The Current Market is Quieter
If you’ve been thinking about selling your Brisbane property, you’ve probably noticed that the market feels different from a few months ago.
Brisbane began 2026 with considerable momentum. In January, SQM Research recorded a 1.8% monthly increase in combined asking prices, leaving them 20.7% higher than a year earlier.
Conditions have since shifted.
Cotality reported that Brisbane home values fell by 0.6% in July—the city’s second consecutive monthly decline. SQM Research also recorded increases in both new and older Brisbane listings, while combined asking prices declined by 1.1% over the month.
At CPC Properties, we’re seeing this change on the ground. Open homes have become noticeably quieter, and we’ve recently conducted inspections where no buyers attended—something that was far less common at the beginning of the year. This doesn’t mean properties have stopped selling, but buyers have regained something they haven’t had for several years: time.
Why are buyers pausing?
During Brisbane’s stronger market, buyers were often driven by fear of missing out. If they hesitated, they risked losing the property to someone else or paying more for the next comparable home.
We’re now seeing buyers have more choice and less pressure to rush into a decision: inspecting more properties before making a decision, examining comparable sales, building condition, renovation costs and body corporate fees more carefully. They’re also negotiating more confidently and walking away when the value isn’t clear.
Several factors are influencing this behaviour.
Getting a home loan became a lot harder
Mortgage repayments have become more expensive.
The Reserve Bank raised the cash rate three times during the first five months of 2026, taking it from 3.60% to 4.35%.
When interest rates rise, buyers are affected in two ways: their monthly mortgage repayments increase, and the bank may reduce how much it is prepared to lend them.
We can see the impact clearly in Brisbane. According to Cotality, by May, a household purchasing a median-priced Brisbane house needed to earn approximately $17,000 more per year than it did in January just to service a typical mortgage.
In practical terms, buyers who could afford a particular property at the beginning of the year may no longer have the same borrowing capacity. They may need to lower their budget, contribute a larger deposit or delay buying altogether.
Other Causes
Higher petrol, insurance and everyday household costs have added further pressure. No single expense necessarily stops someone from buying, but their cumulative effect makes buyers more cautious about taking on a large mortgage.
How the budget creates a lot of uncertainty and changes
The Federal Budget added another layer of uncertainty to a market already affected by higher interest rates and rising living costs.
While the Budget included tax relief, temporary fuel support and investment in housing infrastructure, many of these measures will take time to affect household finances or housing supply. They do not immediately reduce mortgage repayments or make properties more affordable.
As a result, some buyers are waiting to see how interest rates, living costs and the broader economy respond before taking on a large home loan. The Budget did not create the market slowdown by itself, but it gave already-cautious buyers another reason to pause and reassess their budgets.
Who is still buying?
The active buyer pool though, hasn’t disappeared. It has become more segmented.
The latest available ABS lending data confirms these buyers are still taking out home loans. During the March 2026 quarter, Australia recorded:
- 82,453 owner-occupier loans
- 30,241 first-home-buyer loans
- 57,342 investor loans
At CPC Properties, we’re seeing several buyer groups remain active:
- First-home buyers looking for affordable houses and units within their borrowing limits.
- Owner-occupiers purchasing for long-term lifestyle needs.
- Upgraders and downsizers using equity from their current property to make their next move.
- Cash buyers who are less affected by interest rates and may be in a stronger position to negotiate.
- Strategic investors looking for well-priced properties where the rental demand, returns and holding costs make sense.
The difference is that these buyers are no longer competing for every property. They’re taking more time to compare their options and focusing on homes that are appropriately priced, well presented and offer clear long-term value.
Buyers are still there. They’re simply harder to attract—and easier to lose when a property is overpriced or poorly positioned.
Why Local Market Knowledge Matters
It’s also important to remember that Brisbane isn’t one property market.
A two-bedroom unit in St Lucia will attract a different buyer from a family home in Paddington or Yeronga. Demand across South Brisbane, Spring Hill and West End can also vary depending on affordability, property condition, body corporate costs and property type.
That’s why national headlines should never make the decision for an individual seller. The more useful question is whether current conditions are right for your particular property, local market and personal circumstances.
Should you sell now or wait?
Our Advise: If your sale isn’t time-sensitive, allowing the market more time to settle may be worth considering. Buyer confidence and interest-rate expectations could become clearer over the coming months.
However, waiting isn’t automatically the right strategy. More listings could enter the market during spring, creating greater competition.
Owners must also consider:
- mortgage repayments,
- insurance
- maintenance and other holding costs.
There’s no guarantee that waiting six months will produce a better result.
If you need to sell, the question changes from “Is this the perfect time?” to “How do we position the property for the buyers who are still active?”
In a selective market, accurate pricing, professional presentation and targeted marketing matter more. Properties positioned according to expectations formed during last year’s stronger market may be overlooked.
Understanding that distinction—and developing a strategy around it—can make all the difference to your result.
At CPC Properties, we treat your property like our own. That means giving you honest advice based on your circumstances—not simply telling you that now is always the right time to sell.
We work closely with Brisbane property owners to understand their goals, assess local market conditions and develop a tailored approach that gives them confidence, regardless of where the market sits in the cycle.
If you’re wondering whether now is the right time to sell, we’d be happy to have a conversation. Simply use our contact form Property Sales and Management Brisbane and our friendly team will respond to you as quickly as possible. Or call us on 07 3721 8585.
