Property markets, housing, and real estate
Australia's median house price has exceeded $1 million, but the milestone masks a more complex story: auction clearance rates are falling, price growth is slowing, and renters are paying record levels of their income on housing.
Riley Fitzgerald Australia's property market is no longer moving as one. Dwelling values reached a record $12.3 trillion in December, but the gains are concentrated in the nation's growth cities while Sydney and Melbourne stall.
Jake Nguyen Rents have climbed 43.9% over five years while wages rose just 17.5%, leaving renters spending a record-high 33.4% of income on housing and pushing millions into financial crisis.
Andrew Marsh 
Sydney's Paddington is experiencing a dramatic transformation as affordable apartment blocks give way to luxury developments with rooftop pools and penthouses. The shift raises questions about housing accessibility in one of the city's most sought-after postcodes.
Darren Ong 
A new report reveals 35% of future apartment developments in Brisbane are at moderate to high risk of not getting off the ground within three years, threatening the city's housing supply targets.
Andrew Marsh Australian home prices hit record levels in early 2026 despite RBA rate rises. New auction data shows what's really holding prices up: a structural shortage of 200,000-300,000 homes and a landlocked rental market.
Ella Sullivan Australian rents jumped 9% in just three months, pushing vacancy rates to dangerous lows. With 254,000 households waiting for social housing, renters face their tightest market in decades.
Ella Sullivan 
West Footscray once lived up to its reputation as an industrial stronghold. Now it's becoming home to technology companies and young professionals, in one of Melbourne's most dramatic urban transformations.
Helen Cartwright Australia's rental crisis has reached a breaking point. Nearly a third of renters' income goes to housing, while 1.26 million households are in financial distress. New protections offer little relief.
Kate Morrison 
A dilapidated Logan house sold for $770,000 after a fierce auction, highlighting how investors are racing to snap up affordable properties in Brisbane's hottest outer suburbs.
Andrew Marsh 
A charity organisation has beaten multiple first-home buyers at auction in Footscray, highlighting both the promise and pitfalls of the government's expanded 5 per cent deposit scheme.
Grace Okonkwo 
An interactive map tracking immigrant settlement patterns across Sydney shows where global communities cluster. The data reveals longstanding patterns shaped by economics, networks, and policy.
Yuki Tamura Australian renters need over $112,000 in household income to afford market rents without stress. State governments are implementing reforms, but the real issue demands a harder conversation.
Riley Fitzgerald Australia's property market is splitting decisively. Perth jumped 2.3% in February alone while Sydney and Melbourne recorded zero growth, exposing a structural shortage of housing supply.
Aisha Khoury 
The co-owner of newly acquired Luna Park has invested $36 million in a luxury apartment at Barangaroo's Crown Residences, placing him among Sydney's most exclusive residents.
Sarah Cheng 
NSW is betting $1 billion on transforming a working port into housing, but whether ordinary workers will afford to live there remains uncertain.
Sophia Vargas 
Families of war widows say history is being wiped out as a Rose Park site makes way for a $120 million luxury retirement tower by ACH Group.
Fatima Al-Rashid 
Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon have sold the South Carnarvon house they lived in when Cleo was kidnapped in 2021, fetching $320,000 — more than double what they paid.
Fatima Al-Rashid 
A five-storey apartment building proposed for Fremantle's South Beach has been rejected after a lengthy planning debate, with authorities deeming the proposal premature despite praise for its design.
Andrew Marsh 
With stamp duty bills topping $78,000 in Sydney alone, older Australians are choosing to stay put rather than free up family homes for the next generation.
Zara Mitchell