Overseas interest in Australian housing is climbing again, led by would‑be renters, according to new realestate.com.au data.
Over the year to March, searches from overseas users looking to buy property in Australia edged up 0.4%, while rental searches jumped 12%. The lift comes as ABS figures show one in three people living in Australia were born overseas, the highest proportion recorded since at least 1981.
Searches from people in the United Kingdom, India, and the Philippines all rose over the year, while New Zealand and China recorded falls in buyer activity. For renters, all major source countries posted gains except China, where search volumes declined.
REA Group economic analyst Luc Redman (pictured) said the figures highlight Australia’s continued appeal to overseas audiences.
“Australia is often highly sought after for its enviable way of life. This is consistent with the growing popularity of Australian housing that we’ve seen recent years, particularly among those from the UK, India, China, and the Philippines,” Redman said.
That demand is emerging even as property data firm Cotality says the market has entered the opening phase of a downturn, with April’s 0.2% capital-city gain the slowest monthly rise since January 2025.
Realestate.com.au’s data shows most offshore activity concentrated in inner‑city and south‑east Melbourne suburbs, and in Sydney’s CBD and eastern suburbs, for both renters and buyers over the year to March.
Redman noted that overseas users are often focused on the same locations as local buyers and tenants.
“Many of these migrant hotspots are considered desirable locations for locals too, with international property seekers and renters evidently focusing their search on Australia’s affluent areas, those close to CBDs, and ones with lifestyle amenities, such as our iconic beaches,” he said.
The concentration of offshore interest in established, higher‑priced postcodes suggests competition is likely to remain firm in those markets even as momentum elsewhere slows.
Across the top countries of birth, the report found searches from the United Kingdom, India, and the Philippines increased in the year to March for both buying and renting. China was the only major source country to record declines in both categories.
Amid the current Middle East conflict, searches from the United Arab Emirates rose 8% for buying and 16% for renting over the year, signalling growing interest from that market in both investment and relocation options.
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