Things are looking up for homebuyers. New listings are on the rise, and that can mean more choice and less FOMO pressure for buyers. Here’s how the shift in today’s market could benefit your homebuying plans.

It wasn’t so long ago that FOMO (‘fear of missing out’) was a driving force in Australia’s housing market.

Property listings were at multi-year lows, prices were rising rapidly, and a report by Finder revealed almost two-in-five first homebuyers had purchased a property based on concerns they’d be priced out of the market.

Today, the FOMO factor has largely faded away. And that’s a plus for homebuyers.

We look at how the market has shifted, and why today’s homebuyers could be well-placed to take advantage of opportunities we haven’t seen for some time.

More homes listed for sale

As recently as early 2026, homebuyers faced a tight supply of properties listed for sale.

In January, for example, the number of homes advertised for sale was 25% below the 5-year average.

The dial has shifted dramatically though, with new listings up 13.3% nationally in June 2026 compared to 12 months ago.

This likely reflects property owners looking to cash in on the significant price gains of recent years, according to realestate.com.au.

Whatever the cause, it seems buyers now have more properties to choose from, and that may well increase your chances of finding a home that ticks all your boxes.

Fewer properties being sold at auction

Auction clearance rates have fallen to the lowest level since 2020.

With fewer homes being sold at auction, we’re seeing a growing preference for private treaty sales.

The beauty of private treaty sales is that they can give buyers more scope to negotiate directly with the seller.

A tip: having your home loan pre-approved can potentially give you extra leverage to negotiate on price.

Talk to us about pre-approval – it can let sellers know you’re a serious buyer.

Buyers face less competition

Earlier in 2026, investors accounted for two-in-five new mortgages.

However, tax changes announced in the Federal budget are set to reduce this.

Westpac expects the tax reforms to drive a “sharp and sustained pull-back” in investor demand.

That’s a plus for homebuyers who are likely to face less competition from investors, which could further strengthen their negotiating clout with sellers.

Buyers are scoring bigger discounts

In more good news for homebuyers, sellers are increasingly open to discounting.

And who doesn’t love a discount, especially on a purchase worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars?

Across the nation’s capitals, the median discount on sale has climbed to 3.6%, up from 3.0% in March.

Regional homebuyers are looking at a median discount of about 3.5%.

These discounts may look small, but they can add up quickly.

On the median home value of $903,000 nationally, a 3.6% discount could see buyers save more than $32,000.

‍Farewell FOMO, hello buyer opportunities

Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions many of us will ever make, and it definitely shouldn’t be based on FOMO.

Buying based on a sense of urgency can mean compromising on your choice of home or stretching your buying budget.

With many of the drivers of FOMO easing, today’s homebuyers may have more time to research the market and greater scope to negotiate on price.

Even so, there’s no room for complacency.

Well-priced homes in good locations have a habit of attracting plenty of buyers, and holding out waiting for the market to fall could lead to disappointment.

Talk to us to see how you could benefit from a market that – for now at least – seems to be working in many buyers’ favour.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to your circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

The Reserve Bank may have kept rates on hold in June, but a growing number of lenders have cut their home loan interest rates. This could be your sign to review your current loan.

Here’s news that should be music to the ears of Australian home owners.

Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) keeping the cash rate steady in June, almost a dozen lenders have cut their variable home loan rates in recent weeks.

As a result, there are now 40 lenders offering at least one variable rate under 6%, Canstar reports.

But there’s a catch: these lower rates are usually only available to new borrowers.

That means now might be the time to get in touch with us, because you too could become a ‘new’ customer by switching to a different lender.

Here’s a closer look at what’s going on.

Why are lenders slicing their rates?

Competition in the home loan market is intense right now.

Over 100 providers – from the big banks through to mid-tier and regional banks, as well as dozens of non-bank lenders – are all competing for your business.

And competition has especially heated up following proposed tax changes in the federal budget that have impacted investor demand.

In today’s highly contested market, one way to attract new customers is by offering a competitive mortgage rate.

The upshot is that rate savings may be up for grabs for home owners who refinance with a new lender.

No sign of an official rate cut any time soon

Borrowers who wait for the RBA to start cutting interest rates could be left disappointed.

Several major banks, including ANZ and CommBank, believe it could be some time before we see the official cash rate fall, potentially well into next year.

In fact, Westpac is forecasting a rate hike in September, potentially as early as August.

Refinancers may be rewarded with valuable interest savings

The RBA may have hit ‘pause’ on rates, but that doesn’t mean you should too.

As more lenders lower rates for new customers, home owners who stick with their old loan may be left paying an uncompetitive rate.

And that could mean paying more in interest than necessary.

By way of example, Canstar found a home owner who’s had the same loan for the past five years is likely to be paying a rate of 6.98%.

Assuming that same borrower owed $600,000 on their mortgage, with 25 years remaining on the loan term, switching to an interest rate under 6% could save at least $10,713 in interest over the next two years.

And that’s after allowing for possible refinancing costs.

Talk to us to know how your loan rate shapes up

Stop guessing, and start knowing for sure whether you are paying a competitive loan rate.

Give us a call to organise a home loan review. We can compare dozens of loan options and explain if refinancing could see you save on your mortgage interest.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to your circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

With more first home buyers relying on family support to get into the market, we explain why it may be beneficial to put the details in writing if Mum and Dad offer a financial helping hand. 

Higher home prices are seeing more first homebuyers turn to family members for help buying a place of their own.

That support can come in a variety of forms, including living at home rent-free to help grow a deposit, or having parents act as guarantor for a first home loan.

But it can also go one step further.

An estimated 60% of first homebuyers have dipped into the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ – receiving financial assistance from parents – to get started in the market.

The amounts handed over aren’t small, averaging more than $30,000 according to one study.

With that sort of money changing hands, it can be worth having a written agreement in place.

As many as 64% of first homebuyers who rely on the support of parents have no paperwork at all for the arrangement, which can make things complicated with lenders.

Let’s take a look at why it’s worth considering putting the details in writing.

The Bank of Mum and Dad can help fast-track homebuying plans

In general, parents provide funds to their first-home-buying children as a loan, a gift or an early inheritance.

For first homebuyers, this injection of cash can cut the time taken to save a deposit, or push a deposit up to 20% – the amount usually required to avoid lenders mortgage insurance if you’re not relying on any federal government or lender schemes.

A bigger deposit may also have the upside of giving buyers access to lower interest rates.

How do lenders treat funding from Mum and Dad?

If you’re expecting Mum and Dad – or other close relatives – to offer cash towards buying a first home, it’s likely your lender will ask whether the money is a gift or a loan.

This distinction matters because if the money is a loan, the bank may take the repayments to parents into account when considering your ability to service a home loan.

This could even impact your borrowing power.

That said, research shows nearly half (49%) of parents who provide financial assistance to their children do not expect to be repaid.

More than a quarter (26%) offer the money as a gift.

Even so, having these details set out in writing before applying for a home loan can answer a lender’s questions about funding sourced from Mum and Dad, and help prevent delays in your loan application.

A new reason to have a written agreement

New anti-money laundering laws in place from 1 July 2026 mean that real estate agents are now required to verify the identity of home buyers, and in some cases, ask about where the funds used to buy a home came from.

Here too, it can be handy to have a written document that describes the nature of support from parents.

What documentation is required?

It depends on the type of arrangement.

If the money is a gift, a statutory declaration signed by your local Justice of the Peace (JP) confirming there’s no repayment expected is usually enough.

For anything more, such as the money being a loan or your parents acting as guarantor, you’ll want to seek legal advice from your solicitor.

A few tips for first homebuyers to bear in mind

The financial assistance of family members can give first homebuyers a valuable leg-up with a deposit.

But your deposit is just one part of the picture.

Lenders usually want to see that you’ve been regularly setting money aside in savings – usually for at least three to six months.

This evidence of  ‘genuine savings’ shows you have the discipline to manage a home loan.

Also, your personal income still does a lot of the heavy lifting in determining if you’re eligible for a home loan.

After all, family members may provide a generous helping hand to get you started, but you need to be able to live comfortably with your loan over the long term.

Talk to us if you’re thinking of using the Bank of Mum and Dad to buy your first home. We can let you know what lenders like to see when applying for a home loan, and guide you through the rest of the process.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to your circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

As the calendar flips over to July, now’s a good time to give your home loan a once-over. We look at five strategies that could help you save on interest and pay off your mortgage sooner.

With three rate hikes already this year, and a big variation in rates between lenders, it’s worth checking you’re not paying too much interest on your mortgage this new financial year.

The hard part can be knowing how or what to weigh up. Here are 5 things to consider.

1. Review your loan rate

Not sure about the rate you’re paying? You’re not alone.

Over one-in-two home loan borrowers are in the dark about their mortgage rate.

Not knowing this number can be an expensive oversight.

So, grab a copy of your latest loan statement or jump onto your banking app. You’ll usually find your current rate under your account details.

As a guide to how your rate shapes up, the average variable rate now is about 6.45%.

The thing is, there are still some lenders offering home loan rates that start with a ‘5’ or a low ‘6’.

If you’re not happy with the interest rate you’re paying, call us to find out how much you could save by refinancing.

2. Check your loan has the features you need

Loans can come with a variety of features that may help you save on interest, and pay down your mortgage sooner.

However, having access to these features may mean paying a slightly higher interest rate.

If you’re not making use of them all, switching to a lower rate ‘basic’ loan could see you save.

3. Add up the fees you’re paying

While it’s natural to focus on your interest rate, it’s also worth keeping an eye on home loan fees. They can really add up over time.

Around 14% of loans still charge monthly fees, and where they apply, these fees can be as much as $15 a month.

Talk to us if you’re being slugged with a monthly fee. It’s an additional cost you may be able to avoid by moving to a different loan.

4. How does your loan shape up for flexibility?

Home loan flexibility is all about how well your mortgage can adapt to changes in your circumstances or lifestyle.

This can include being able to make extra repayments, and enjoying fee-free redraw if you need to draw the money back out for unexpected bills.

Is your loan flexible enough to be split between a variable rate (to benefit from any rate falls) and a fixed rate (for repayment certainty)?

Or, is your loan portable? This may give you the flexibility to transfer your mortgage from your old home to a new place if you move, letting you avoid the cost of setting up a new loan.

5. Is your lender still showing you love?

Great service doesn’t just mean a quick call to check that everything is going smoothly with your home loan.

It’s also about rewarding your loyalty as a home loan customer. And that doesn’t always happen.

According to Canstar, an owner-occupier who took out a loan five years ago and hasn’t renegotiated since, is likely to be paying a rate of 6.98%.

Yet many lenders are offering variable rates below or just about 6.0%.

Despite the potential for savings, more than half (52%) of Austrslian home loan borrowers have never changed lenders.

If that sounds like you, call us to see if you’re paying a home loan loyalty tax simply by sticking with the same lender.

Head into the new financial year confident about your home loan  

A home loan review shouldn’t take too much time out of your schedule.

Contact us today about a home loan health check. It could help you hit the new financial year running.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to your circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.