The West Australian Contributed by UDIA WA President Grant Shepherd – First published on Saturday 29 August 2026
UDIA WA’s recent ‘Money, Markets and Millennials’ event, hosted by ABC’s Nadia Mitsopoulos, brought together a panel of industry experts to unpack the trends shaping WA’s housing market and what they mean for buyers, investors and the broader community over the year ahead.
With housing supply shortages, affordability pressures, and uncertainty around Federal Government changes to CGT and negative gearing settings all weighing on buyer sentiment, the discussion was a timely opportunity to consider what the market may face in the year ahead.
Our experts, including Gavin Hegney, Nick Bruining, Julie-Anne Sprague and Phil George, generally agreed that the Federal Government’s latest budget measures, intended to help bridge the intergenerational wealth gap, have not delivered that outcome and are unlikely to do so without a stronger focus on boosting housing supply.
Amid tax changes, rising interest rates and cost-of-living pressures, buyer sentiment has softened in recent months as people weigh their options and navigate increasingly complex rules around housing investment.
While underlying demand for housing remains strong, uncertainty and rising costs have created more hesitation in the market. The key question is whether that weaker sentiment will persist.
The consensus from the panel was that the current decline in buyer activity is likely to be temporary, given WA’s strong economic indicators, population growth and systemic undersupply of housing, which will continue to support demand over the longer term.
UDIA WA’s latest new land sales figures show sales were down 9.2 per cent over the June quarter 2026. However, anecdotal feedback from developers suggests this reflects a lack of available stock coming to market rather than a drop in underlying demand, with enquiries and waiting lists remaining high.
In more positive news, construction activity increased over the year to June 30 2026, with the number of lots under construction for release in the coming year up 35.2 per cent.
The City of Wanneroo has the highest number of lots under construction, with 2,634 currently underway, a 9.1 per cent increase on the same time last year.
Wanneroo is followed by the City of Swan, with 1,604 lots under construction, significantly above the five-year average of 967 lots.
The increase in construction activity across the board is a positive indicator of market activity and developer confidence in the market moving forward.
While this increase is encouraging, UDIA WA will continue to keep pressure on government to prioritise the forward supply pipeline for new housing. That means strategic planning, funding and delivery of essential infrastructure, and streamlined planning and environmental pathways so developers can deliver the homes Western Australians need.