Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

Corelogic Rp Data

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What's the difference between this year and last?
Here's the recent week ending from CoreLogic.
 
<a href="/images/2016/07/11/CAPITAL%20JUL%2014.png" target="_blank">Click here to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/07/11/CAPITAL%20JUL%2014.png" alt="" width="413" height="219">
 
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<img src="/images/2016/07/11/3%20JUL%2014.png" alt="" width="413" height="621">
 
It can be contrasted to the week end July 5 2015 where the strong national clearance rate over four weeks sat at 78.1% with 1,723 auctions in total.
The same time in 2014 the clearance rate was 68.9% from 1,442 auctions.
 
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<a href="/images/2015/07/06/prelim.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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Sydney's Sutherland region held a clearance at 92.9% from 35 auctions with the Inner South West registering a clearance rate of 92.1% from 92 auctions.
 
<a href="/images/2015/07/06/sydney.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/07/06/sydney.jpg" alt="" width="323" height="238">
 Notable clearance rates in Melbourne sub-regions were in the Outer East (93.8% from 43 auctions) at in the Inner East, with a clearance rate of 85.7% from 36 auctions.
<a href="/images/2015/07/06/melbourne.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a> <img src="/images/2015/07/06/melbourne.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="152">
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

CoreLogic's state of market: Auction success between this year and last

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The property data and analytics company, CoreLogic, has recruited Lisa Claes to be its next managing director for Australia and New Zealand.
Ms Claes is currently ING Direct's executive director for customer delivery.
She will start in August, taking over from Graham Mirabito, who is set to become the US-based group's international chief executive.
<div>Graham Mirabito said Ms Claes had 20 years experience in the mortgage, financial services and insurance industries, which well fitted the CoreLogic business.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"ING Direct has been a leader in analytics," he said. "Lisa will bring a lot of capability to improve efficiency, engagement, and the on-line experience," he told The Australian Financial Review.</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In his years at the helm since October 2005, the Australian staff has grown from 75 to around 700 and its name changed from RP Data to CoreLogic RP Data to now just CoreLogic.</div>
<div>
The local operation is now a fully owned subsidiary of the US-listed, $4.6 billion, CoreLogic Inc, with much of the international expansion into China and Japan driven from Australia.
</div>
<div>Mirabito told Fairfax Media much of his international focus would be on Europe.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>RP Data adopted the sole name of its parent company, CoreLogic late last year.</div>
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Lisa Claes to replace CoreLogic's Graham Mirabito

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The Onthehouse property website, which will include the Residex data base founded by John Edwards, has been bought by CoreLogic RP Data.
OTH's consumer online division (Onthehouse.com.au, Residex and REAN, the Real Estate Ad Network) fetched $3 million.
The stockmarket listed Onthehouse Group’s strategy is now solely focused on its real estate software division.
"The board believes the business is now funded to grow Console’s real estate software products market share and leverage new revenue opportunities through integrating or building other services to real estate agents and their clients."
Earlier this year it was signalled the property website was set to be shut down after its board ended negotiations with realestateVIEW just before contracts were due to be signed on the national price data base. 
"In the absence of a sale agreement for the Onthehouse.com.au and media businesses, they will be closed by April 2016 at an estimated closure cost of circa $1.7 million," the ontheouse company said in a statement to the ASX earlier this year. 
No white knight emerged until today.
Residex was initially intended to be retained in the envisaged remaining restructure, having been forecast to deliver revenues of more than $2 million in FY16 and to operate at a break even position going forward.
It was 2012 when Onthehouse acquired the last tranche to own 100% of property data business Residex.
Onthehouse acquired a half-share in May 2011.
The second 50% of Residex cost onthehouse $3.5 million.
Residex was founded by John Edwards in 1990 to to develop house price indices for the NSW state government and has since added expanded historical residential data, suburb reports and valuation reports to its national mix of products and services.
Residex hold more than 350 million records provided to the property industry and the public dating back to 1865.
Following the sale of COD division announced today, the onthehouse company’s cash position has materially improved through the lower COD exit costs.
The estimated but now avoided cost announced in February to close the business was $1.7 million.
The estimated cost to the company to exit COD has now been revised to $1.5 million which includes professional fees on the sale of COD.
The company’s cash position is $3.2 million better off than previously expected under a COD shutdown scenario.
The group chief Chris Meehan advised discussions with the Macquarie Group hostile takeover consortium are continuing.
"Onthehouse will continue to keep the market informed in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations," said Chris Meehan.
The takeover consortium included CoreLogic RP Data.
 
 
 
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Onthehouse property website sold to CoreLogic RP Data

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Capital city rents declined over the past year for the first time since 1996 though weekly rents rose slightly, according to the latest CoreLogic RP Data update.  
Rental rates across the combined capital cities were -0.2% lower over the past year, while weekly rents increased by a fraction 0.2% in March for the capital cities. 
Over the year, Melbourne recorded the biggest increase in rental rates at 2 per cent followed by Sydney at 1.4 per cent, Canberra 1.2 per cent and Hobart 0.3 per cent, shows CoreLogic RP Data March rent review figures.
On the flipside, the cities to see a drop in rents included Darwin -11.5%, Perth -8.4 per cent, Adelaide -1.0%, and Brisbane with a -0.7% drop.
The combined capital city house rents were recorded at $489 per week in March while unit rents were $469 per week, said CoreLogic analysts. Over the past month, house rents have increased by 0.1% and unit rents by 0.4% and over the past three months, house rents rose 0.5% compared to a 0.9% rise in unit rents.
The March results show that recent rental increases are likely to be seasonal which is further highlighted by the fact that rents are lower over the year. Over the past 12 months, house rents were -0.5% lower and unit rents increased by 1.5%. 
“It is important to note that a much higher proportion of total unit stock is rented compared to housing stock,” said senior analyst Cameron Kusher.
“We have been tracking the annual change in capital city rents since 1996 and this is the first time we have seen rental rates falling.” 
“The extra accommodation supply, as a result of the current building boom, along with the recent record high levels of investment purchasing is adding substantial new dwelling supply to the rental market at a time when the rate of population growth is slowing from quarter to quarter. Furthermore, wages are increasing at their slowest annual pace.
“Today’s results also highlight a swift easing in rental market conditions over the past year. We’ve attributed this ease to a variety of influences such as falling real wages, excess rental supply in certain areas and lower rates of population growth which have impacted on demand for rental accommodation.”
“With dwelling approvals recently at record highs, construction activity set to peak over the next 24 months and many new properties still to settle, the rental demand weakness is expected to persist. In all probability, there won’t be much scope for landlords to lift rental rates given current conditions have given greater negotiation opportunities to those in rental situation.”
While rental rates remain at record highs in Sydney and Melbourne, rents are lower than their previous peaks in all remaining capital cities. The decline in dwelling rents from peaks is recorded at: -0.9% in Brisbane, -1.2% in Adelaide, -12.8% in Perth, -0.1% in Hobart, -15.6% in Darwin and -7.4% in Canberra.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Annual capital city rental change in decline and lowest since 1996: CoreLogic RP Data

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The rate of home value growth continue to moderate as housing market conditions cool in Sydney and Melbourne, whilst the remaining capital cities recorded small value increases to moderate declines, according to the CoreLogic RP Data March Home Value Index.
During March, capital city dwelling values recorded a subtle lift, rising by 0.2 percent to take capital city home values 1.6 percent higher over the first quarter of 2016. The quarterly increase in home values was broad based across the nation’s capitals, with Perth (-0.9 percent) and Brisbane (-0.1 percent) the only two cities to record negative movements in dwelling values over the past three months.
“The March quarter rise in capital city dwelling values is in stark contrast to the first quarter of 2015, when values increased by 3.0 percent, which is almost double the current pace of quarterly growth. However, compared with the final quarter of 2015, when capital city dwelling values were down 1.4 percent, the housing market has shown a modest rebound in growth which is well below the strong capital gains recorded over the first half of 2015,” CoreLogic RP Data head of research Tim Lawless said.
“The annual pace of home value appreciation across Australia’s capital cities highlights the slowing growth trend,” he said.
Following the March results, the annual rate of capital growth across the capital cities has now reached its lowest point in 31 months, with dwelling values rising by 6.4 percent over the past twelve months across the combined capitals. Furthermore, no Australian capital city has recorded an annual growth rate in the double digits over the past twelve months. Melbourne remains the capital city with the strongest annual growth, with dwelling values increasing by 9.8 percent over the past twelve months.
Lawless said, “The housing market has been losing momentum since July last year, when capital city dwelling values were increasing at the annual rate of 11.1 percent.”
Perth and Darwin are the only two capital cities where home values are trending lower on an annual basis, down 2.0 percent and 1.8 percent respectively. However, Lawless noted the moderation in the rate of capital growth in the Sydney market has been the most pronounced, with annual dwelling value growth more than halving to 7.4 percent per annum, from a high of 18.4 percent per annum in July last year. 
The Melbourne market has been much more resilient, with annual growth in dwelling values slipping below the 10 percent mark for the first time since May last year, to reach 9.8 percent at the end of March 2016. 
The current growth cycle has been running since values troughed in May 2012. Through to March 2016, capital city dwelling values have risen by a cumulative 32.2 percent. Over the cycle to date, Sydney home values have seen the most significant level of appreciation, with dwelling values 49.2 percent higher since values started rising, followed by Melbourne at 35.7 percent cumulative growth.
Darwin and Perth moved through their respective cyclical market peaks more than a year ago, with Darwin home values peaking in May 2014, whilst Perth’s housing market peaked in December 2014. Since then, both Darwin and Perth home values have fallen by a total of 4.6 percent.
According to the March results, most capital cities continue to see the detached housing sector outperform the unit market. Over the past twelve months, house values rose by 6.6 percent compared with a 4.7 percent increase in unit values.
“The over performance by detached housing relative to units can most likely be attributed to the more efficient release of higher density housing supply together with an ongoing shortage of strategically located vacant land and new detached housing stock,” Lawless said.
The largest performance gap between houses and units is evident in Melbourne, where higher unit supply appears to be weighing on the rate of value growth. Melbourne house values were up 10.7 per cent over the past twelve months, whilst unit values are only 2.5 percent higher over the past year.
According to Lawless, “The CoreLogic December 2015 Pain and Gain report released last week showed 19.5 percent of all Melbourne council area units were resold at a gross loss, meaning, nearly one fifth of all apartments that resold over the last three months of 2015 did so at a price lower than what they were previously purchased for. Such a high proportion of loss making resales is a likely indicator of negative equity developing in this precinct as a result of supply outstripping demand.”
With the pace of capital gains slowing, the compression of rental yields has also eased, with capital city yields experiencing a small increase from their previous record lows. Every capital city has seen a deterioration in the rental yield profile over the past twelve months, with gross rental yields reducing from 3.7 percent across the combined capitals twelve months ago, to 3.5 percent at the end of March this year.
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Melbourne continues to show the lowest gross rental yields, with houses averaging 2.9 per cent (which is still a record low) and unit yields averaging 4.1 per cent (up from 4.0 per cent).
Lawless said, “A low rental yield scenario in Melbourne and Sydney is likely to act as a further dampener to investment demand in these markets, as the prospects for capital gains become less certain.
“We’re likely to see many investors turn towards other housing markets where the outlook for capital gains is stronger, housing is more affordable and the yield profile is healthier.”
Other market indicators are pointing towards a continued moderation in the rate of value growth,” Lawless said.
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<img src="/images/2016/04/01/Screen%20Shot%202016-04-01%20at%209.48.13%20AM.png" alt=""> 
Listing numbers have been trending higher, with the number of capital city homes currently being advertised for sale almost 8.5 per cent higher than a year ago. The most substantial lift in residential property listings has been in Sydney, where listing numbers are now 19.2 per cent higher than at the same time last year.
“Higher listing numbers means buyers have more choice and vendors may need to adjust their price expectations in light of the increase in available housing stock.”
“Additionally, housing finance figures are showing a trend towards fewer new mortgage commitments. Based on seasonally adjusted data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to January, the value of owner occupier new mortgage commitments is down 7.6 per cent from last year’s peak, whilst the value of investor loans is 20.0 per cent lower compared to last year’s peak. Strict prudential supervision from APRA, as well as a potential rise in mortgage rates mooted for later this year due to higher lender funding costs, are likely to add to a further slowdown in credit growth during 2016.
“The lower number of housing finance commitments is also reflected in a slowdown in the number of homes transacting. For the twelve months to March 2016, an estimated 299,100 dwellings were sold across the capital cities, which is 9.9 per cent lower than the previous twelve month period. The number of homes sold across Sydney over the past twelve months is 18 per cent lower than a year ago, while Melbourne transaction numbers are 9.7 per cent lower year-on-year,” Mr Lawless said.
"Overall, no indicators have emerged to suggest that dwelling values are starting to show sharp declines in any of the capital cities. Perth and Darwin are the only cities to record negative value movements over the past year, and the declines from their recent peak which was more than twelve months ago have been modest at just 4.6 per cent. Sydney and Melbourne growth rates are moderating after a strong cycle of growth, while other cities are recording minimal shifts higher and lower.”
“Recent forecasts released collaboratively by CoreLogic RP Data and Moodys Analytics, reinforced a controlled slowdown in the Australian housing market was underway. Based on the forecasts, which factor in a series of short run indicators and long run macroeconomic scenarios, we are likely to see Sydney and Melbourne dwelling values continue to rise, at least on average over the 2016 and 2017 calendar year, however growth rates are likely to be substantially lower than what has been recorded over previous years, while some of the underperforming capitals, such as Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart may see some acceleration in their rates of capital gain by 2017.
 
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