About this episode

Pete Wargent and Chris Bates discuss the current state of the property market and whether spring will present real opportunities for buyers or just more uncertainty.

In this episode of Australian Property Podcast, Pete Wargent and Chris Bates unpack whether spring will bring genuine opportunity for buyers or just more noise in a fragile market. It is a practical check-in on prices, listings, rents and borrowing conditions heading into the busiest stretch of the year. They look at why recent headlines about green shoots may be getting ahead of the data, what weak auction depth and softer sentiment are telling us, and why a true rebound may still depend on interest-rate relief rather than wishful thinking. The conversation also covers falling investor participation, why transaction volumes can drop harder than prices, and how the better properties in a suburb can hold up differently from the median numbers making the news. Pete and Chris then dig into the policy side: negative gearing changes, rent pressure, slowing new-home sales, and the possibility that stretched supply gets even tighter if developers and investors keep stepping back. They also discuss sharper bank pricing, the early signs of a mortgage war, and why many borrowers should be reviewing their rate rather than waiting for the market to improve. To finish, they answer listener…

People in this episode

Hosts: Pete Wargent, Chris Bates

Topics covered

• buyers' market
• rents
• listings
• mortgages
• property market
• interest rates
• housing policy

Keywords

• property market
• spring buyers' market
• 40-year mortgages
• interest rates
• rental prices
• auction depth
• negative gearing
• housing supply

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Australian Property Podcast, Rask

More episodes of Australian Property Podcast

• Will another RBA hike freeze the property market this spring? · September 5, 2026 · 55 min
• Do you need a buyer's agent in a buyer's market? · September 1, 2026 · 48 min
• Property reset or buying window? Sydney, spring listings and the six-year rule · August 22, 2026 · 45 min
• Deposit bonds explained: how to buy property without an upfront cash deposit · August 18, 2026 · 34 min
• Is now a smart time to buy? RBA on hold, Melbourne and the next move · August 15, 2026 · 47 min
• How to make an offer on a property · August 11, 2026 · 55 min

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