Property prices in Australia saw a notable increase last month, buoyed by two interest rate reductions by the Reserve Bank. The Cotality Home Value Index indicated a national rise of 0.5% in May, pushing the median home price to $831,288.
Darwin recorded the most significant increase at 1.6%, with Perth following at 0.7%, marking a remarkable 13.3% rise over the past year. Other cities also reported growth, including Brisbane and Hobart at 0.6%, and Sydney with a 0.5% increase.
Cotality attributed the surge in property values to the recent interest rate cuts, with expectations of further reductions later this year. Research director Tim Lawless notes that the market’s momentum is largely driven by these rate changes. He emphasised that with falling interest rates, a positive impact on housing values is anticipated throughout June and beyond.
Despite the recent monthly gains, the overall annual growth remains modest. National property prices have seen a 3.3% increase over the past 12 months, the slowest rate of growth since August 2023. Notably, home values in Melbourne and Canberra have faced declines of 1.2% and 0.7% respectively over the same period.
In a related development, nearly 3,000 auctions were conducted last weekend, marking the second-busiest weekend of the year. This uptick in auction activity reflects sellers’ attempts to take advantage of the increased borrowing capacity facilitated by the Reserve Bank’s recent rate cuts.