Limited stock and consistent buyer enquiry strengthen the case for off‑peak listings
Spring has long been the peak selling season in Australia’s housing market, but leading agents are now encouraging home owners to bring properties to market in quieter months, citing a constrained pool of listings and strong buyer demand.
Angus Raine (pictured top), executive chairman of the Raine & Horne Property Group, said the number of prospective buyers at open homes had almost doubled, highlighting the competitive conditions facing purchasers.
“Lack of stock for sale coupled with lower interest rates and the expansion of the federal government’s 5% Deposit Scheme is creating a trifecta of factors driving values higher,” Raine said. “This is seeing vendors achieve significant premiums for their homes, with the value of settled sales [through the agency] 21% higher year-on-year in November 2025.”
The imbalance between supply and demand is especially apparent in Canberra. Domain figures show that total listings in December fell to their lowest point since July 2024, although the month still recorded the third-highest level of stock for that time of year.
The data also indicates that the ACT-wide auction clearance rate reached 60.8% in November 2025, an increase of 14.3 percentage points on the same month a year earlier.
Agent Luke McAuliffe of Raine & Horne Gungahlin cautioned that the traditional strategy of waiting for spring could leave some sellers competing with a surge of new listings.
“Many people wait for traditional selling seasons though this is when stock is generally at its highest level,” he said. “Marketing instead at times such as early January, or outside of traditional periods, gives sellers a strong chance of not being lost in the mix.”
McAuliffe added that serious buyers remain active even over holiday periods, with digital platforms allowing inspections and negotiations to continue while people are away from home.
“Not being able to physically inspect if on holidays does not mean they won’t buy,” he stressed. “If sellers want a ‘sold’ sticker on their signboard early in 2026, now is the time to start speaking with your agent.”
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