The West Australian
The below is an excerpt of Sean Briggs article interviewing Real estate experts first published in the Saturday edition of The West Australian January 3 2026.
With Perth’s property market achieving outstanding growth last year – recording high demand and low supply – all eyes now turn to the year ahead to see if this will continue.
Real estate experts share their predictions on the opportunities and challenges awaiting in 2026.
UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck
What will be the biggest challenges for the development industry in 2026?
Much like 2025, the biggest challenges facing the development industry this year will be around housing supply and delivering more homes on the ground faster.
The current housing supply shortages have had a significant impact on affordability – in 2026, it will be imperative the government and industry continue working collaboratively to deliver more homes at pace, keeping a lid on further price increases and providing Western Australians with housing choice.
The challenges to land and housing supply are primarily in relation to the planning, funding and delivery of enabling infrastructure. There is a critical need for investment in areas such as roads, water and energy to facilitate development in new growth areas and infill locations.
Another challenge to efficiently delivering new housing is slow and complex planning and environmental approvals systems, placing an unnecessary handbrake on development.
We need to continue looking at ways to streamline approvals processes, ensuring fair, transparent and efficient decision-making.
In terms of medium and high-density development, more support is needed to facilitate financially feasible projects, which can offer more affordable housing choices in existing areas.
It is currently difficult to make these types of projects stack up due to a range of factors including labour and materials costs, taxes and charges and fragmented land ownership, along with community resistance to development in some areas.
What will be the most significant trends, areas and/or projects of 2026
UDIA WA has identified a range of new growth areas which – with the allocation of funding and resources to deliver required infrastructure – could facilitate thousands of new homes in the coming years.
Areas to watch include North Ellenbrook and Bullsbrook in the north east, East Wanneroo and Yanchep-Eglinton in the north west and Mundijong, Jandakot/Treeby, North East Baldivis and Karnup in the southern corridor.
Looking further ahead, significant projects such as AUKUS close to City of Rockingham and the Westport plans for a new outer harbour in Kwinana will have a direct impact on demand for housing in those areas in the coming years.
The 10 new station precincts which have been announced by the State Government to fast-track housing in infill locations are also areas to watch, including Ballajura, Bassendean, Carlisle/Oats Street, Claisebrook, Cottesloe, Glendalough, Morley, Mosman Park, Redcliffe and Swanbourne.
With the right support, these areas could be home to high-quality and much-needed housing in proximity to transport and other amenities.
How do you expect land sales to perform next year?
We will continue to see strong demand for new land across Perth and the regions in 2026, as all indicators point to ongoing need for new housing.
WA continues to experience the highest population growth in the country – our economy is strong and the opportunities across the state are a significant driver of property demand.
People are attracted to the prospects on offer in WA, and they are keen to invest in a destination which offers unparalleled lifestyle, employment and business opportunities.