The number of properties for sale dropped to 6,931 at the end of the month. The last time they were this low was August 2010, when there were 6,858 listings.
“While listings traditionally decline at this time of year, they are 10.8 per cent lower than December 2021, when market conditions were similar and listings were already low,” REIWA CEO Cath Hart said.
“Delays in the building industry and population growth contributed to low listing levels in 2022. Now there is also hesitancy around interest rates.
“While our members are reporting they have sellers who are planning to list in January, we do not expect listings to rise significantly while interest rate uncertainty remains.”
The number of properties for rent on reiwa.com was 1,443 at the end of December, which was 22 per cent lower than the 1,870 reported at the end of November and 23.1 per cent less than the same time in 2021.
“Rental listings also usually experience a seasonal decline, but we haven’t seen numbers this low since early November 2010 when there were 1,415 properties available for rent on reiwa.com,” Ms Hart said.
“It’s been very challenging for tenants but there are some positive signs for the year ahead.
“After seeing investors leaving the market in the past two years, with more than 18,000 fewer rentals now since the peak in January 2021, bond data shows the decline has eased and the number of rentals in WA has been fairly stable since October.
“Our members are also reporting increasing interest, particularly from Eastern States investors who see value in WA’s house prices and the potential for strong rental returns.
“This is a positive indication in regard to boosting rental stock levels but it will take some time for this to flow on to tenants.”
While the number of properties for sale and rent are at similar levels to 2010, WA’s population has grown since then.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in June 2010 WA’s population was 2,290,845, most of which was in the Greater Perth region. The population grew 22 per cent to 2,785,312 by June 2022.
Ms Hart said population growth would continue to put pressure on the market.
Author: REIWA
Source: reiwa.com.au
