What the Finder Housing Affordability Survey Reveals About Policy Failures
Hotspotting
Is negative gearing really to blame for Australia’s housing crisis? A new Finder survey asked 22 leading economists, academics, and property experts how to make housing more affordable — and their answers may surprise you. Not one pointed to negative gearing, and only one mentioned capital gains tax. Instead, the focus was on boosting housing supply, cutting red tape, rethinking demand-side incentives, and even considering the impact of migration. In this episode, we unpack what the experts actually said, why the usual media narratives miss the mark, and what solutions could really make a...
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What the Numbers Reveal About Australia’s Rental Crisis
Hotspotting
Why are property prices across Australia still on the rise when affordability is already stretched? 🤔 In this episode, we dive into the latest SQM Research data showing housing listings have dropped across every capital city, tightening supply just as demand continues to surge. With migration, population growth, and poor housing policy all adding fuel to the fire, what does this mean for buyers, sellers, and investors? Tune in as we break down the trends city by city, explore why listings are falling, and unpack how this could shape the property market in 2025.
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How We Predicted the Hottest Market in Australia Before It Made Headlines
Hotspotting
Why are property prices across Australia still on the rise when affordability is already stretched? 🤔 In this episode, we dive into the latest SQM Research data showing housing listings have dropped across every capital city, tightening supply just as demand continues to surge. With migration, population growth, and poor housing policy all adding fuel to the fire, what does this mean for buyers, sellers, and investors? Tune in as we break down the trends city by city, explore why listings are falling, and unpack how this could shape the property market in 2025.
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What the ACTU Campaign Overlooks About Housing Affordability
Hotspotting
Sally McManus and the ACTU want to scrap negative gearing and the capital gains tax “concession” for property investors, arguing it will fix housing affordability. But does the evidence actually stack up? In this episode, we dive into the history of negative gearing in Australia, the real impact of CGT rules, and why blaming property investors might miss the bigger picture. From rental shortages to soaring construction costs, we unpack the policies that have shaped today’s housing crisis — and what really needs to change. Perfect for anyone interested in Australian property, housing...
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Lessons in Real Estate, Leadership & Sales with Adam Horth
Hotspotting
In this episode, Terry Ryder, Founder of Hotspotting, sits down with Adam Horth — a seasoned real estate professional, trainer, and Operations Director at Smartre Group. Adam’s journey began at just 19 years old, starting out as a salesperson and eventually building his own highly successful agency in Ipswich, QLD. Within six years, his office was the number one agency in the area, supported by a team of high-performing agents. Today, Adam combines his passion for real estate with training and leadership, helping agency principals and salespeople across Australia and New Zealand through...
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What Our Early Analysis Revealed About Darwin’s Strong Growth
Hotspotting
Everyone’s suddenly talking about the “Darwin boom” as if it came out of nowhere – but did it really? In this episode, we unpack why the media has only just noticed what was obvious months ago. We reveal how forward-looking data pointed to Darwin’s rise well before prices surged, and why the so-called exodus to affordable lifestyle is anything but new. If you want to spot the next growth markets before the headlines do, this one’s for you.
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Regional Victoria Property Market Shows Signs of a Strong Comeback
Hotspotting
After two quiet years, Regional Victoria’s property market is showing clear signs of a strong revival. Our latest Hotspotting analysis reveals a surge in sales activity across key cities including Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton, Wodonga and Ballarat – with sales volumes now at their highest since the Covid boom of 2021. In this episode, we unpack what’s driving the comeback: The surge in buyer demand and sales growth across regional centres Why Melbourne residents are making the move to more affordable regional lifestyles The role of affordability and infrastructure in fuelling...
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Melbourne Property Outlook Brightens After Years of Decline
Hotspotting
Melbourne’s property market is making a comeback — and the data confirms it. After lagging behind other capitals, the city is now cheaper than Brisbane and Sydney, with sales activity surging to its highest levels since the 2021 boom. Backed by population growth, new infrastructure, and rising demand for affordable units, Melbourne is shaping up as one of the best value markets in the country. In this episode, we reveal the suburbs leading the charge, why buyer interest is climbing fast, and what this means for investors and home-buyers looking to get in ahead of the next growth cycle.
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How We Predicted the Hottest Market in Australia Before It Made Headlines
Hotspotting
Why do media commentators keep declaring ‘new’ trends that have actually been brewing for years? In this episode, we unpack the so-called “Darwin boom” — the one the headlines claimed nobody saw coming. Spoiler: we called it back in January. Discover how forward-looking indicators, like our Price Predictor Index, spot market surges months before they hit the news, and why knowing early can make all the difference when investing.
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Why Timing Is Everything in Picking Property Winners
Hotspotting
Where not to buy can be just as telling as where to invest. In this episode, we dive into the thinking behind our latest National Top 10 Best Buys report – and why some of Australia’s strongest recent performers, like Perth, Adelaide, and the Gold Coast, are no longer on the list. We explain why these booming markets have now passed their peak, and shine a light on the emerging "second wind" locations – early-stage markets with the right ingredients for future growth. If you want to spot the next wave before the crowd catches on, this is the insight you’ve been waiting for.
info_outlineThe trend we call the Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle is among the most powerful forces impacting real estate markets across Australia.
It’s a trend that been around for at least the past 10 years, with more and more residents of the biggest cities relocating to smaller cities or regional areas in search of a different and more affordable lifestyle, empowered by technology which allows many people to work remotely.
It was NOT created by the Covid lockdowns. It was under way long before Covid appeared in 2020 and it continues to have considerable momentum now that we are well beyond the pandemic restrictions.
But media continues to perpetuate the fiction that this was a Covid thing – and to express surprise that, now that we no longer have lockdowns and border restrictions, people are not all moving back to the big cities.
The latest quarterly edition of the Regional Movers Index confirms that this trend is as strong as ever – and it has generated more shock/horror/amazement from journalists who think it was all about the Covid lockdowns.
One article in major media expressed surprise that “Australia is not going back to the pre-pandemic way of life”.
And there’s a very good reason for that: this trend has very little to do with the pandemic.
The Regional Movers Index – which is a collaboration between the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) and the Commonwealth Bank - has once again reported that there are far more people relocating to regional areas than making a move in the opposite direction to major cities, with a 27 per cent difference in the June 2024 Quarter.
What the latest figures confirm, according to RAI chief executive Liz Ritchie, is that “the population movement we’re seeing is a sustained trend”.
Ritchie says: “Regional Australia has become the nation’s new frontier.”
The latest data highlighted a number of specific hotspots that are reaping the benefits of Australia’s romance with the regions.
Lake Macquarie, which sits beside Newcastle in NSW, has emerged as one of Australia’s most popular destinations for movers, securing an almost 5 per cent share of net internal migration over the past year.
Neighbouring local government areas on the NSW south coast such as the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla both experienced strong annual and quarterly surges in movement, according to the report.
Large centres within a few hours’ drive of capitals remain popular with many movers, however the regions that experienced the biggest population changes over the past 12 months were generally further afield, including Townsville (Qld), Mid-West Regional (NSW), Strathbogie (Vic), Murray Bridge (SA), Greater Geraldton (WA) and George Town (Tas).
Approximately three-quarters of the city dwellers who made the move to the regions in the past three months found new homes in either regional NSW or Victoria, confirming that Sydney continues to shed the highest number of residents, followed by Melbourne.
But that’s not to say that Queensland’s appeal has waned entirely, with regional Queensland’s share of net city outflows sitting at 19 per cent, even though it was as high as 41 per cent this time last year.
Indeed, the Sunshine Coast has retained its title as the nation’s most popular destination for relocators, accounting for a 14 per cent share of net internal migration. The Gold Coast has slipped down in the rankings, however, with the city experiencing a net outflow of people to other regional areas.
Western Australia also proved attractive for relocators, with Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Capel and Northam all seeing an inflow of new residents.
The overall picture is that the trend of people moving from Sydney and Melbourne to regional areas continues strongly, with large numbers of big city dwellers still seeking a different and more affordable lifestyle.