Current Market Insights

Hosted by Harris Partners Real Estate

Business Education

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Episodes

176

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

The Current Market Insights Podcast is brought to you by Harris Partners Real Estate. Understanding the property market can be a challenging thing, with highs and lows, twists and turns. The media and agents tend to spread the news they want you to hear, with the advice they want you to follow. Current Market Insights is an unbiased look into what is happening, what tips you can use to buy, sell, or rent, and that you wont find anywhere else.

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60 recent

June 15, 202629 min

Episode 119: Auction Clearance Rates Are Tanking So Why Are Buyers Still Showing Up?

Sydney’s property market can look like a disaster if you only read the headlines, yet the real story is more nuanced: prices are off their highs, auctions are struggling, and buyers are cautious, but demand has not vanished and credit is still flowing for people who qualify. We walk through what we’re seeing across Sydney right now, why the mood feels worse than the reality, and how to make sense of auction clearance rates that sit in the low 30s while open homes can still be busy.We dig into the crucial difference between the 2018 downturn and the current cycle. Back then, the problem was credit availability. This time, interest rates and serviceability are doing the damage, which changes how quickly deals fall over and how negotiable good properties really are. We also break down why auctions can be the wrong tool in a softer market, why so many campaigns are selling before auction day, and what a smarter private treaty strategy looks like when buyers are wary.Then we get practical: which parts of the Sydney property market are performing better (entry-level homes, renovated houses, family homes close to the CBD), what is stalling (rebuild projects, DA-driven potential, strata with issues), and why renovation risk is reshaping buyer preferences. We also talk price guides, underquoting enforcement in NSW, and the ethics mistakes that can hand buyers leverage in a single email.If you’re buying, selling, or simply trying to understand where Sydney real estate is heading, this is your reality check. Subscribe, share with a mate who’s doom-scrolling auction results, and leave a review if you want more straight, on-the-ground market insights. What are you seeing in your suburb right now?Send us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

June 9, 20265 min

2GB with John Stanley: Property Uncertainty, Rising Costs & the Supply Challenge

On 2GB Nights with John Stanley, Peter O’Malley joins the program to discuss why the property market feels increasingly uncertain despite seemingly steady auction results. Beneath the headline numbers, buyer competition is thinning, demand is softening, and the outlook for housing supply remains constrained by high construction costs and economic pressures.They also discuss: Holiday weekend conditions and what a “quiet” market really means Sydney auction results and signs of weaker buyer competition Why interest rate hikes are having a greater impact than budget announcements Winter’s low stock levels masking softer underlying demand The risk of a spring listing surge placing further pressure on prices Which groups are most exposed to losses, including recent purchasers and first home buyers How stamp duty, selling costs, and interest expenses affect real-world outcomes Soaring construction costs pushing smaller developers out of the market Why only large-scale projects currently stack up financially The clash between negative gearing proposals and the realities of development feasibilitySend us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

May 27, 202650 min

Episode 118: Government Spending Is Forcing The RBA’s Hand On Interest Rates

The budget headlines are everywhere, but the bigger story is what sits underneath them: inflation pressure, government spending, and what the RBA might be forced to do next. We sit down with Peter O’Malley to break down economist Warren Hogan’s hard-edged view of the 2026 Federal Budget, including his argument that Australia becomes inflationary once GDP growth pushes above 2%, while spending keeps running hotter than the economy can comfortably absorb. If that’s the setup, interest rates don’t fall because we hope they will, they fall only when policy settings and inflation finally line up. We also talk politics without getting lost in it: the claim that the budget is designed to ring-fence votes, the “care economy” debate, and why Hogan says the intergenerational inequality framing won’t deliver the outcomes being promised. From there we move to the real economy: small business viability, cost pass-through, and why the bond market has been signalling the rate hiking cycle may not be finished. Then we get practical about Sydney real estate. SQM Research data shows a weak auction clearance rate and a surge in postponed auctions, but Peter explains why the auction process itself can be the wrong fit in a cautious market. We cover how to filter media noise, why “sell first” matters more than ever, and how buyers and sellers should think in terms of changeover price. We finish with rentals and investing: negative gearing is grandfathered for existing landlords, but future investor demand may fade unless prices, rents, and yields recalibrate. If this helped you cut through the spin, subscribe, share the episode with a mate, and leave a review. What signal are you watching most right now: inflation, rates, or auction results?Send us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

May 26, 20269 min

2GB with John Stanley: Softening Markets, Tax Changes & What Comes Next

On 2GB Nights with John Stanley, Peter O’Malley from Harris Partners joins the program to unpack the clear softening emerging across Australia’s property market. With weak auction clearance rates, falling buyer confidence, and proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax dominating headlines, the conversation explores what could lie ahead for prices, investors, and renters.They also discuss: Weekend auction clearance rates across Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane — and what they reveal about demand Why this downturn feels tougher than 2020 and comparisons to the 2018 market correction Uncertainty around legislation timing and why policy detail matters The dangers of paying a premium for brand new property and “new property syndrome” How to properly assess off-the-plan purchases against the broader market Negative gearing vs positive gearing and the impact on borrowing capacity Why rents can continue rising even as property prices soften Melbourne as a case study in how policy settings can reshape both prices and rental marketsSend us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

May 13, 2026Episode 11746 min

Episode 117: Who Really Benefits When Tax Policy Picks Winners In Housing?

We react to the Federal Budget’s big property moves and explain why the headline promise of helping first home buyers may actually tighten rentals and lift prices in new stock. We break down how the negative gearing reset and capital gains tax changes could reshape investor behaviour, developer margins, and the next few years of the Sydney property market.• the budget framing on property policy and broken promises • negative gearing restricted to brand new dwellings and what that shifts in demand • why a premium can form in new builds and how off-the-plan buyers get caught • the longer-run path to higher rents as established-market investors exit • why price falls are unlikely to be fast or dramatic despite investor pullback • capital gains tax basics plus the move to inflation indexing and marginal rates • pre-1985 assets and the fairness argument around untaxed gains • winners and losers across big developers mid-sized developers flippers and rentvestors • the curveball view that New Zealand property may look more attractive for investors • practical caution on overseas buying and leasehold risksSend us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

May 12, 20267 min

Across Australia with Chris Smith - Negative Gearing, Rising Rents & Sydney’s Market Reality

On Across Australia, host Chris Smith is joined by Peter O’Malley to cut through the political noise surrounding negative gearing and capital gains tax reform. Rather than focusing on headlines, the discussion examines what’s actually unfolding on the ground across Sydney’s property market — from weakening auctions to rising rental pressure and shifting buyer behaviour.They also discuss: Why tax reform headlines don’t automatically trigger a housing crash Interest rate rises as the true driver behind falling property prices Immigration and population growth continuing to outpace housing supply Tenants bearing the brunt of tightening rental conditions How negative gearing changes could push rents even higher if investors exit Sydney auction clearance rates falling below 40% and what that signals Why buying before selling becomes especially risky in fragile markets The mindset shift required to identify value during downturn conditionsSend us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

May 5, 2026Episode 11631 min

Episode 116: RBA Hike #3: Reading Between the Lines of the Cash Rate

We unpack the RBA’s 0.25% rate rise to a 4.35% cash rate and read the statement for what it really says about inflation risk and what comes next. Then we shift to the on-the-ground property impacts, from Sydney’s tightening rental market to what falling clearance rates mean for buyers and sellers. • what the rate rise means for mortgage rates and household pressure • why we prefer reading the RBA statement ourselves • how global conflict and fuel prices feed inflation assumptions • whether politics shapes how the RBA frames blame • why Sydney rents keep climbing with vacancy near 1.1% • what “homelessness” looks like when people are priced out • why CGT tweaks do little if demand keeps rising • the case for slowing immigration or building far more homes • auction clearance rates below 40% and what that signals • practical tips like upgrading in a down market and avoiding buy-before-sell Well, I’ll make sure to link it in this episode for our listeners to have a listen Send us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

April 26, 2026Episode 11525 min

Episode 115: Sydney Real Estate Faces A Trust Reckoning After A 10-Year Ban

A ten-year ban doesn’t just end one agent’s career. It detonates a trust problem that’s been sitting in plain sight across Australian real estate for years. Ciaran O'Brien sits down with industry veteran Peter O'Malley to unpack why the Josh Tesolin case has triggered a genuine public brawl between high-profile agents, trainers, and business leaders, and why the loudest arguments aren’t really about personality, they’re about power, money, and credibility.We get specific on the mechanics that matter to consumers: how underquoting becomes normalised, why it can look “strategic” in a hot market, and why it turns ugly when incentive fees enter the picture. Peter explains the moment many people stop seeing it as sales theatre and start seeing it as misconduct: vendors being told there’s no buyer interest, then being pushed into paying a bigger commission, only to learn demand was strong all along.From there, we switch to practical guidance for anyone selling a home in NSW or anywhere watching these reforms closely. With auction clearance rates softening, the old tricks can backfire fast, and regulators like NSW Fair Trading are increasingly focused on price guides, compliance, and the digital footprint of campaigns. If you’re hiring an agent, we share the questions worth asking so you can protect your price, your timeline, and your peace of mind.If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s selling, and leave a review so more Australians can find straightforward property advice.Send us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

April 19, 2026Episode 11433 min

Episode 114: Sydney Market Confidence Breaks

Sydney feels like it has hit a new gear, and not the fun kind. Buyer confidence has slipped hard, open home crowds have thinned out, and auction clearance rates are now printing numbers many people have not seen in years. We sit down and get specific about what that looks like on the ground, from the way buyers are negotiating to the brutal reality of properties that simply cannot find competition, even after price guides move.We also pull apart what’s driving the hesitation. Interest rate risk is back in focus, with the RBA and inflation sitting over every borrowing decision, while global shocks and supply chain fears add another layer of uncertainty. Then we zoom out and ask the bigger question: if this is a downturn, why hasn’t Sydney property collapsed? We cover the key supports still holding the market up, including high immigration, rapidly rising Sydney rents, the eye watering cost of renovations, and the fact that unemployment remains steady for now.Finally, we dig into the politics that could reshape the next phase, especially talk of capital gains tax changes aimed at property investors. If investors exit, does that free up homes for owner occupiers, or does it pour fuel on the rental crisis and make saving a deposit even harder? If you’re buying, selling, investing, or renting in Sydney, this conversation connects the dots across housing affordability, tax policy, and real world market behaviour. Subscribe, share this with someone arguing about house prices, and leave us a review with your own read on the Sydney market.Send us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!

April 6, 2026Episode 11329 min

Episode 113: The Underquoting Crackdown Is Here

The New South Wales government just tabled legislation that could fundamentally change how real estate agents operate. Fines are tripling, agents will be forced to publish a price on every listing, and a new statement of information will create a paper trail that makes underquoting almost impossible to hide. In this episode Peter O'Malley breaks down what the proposed bill actually says, why the days of "price on application" are numbered, and how the government is quietly laying the tracks to prosecute agents who have been getting away with this for years.If you're buying, selling or even just watching the market, this is essential listening. You'll learn why agents underquote in the first place and why it works so well, how the new statement of information creates a trap for agents who advertise one price and expect another, and why properties passing in more than 10% above the guide will now trigger government scrutiny. Peter also shares a real example from this week of an agent quoting 2.6 million on a property where the seller wants 3.1 million and explains why that kind of behaviour is exactly what this bill is designed to catch. Whether you're about to list your home or you've ever felt misled at an auction, this episode shows you what's changing and what to watch for so you're not the one left exposed.Send us Fan MailAs always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!