01/09/2026
Home value falls have spread almost everywhere.
Cotality's August index landed this morning. National values fell 0.9% over the month, the fifth fall in a row, and now sit 3.6% below their March peak.
The bigger number here is 93.
Through winter, 93% of capital-city suburbs recorded a fall in value. Three months earlier that figure was 45.8%. So it has stopped being a story about a couple of cities and become a story about most of the country. Darwin was the only capital to rise.
What it changes depends on where you're standing.
If you're buying, there's more on the market and less competition for it. Capital-city listings are running about 24% above this time last year while sales are down 15.5%. That usually means more time to decide and more room to negotiate.
If you're refinancing or looking at your equity, your lender orders its own valuation, and that figure is the one your borrowing sits on. If you're planning around a number from an agent's letterbox drop, or from what a neighbour got in 2024, check it first.
We won't guess where prices go from here. Knowing where they are is useful enough.
Want to talk through what this means for your situation? We compare 35+ lenders and the service is free to you. Link in bio.
Shaheera Zafar, Exceed Finance. Credit Rep CA56706 under ACL 389328. General information only, not personal advice. Every situation is different.
