains a major concern.

“The flip side to higher property prices is that it will make it harder for first home buyers to get their foot in the door. It will be important for new entrants in the property market to do their research,” said Mazzarella.

For more information about mortgage and lending trends, visit our home loan statistics page. And for an idea of where interest rates currently sit, check out our home loan comparison page, or browse the selection below.