Confidence remains high despite rate-rise talk

The recent jump in the Australian inflation rate has most analysts forecasting that the RBA will announce a rise of 0.25 per cent on the 3rd of February.

The fact that this result has been anticipated for several months now has meant that quite a people have been anticipating a drop in consumer confidence levels. However, the latest analysis from Cotality suggests otherwise.

Their latest property market survey, entitled ‘Decoding 2026’, found that at the end of last year 87 per cent of Australians in general expected dwelling prices to increase during the year ahead, while less than 4 per cent thought property values would fall. Almost half of those surveyed are expecting price growth above 5%, which confirms the continuing market optimism after widespread price gains during 2025.

As I mentioned in A POST A FEW WEEKS AGO, Cotality’s latest Home Value Index showed housing values rose in every capital city and regional market last year, with dwelling values increasing 8.6 per cent nationally.

The survey also found that despite some concerns about interest rate movements, more than 75 per cent of real estate agents reported increased activity following the introduction of the First Home Guarantee expansion in 2025. Figures from the Federal Treasury indicates that more than 21,000 first home buyers have accessed the expanded 5 per cent deposit scheme in the three months since October.

Figures like these would suggest that the conditions for home sellers in areas like Thomastown and Lalor are likely to remain positive for the foreseeable future, no matter what the RBA does next week. So if you would like some advice on how to time your sale to make the most of these conditions, you can give us a call at Barry Plant Thomastown this week on 9466 3233.

We are always happy to assist.

Cheers,

Con Constantinou

Barry Plant Thomastown