Australia’s housing market is suffering its worst slowdown since the pandemic as rising borrowing costs and a sharp reversal in tax breaks shake confidence in a normally reliable source of economic growth.
Buyers and sellers alike have suddenly stepped back as house price appreciation no longer seems inevitable, a sea change in mood after decades of inexorable gains that turned Australian property into some of the world’s most expensive.
With home prices in Sydney and Melbourne down nearly 5% so far this year, the chill is evident in fewer people at open houses, tumbling auction clearance rates, a plunge in loan inquiries and a slump in property sales.
It’s a sign of tougher conditions ahead for the broader economy, with real estate agents, removalists and tradespeople starting to see less work, while state governments brace for large write-downs in vital stamp-duty revenue. The New South Wales government in June cut its stamp-duty forecasts by A$5.3 billion ($3.7 billion) over the next four years.
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