Agents who can ensure clients feel secure enough to enter the market during this period of certainty could secure strong results and capitalise on less competition.
Recent property reforms have ushered the national property market into a period of change, with buyers and sellers shifting their plans as they adjust to the new state of affairs.
As property prices have begun to decline over the first half of the year, the door has opened for more buyers to enter the market ahead of any further cash rate movement by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).
Data from PRD’s Smart Moves: Capital Cities Edition 1st Half 2026 Report showed that as affordability had increased across the nation, there was a greater opportunity for agents to bring clients to the market.
“Now is the opportunity for agents to really encourage their buyers and sellers to transact in the market, “ PRD chief economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo told REB.
Similarly, with just one month until the next RBA meeting, Mardiasmo said agents have an understanding of the market, with added certainty that can help them guide buyers and sellers.
She said that agents who could convince their prospective clients to come to market now could secure stronger results by being willing to act while others hesitated.
Mardiasmo said that, historically, the RBA had adjusted the cash rate based on quarterly results, which will coincide with the August meeting.
Yet, she said everything was possible, and a change in rates could still happen in September, given the board had already acted unorthodoxly by rising ahead of the federal budget announcement.
“Given this, anything can happen,” Mardiasmo said.
“For agents, this means that the period of certainty is limited.”
“Either way, uncertainty will spike up again towards the end of July and August, which means the time to ramp up listings, do open homes and encourage EOIs is now.”
Regardless of the RBA’s decision, Mardiasmo said it was now time to act, as buyers might have less power, stretching their budget further when August came.
“Sure, there would be less competition in the market, but people will have less of a budget.”
She said that ultimately, it came down to an agent’s ability to convey the state of the market, giving them the confidence to transact and get the best deal possible.
According to PRD, affordability has climbed across the first half of 2026, opening the door for a new range of buyers to enter the market.
The report found that Melbourne and Hobart had emerged as real opportunities for first-home buyers looking to maximise value due to their low median prices.
“With the city still in a recovery phase and a strong pipeline of ready-to-sell housing projects in 2026, Melbourne is positioning itself as a prime destination for buyers seeking value and choice,” Mardiasmo said.
The report identified St Albans, Epping and Lalor as standout markets for houses, while Maribynong, St Kilda and Abbotsford were prime for investors looking into purchasing a unit.
Despite an increase in the number of affordable suburbs in the first half of 2026, the report found that Sydney, with a median house price of over $1.6 million, was the least affordable among the capital cities.
Of the 250 Sydney suburbs recorded in the report, just 29 of them, or 11.6 per cent, were considered affordable.
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