Australia’s property market saw a sharp rise in listings in October, with total national stock jumping 10.9% month-on-month to 252,557 dwellings, according to SQM Research.
The increase signals a revival in seller confidence as the spring selling season reaches full swing — though listings remain 0.3% lower than a year ago.
Sydney listings climbed 13.2% to 37,078, supported by stronger new supply and resilient buyer demand, while Melbourne surged 15.4% to 43,708 — 2.3% higher year-on-year, showing returning vendor confidence.
Adelaide and Canberra also rose 15.7% and 16.1%, respectively, while Perth recorded an 8.4% gain.
Fresh listings under 30 days soared 18.2% month-on-month to 87,986, extending the strong seasonal momentum.
Melbourne and Sydney led with increases of 23.7% and 17.2%, while Adelaide recorded a striking 33.5% jump.
Year-on-year, new listings were 6.7% higher nationally, marking a clear rebound from earlier lows.
“The October surge in listings is a clear sign of renewed vendor activity heading into the final quarter of the year,” said Louis Christopher (pictured), managing director of SQM Research.
“We’ve seen a 10.9% national lift—an unusually strong result even for spring—suggesting sellers are more confident in finding buyers, particularly in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.”
Older stock (180+ days) rose just 1.0% month-on-month and 3.9% year-on-year to 72,364 properties, indicating that most new listings are being absorbed efficiently.
Adelaide and Canberra saw declines in aged listings, reflecting healthy buyer demand and price realism.
Distressed listings held steady nationally and are down nearly 30% year-on-year, pointing to stronger household balance sheets despite elevated interest rates.
“Distressed listings remain low nationwide, reinforcing that most homeowners are coping with current financial conditions,” Christopher said.
SQM’s Weekly Asking Prices Index showed further upward pressure, with national house asking prices up 1.9%month-on-month and 9.7% year-on-year.
Brisbane led the annual growth at +12.0%, followed by Perth (+10.2%), Sydney (+8.4%), and Adelaide (+8%).
Melbourne recorded steady gains (+4.3% YoY), while Darwin remained volatile (+14.1% YoY).
“While total stock is still fractionally below last year’s level, the balance between new and old listings shows a healthier, more dynamic market,” Christopher said.
“We do, however, continue to watch Canberra closely. The lift in older and distressed listings there points to some market fatigue, possibly due to pricing mismatches.”
With vendor activity broadening, asking prices and home values rising, and distressed sales at multi-year lows, SQM and PropTrack data suggest the market is heading for a robust close to 2025.
As Christopher summed up: “Overall, the market is functioning well — buyers are selective, and realistically priced homes are selling.”
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