Australian Property Market Update 2025: Rates, Rents, and First Home Buyer Guide
2025 Australian Rental Market Analysis & Trends
There was conflicting news for property investors and tenants in the latest rental numbers, pointing to a mixed outlook for the rental market.
On the one hand, the national median rent hit a record-high $620 per week at the end of 2024, according to PropTrack. On the other hand, rental growth fell to its lowest level since 2021, after rents increased by just 1.6% in the December quarter.
Complete First Home Buyer Assistance Guide 2025
Getting on the property ladder is challenging, but it might be easier than you think thanks to a range of first home buyer assistance measures.
The federal government offers the First Home Guarantee and Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee, which help eligible first home buyers purchase a property with just a 5% deposit, without needing to pay lender’s mortgage insurance. Also, at some point this year, Help to Buy is expected to launch – this is a shared-equity scheme that will allow buyers to reduce their cost to as little as 60% of the purchase price, by offering the government a stake of up to 40% in the property.
- New South Wales – a $10,000 first home buyer grant and stamp duty discounts for purchases up to $1 million
- Victoria – a $10,000 grant and duty discounts for up to $750,000
- Queensland – a $30,000 grant and duty discounts for up to $800,000
- Western Australia – a $10,000 grant and duty discounts for up to $600,000
- South Australia – a $15,000 grant and duty discounts for up to $700,000
- Tasmania – a $10,000 grant and duty discounts for up to $750,000
- ACT – a duty discount for all purchases
- Northern Territory – a $50,000 grant
Home Loan Refinancing Indicators & Tips
- It’s been at least two years since you took out your loan. Credit policies, interest rates and borrower incentives have changed a lot in that time, so you might find that better loan options are now available.
- Your financial situation is now different. Just as you need new clothes when your body changes, you generally need a new loan when your personal circumstances evolve.
- Your fixed-rate period is coming to an end. Instead of reverting to your lender’s standard variable rate, look around to see if better loan options are available – because the answer will probably be yes.
- You’ve built up equity in your property. If your equity position is stronger, you might now be able to qualify for a loan with a lower interest rate or better features.
- You want to cash out equity. If you want to buy an investment property, you might be able to cash out equity – via a refinance – and use that money to fund the deposit.
Property Market Outlook 2025: Expert Analysis
