Homes are going faster than ever Down Under.
On average, new homes are selling after just 28 days on the market, according to National Australia Bank's (NAB) latest Housing Monitor report.
Combined with a chronic housing shortage and rising property prices, this rapid pace is making it tougher than ever for would-be buyers to break into the market.
"Houses are getting snapped up quite quickly, because of the short supply and high demand," Alex Koutoulogenis, founder and director of Adelaide-based brokerage The Finance Project, told Australian Broker. "There's a lot of competition.
"Competition has always been there, but I think the market has steadily increased within the last few years," he continued. "Houses were still on the market or going off, getting snapped up quite quickly, ever since COVID. Since then, it's sort of been pretty crazy."
According to the report, the median days a property is changing hands is just 28 days. Meanwhile, dwelling prices across Australia's capital cities were up 8.2% in 2025, year-over-year, with the highest price growth in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
The rental market was also tight, with rents rising 5.9% in the six months leading up to December, on an annualized basis.
Even so, buyers aren’t backing down. New home loan commitments jumped 13% in the year leading up to 2025's third quarter, signaling continued determination to get a foot on the property ladder.
“In today’s tight housing market, buyers need to be prepared — and brokers play a vital role in giving them the confidence and clarity to act quickly," Adam Brown, executive broker distribution at NAB, told Australian Broker. "Helping clients understand their borrowing capacity, reviewing documentation early and securing pre-approval can make all the difference when the right property comes along. By using fast, data-driven tools, brokers ensure buyers are ready to move when it matters most.”
For Koutoulogenis, that means cutting through the noise. As a broker, he says his priority is equipping clients with practical, clear-headed guidance on how to navigate an increasingly competitive market.
"With clients, they sort of have to put their best foot forward," he explained. "Obviously, people are scared to overspend. But in a market like this, you sort of have to if you want to get your foot in the door. It's just opportunity costs if you're going to keep missing out because you don't want to spend the extra $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 on the purchase price. But with the growth and what's happening in the market, you'll end up missing out anyway.
"So borrowers are better off putting their best food forward and trying to snap something up," Koutoulogenis said. "Otherwise, we've had clients who have been constantly missing out for three, six, nine months and haven't found anything, or it has taken them quite a long time to find something because of that competition. I tell my clients, do your research and maybe avoid doing a lowball offer first and come with a competitive offer straight off the bat."
