Real estate market going through "eye of the storm"

Darwin was the weakest capital, with property values ​​falling by 1.7% in the month and 5.1% in the last three months.

While there were promising signs last year that Perth's prices were stabilizing, more recent data showed that the city's slowdown, which began in late 2014, saw "a second wind", down 1.5% in February and 3.5%. cent on the mobile quarter.

Perth prices have fallen 17.8% since the peak of four years ago.

"Labor markets in Perth have really weakened and, in WA, the unemployment rate is 6.6% – the highest since October 2016 – and job growth is quite benign. the problem, "Lawless said.

The tightening of credit, a key factor for falling prices – particularly in Melbourne and Sydney – is showing no signs of slowing as banks' lending policies were thrown into the limelight during the real banking commission last year.

January saw the smallest monthly increase in credit growth of just 0.2% since July 1984, figures released on Thursday showed. On an annual basis, investor credit grew at a record low rate of 1%.

"The most worrying thing is that credit growth for busy owners is slowing, which is really the reason we are seeing this slowdown become more widespread," Lawless said.

"Investors are approximately half the size of owner occupiers in terms of the value of loans, so the deceleration of owner occupant credit is much more significant for the market."

Even the markets that posted positive price growth throughout the year are now losing steam.

The real estate market in Hobart, where values ​​grew 7.2% a year, slowed to 0.8% in February and 1.1% in the last three months.

In Canberra, prices remained stable in the quarter, but fell 0.2% in February. The value of the property in Adelaide remained stable.