Oliver Hume market insights indicate 2026 will be a good year for home building

According to Adam Duster, CEO of Oliver Hume Home Solutions, several essential factors have lined up, delivering optimism that Australia will be building in substantial numbers in 2026 – great news if you’re looking to rentvest or looking for property investment opportunities.

• Lower interest rates

  • Using Oliver Hume Property Group's latest market insights, Adam Duster noted the impact of interest rates on property investment: “Every 0.25% cut adds roughly $15,000 in borrowing capacity on a $500,000 loan… there’s still around a $170,000 gap between what the average Melbourne buyer can borrow and the cost to build a new home.”

• Buyer sentiment

  • “The cuts have provided much-needed certainty for property investors looking to purchase real estate in Melbourne or Adelaide.”

• Demand outlook promising

  • According to Mr Duster, “The real momentum is coming from demand-side support like the federal government’s Home Guarantee Scheme and the upcoming Help to Buy program, which are bridging that gap for qualified buyers.”

• Looking ahead

  • “We expect steady improvement rather than a sudden surge – especially in Melbourne, where population growth is again outpacing housing supply. For Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth, supply remains tight, so sales should continue much as they have this year: strong and consistent.”