Property Intelligence
908 Intelligence pieces published
APF Intelligence publishes original market analysis covering Australian residential property, investment strategy, interest rates, and housing policy. Reports are written using RBA cash rate decisions and minutes, ABS dwelling and lending statistics, CoreLogic Home Value Indices, SQM Research vacancy data, and weekend auction clearance rate feeds from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra. Each piece is datestamped, sourced, and written in plain English without spruiker tone or vendor bias.
Coverage is organised into five streams: RBA & Macro for monetary policy and economy-wide signals; Sydney & Melbourne for the two largest capital city markets; National Property for cross-capital and regional trends; Property Finance for mortgage strategy, LVR and serviceability analysis; and Property Insurance for landlord and building cover. Use the category filters to focus on the topics most relevant to your situation, whether you're a first home buyer timing your entry, an investor rebalancing a portfolio, or simply tracking where the market is heading this cycle. New Intelligence is published only after verification.
Property FinanceNAB, CBA and ANZ Tip RBA Hike as 35 Lenders Cut Rates
Three of Australia's biggest banks are forecasting another RBA rate rise even as 35 lenders have slashed variable mortgage rates since June 1 — a split-market dynamic that is reshaping borrower strategy and property demand across the country.
28 Aug 2026
RBAmortgage rates
National PropertyThe Cooling Conditions Reshaping Seller Expectations
Vendors across Australia are finding conditions tougher as property prices cool and buyer pools thin. realestate.com.au identifies three concrete strategies that separate successful sellers from those watching their listings go stale.
28 Aug 2026
property sellingAustralian property market
Property Tax & FinanceInterest Rates and Tax: Why Landlords Are Raising Rents in 2026
Exclusive new research from realestate.com.au reveals landlords are pointing directly to interest rate rises and tax changes as the twin forces driving rent increases across Australia — with major implications for tenants, investors, and property tax policy.
28 Aug 2026
negative gearingrental market
Sydney & MelbourneCovid Quarantine Buy Heads to Auction: Main River Mansion's Waterfront Premium
A Gold Coast Main River mansion bought sight-unseen from a quarantine hotel during Covid is heading to auction in 2026, spotlighting the enduring premium Australian buyers and investors attach to prestige waterfront property.
28 Aug 2026
waterfront propertyprestige auction
Property InsuranceFlood and Fire Insurance: The Gaps Costing Australian Property Owners Thousands
Australian home and investment property owners are routinely underinsured against flood and fire — two perils that have driven billions in uninsured losses over recent years. Here is what every owner must check in their policy before the next catastrophe.
28 Aug 2026
flood insurancefire insurance
RBA & MacroRBA Rate Hike Expected Within Weeks: What Borrowers Face Next
Market pricing now points to another RBA rate hike above 4.35% arriving within weeks, adding fresh pressure to Australian mortgage holders already stretched by the May 2026 tightening. Here is what the expected move means for borrowers, buyers, and property investors.
28 Aug 2026
RBAinterest rates
National PropertyRental Instability Harms Children's Life Outcomes, Study Finds
A landmark study warns that children in unstable rental housing face lifelong health and education disadvantages — a crisis unfolding against a backdrop of tightening vacancy rates across WA, QLD, and NSW.
27 Aug 2026
rental markethousing policy
Property Tax & FinanceRental Instability's Hidden Tax: The Lifelong Cost on Children
A landmark study warns that unstable rental housing is producing lifelong health and education disadvantages for children — with major implications for how policymakers and investors should assess Australia's tax settings around residential property supply.
27 Aug 2026
rental housingproperty tax
Sydney & MelbourneToorak 72% Clearance and Randwick 73.5% as Melbourne Values Slide Below 2021 Levels
August 2026 auction data reveals a deeply split Sydney–Melbourne market: Toorak is clearing 72% of auctions at a $2.8M median while Melbourne's typical home is now worth less than it was five years ago, exposing a widening divide between premium pockets and the broader market.
27 Aug 2026
Auction Clearance RatesMelbourne Property
Property InsuranceRental Law 'Policy Spiral' Threatens Student Housing Insurance Risk
A new report warns that tightening residential tenancy laws across Australia are discouraging investment in purpose-built student accommodation — and the insurance implications for landlords caught in the crossfire are substantial.
27 Aug 2026
landlord insurancestudent housing
RBA & MacroHousing Costs Drive Hotter Inflation, Putting RBA Rate Hike Back in Play
Australia's latest inflation print has come in hotter than expected, with housing costs a key driver — reigniting market expectations of another RBA rate hike above the current 4.35% cash rate and squeezing property buyers already stretched thin.
27 Aug 2026
RBAinflation
Property FinanceBudget Property Tax Overhaul Creates Mortgage Sweet Spots Under $670 a Week
A radical federal budget property tax overhaul has reshuffled affordability across Australian suburbs, creating pockets where weekly mortgage repayments fall below $670 — a threshold that could reopen the door for stretched first home buyers.
26 Aug 2026
mortgage affordabilityfederal budget
National PropertyHotter Inflation Puts RBA Rate Hike Back on Table for Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide
Australia's inflation print has come in hotter than forecast, reigniting expectations of another RBA rate hike — with housing costs identified as a key driver. Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide markets face fresh pressure as borrowing costs threaten to climb further.
26 Aug 2026
inflationRBA
Property Tax & Finance$14,000 Yearly Home Tax: What Australian Property Owners Must Know
A newly imposed $14,000 annual home ownership tax is drawing fierce backlash, with fines for non-compliance adding to the pressure. Australian investors with offshore property holdings face direct exposure — here's what you need to understand.
26 Aug 2026
land taxoverseas property tax
Sydney & MelbourneAlexander Phillips Joins Ray White With 30-Plus Listings Promise
Top Sydney agent Alexander Phillips has moved to Ray White and pledged 30 listings to shake up a subdued Sydney property market. The move signals a major shift in the premium agency sector.
26 Aug 2026
Sydney propertyRay White
RBA & MacroRBA Says Rate Hikes 'Working' Ahead of Key Inflation Data
The RBA has declared its rate-hiking cycle is "working" to cool the economy, just days before critical inflation data that will shape whether the cash rate stays at 4.35% or falls — with major consequences for Australian property buyers and investors.
26 Aug 2026
RBAInterest Rates
Property FinanceWhy Commercial Property Is Defying the Housing Downturn
Offset accounts and redraw facilities both reduce the interest you pay, but they carry very different tax and flexibility implications for Australian borrowers — especially investors who mix personal and investment funds.
25 Aug 2026
offset accountredraw facility
Property Tax & FinanceAlbanese accused of 'gaslighting' Australians on housing policy
Negative gearing lets Australian investors offset rental property losses against other income, reducing their tax bill. This explainer covers the mechanics, eligible deductions, and how the ATO processes rental loss claims.
25 Aug 2026
negative gearingrental property tax
Sydney & MelbourneA Rare Artwork You Can Also Live In
A Melbourne townhouse featuring a rare original mural by celebrated street artist Rone is set to test the market at $1.475 million — a case study in how art-embedded property commands a premium in a softening Victorian market.
25 Aug 2026
MelbourneAuction
Property InsuranceStrata vs. Freehold: The Insurance Gap Australian Airbnb Hosts Miss
Australian hosts listing properties on short-term rental platforms face a complex web of insurance obligations that standard home and contents policies were never designed to cover. This guide explains the key coverage gaps and how to close them.
25 Aug 2026
short-term rental insuranceAirbnb insurance Australia
RBA & MacroRBA Holds at 4.35% While Private Credit Fills Australia's Housing Gap
With the RBA cash rate locked at 4.35% and traditional bank lending constrained, private credit is stepping in to fund Australian residential construction — and absorbing structural risks that banks have deliberately shed.
25 Aug 2026
RBAcash rate
Property Finance1.4 Million Australians Spend 40% of Income on Mortgages
New data reveals three in five Australian mortgage holders are now in financial stress, with 1.4 million spending at least 40% of their income on home loans and one in five cutting back on essential spending.
24 Aug 2026
mortgage stresshome loans
National PropertyPoint Piper Mansion Guides $90m — Doubling in Under a Decade
A harbourside Point Piper mansion next door to former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has hit the market guiding $85m–$90m, more than doubling its purchase price from less than a decade ago — a signal of what premium Sydney waterfront capital growth looks like at the extreme end of the market.
24 Aug 2026
Point PiperSydney property
Property Tax & FinanceSMSF Residential Borrowing Ban: What the New Rules Mean for Self-Funded Retirees
The federal government has banned SMSFs from borrowing to purchase residential property, ending a strategy used by hundreds of thousands of Australians to build retirement wealth through leveraged property inside super.
24 Aug 2026
SMSFProperty Tax