Articles

Informational asymmetry, where one party in a transaction possesses more or superior information than the other, is a concept well-documented in economic theory. It can be a big problem, and its effect is felt uniquely within the real estate market – far more than in other asset classes like stocks, commodities or cryptocurrencies. Compared to many of these alternative investments, traded in vast quantities across highly regulated and transparent markets, with no informational lag, real estate is inherently unique.

Looking at the latest capital city property figures from CoreLogic, Australian real estate has one obvious outlier. Right now, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide remain at record high prices, while other cities like Hobart, Canberra and Melbourne are feeling the serious impact of rate hikes, still below their 2022 price peaks. However, astonishingly, Darwin remains 6.6% below its record property market, a level it hasn’t exceeded since May of 2014 – almost a decade ago!

Like any market, property prices are a consequence of supply and demand. For many months now, we’ve heard a similar refrain concerning the ‘chronic undersupply’ of housing across the market. Housing Australia has even forecast a national shortfall of 100,000 homes in just four years’ time. This being true, how is it possible for Melbourne to be oversupplied with property? Based on CoreLogic figures, Melbourne saw 90,000 total property listings across 2023, alongside just 81,203 total sales.