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New research shows that voters in the real estate industry are among the most set on their preference for a Coalition government, even while their priorities diverge from other party adherents.
An election edition of Momentum Intelligence’s Industry Insight Report revealed that real estate agents are strongly in favour of the Liberal-National Coalition, with 65 per cent of respondents naming the party as their preference, while 26 per cent had a preference for Labor and 9 per cent were undecided.
The poll, which was conducted from 1 to 15 December 2021, captured 2,842 responses across the sectors of real estate, mortgage lending, financial advice and wealth management, defence and national security, accounting, aviation, and legal services.
Of those, real estate displayed the second-highest level of support for the Coalition, behind the mortgage lending sector’s 71 per cent.
When asked to pick a preferred leader, however, workers in the real estate sector displayed somewhat less certainty.
Fifty-four per cent said they would choose Scott Morrison to lead the country, while 25 per cent were undecided, and 21 per cent responded in favour of Anthony Albanese.
Once again, the mortgage lending sector displayed greater confidence in the LNP, favouring Scott Morrison by 59 per cent, but both the financial advice sector and defence showed slightly more approval for the current PM, with 55 per cent of those industries respectively naming him as their current preference.
When it came to the issues prompting these votes, real estate professionals generally aligned with the priorities of Coalition voters, except that they displayed more concern for one key issue: housing affordability.
National Coalition voters listed housing affordability as their eighth most pressing concern, behind the economy, small business interests, taxation, defence, energy and resources, technology, and COVID-19 management. Labor voters, meanwhile, placed the issue fourth behind climate change, the economy, and federal ICAC.
For real estate industry professionals, the issue tied for third alongside climate change and defence. Forty-two per cent of respondents listed these as primary among their voting considerations, after only the economy (73 per cent) and small business interests (59 per cent).
It was also overwhelmingly the issue that real estate professionals voiced their concerns about when given the chance to comment.
One Coalition voter from the real estate sector urged: “Create some stability for businesses and the housing industry by keeping ASIC and APRA from making knee jerk reactions to finance and lending requirements.”
Another listed their priorities as: “Housing affordability and assistance to those who cannot afford to save but can afford week to week. Removal of stamp duty to assist those already in the market.”
A Labor voter in the real estate industry stressed: “Everyone should be given the opportunity to afford housing.”
While one undecided voter took a firm stance on the current situation: “Regarding housing affordability and the current housing crisis being experienced across the country, I find it deplorable that the governments can whip up quarantine centres in the blink of an eye but they struggle to assist with the housing needs of its people. There are not enough residential homes available at an affordable rate for a large portion of Australian citizens and this must be addressed. Too many people are sleeping in their cars ... this is not right!”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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