Real Estate
7 October, 2025
Market set to spring
A NATIONAL shortage of listings and improved borrowing capacity for buyers is set to underpin one of the most competitive spring selling seasons in recent memory, according to real estate group LJ Hooker.
Analysis by LJ Hooker shows new listing volumes are 18.2% lower than the 10-year average across Australia which, combined with a 65-percentage point fall in interest rates, is fuelling competition in markets.
The unmet demand favours sellers with auction clearance rates, which had edged above 70% in Sydney and Melbourne over August, likely to remain strong through the first weeks of spring.
The spring window is a unique moment for sellers to capture the attention of buyers who had been buoyed by improved borrowing capacity.
The shortage of listing suggests sellers are holding out for more rate cuts, looking to cash in on further borrowing capacity among buyers.
But the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)’s monetary board has shown caution in their decision making, making it hard to predict when more cuts will be made.
Sellers who are holding off until the RBA makes its next move may become lost in the crowd, competing against more sellers in their neighbourhood. First-time buyers who previously sat on the sidelines now have greater access to the market.
– Mathew Tiler is LJHooker’s head of research
