Yes — particularly for first home buyers and investors targeting entry-level stock under $950,000, now is one of the strongest buying opportunities in years. Negative media sentiment has scared most buyers to the sidelines, but industry data and on-the-ground auction results tell a very different story.
The Market Is Not One Market
This is the most important thing to understand right now.
Australia does not have a single property market — it has markets within a market. Certain segments are falling, and falling hard. Premium properties are leading the decline, with $6.4 million homes now transacting at $5.7 million. That is a significant correction at the top end.
However, entry-level stock in Sydney — sub-$950,000 — remains solid. Borrowing capacities have been compressed, which means buyers who previously qualified for more are now competing in the lower price bracket. As a result, demand at the entry level has actually increased, not decreased.
If you are a first home buyer targeting this segment, you are not catching a falling knife. You are buying into a segment with structural demand behind it.
Falling Clearance Rates Mean Negotiating Power for You
Here is what the headlines will not frame for you: low clearance rates are a buyer’s advantage.
Property auctioneer Tom Panos recently reported running six auctions on a single Saturday with zero registered bidders across all six. In Brisbane, auction clearance rates have tracked as low as 16% — less than one in five properties selling under the hammer. A healthy market typically holds around 50%.
For anyone sitting on the sidelines, this represents unprecedented leverage. You can:
- Make an offer below the asking price with confidence
- Leave the offer with the vendor — unemotionally — and walk away
- Ask why the vendor is selling in a falling market, because only motivated sellers are listing right now
- Know the agent is legally required to present your offer regardless of their pushback
There is no competing bidder. There is no auction pressure. The power dynamic has completely shifted to the buyer.
How Smart Investors Think About Down Markets
The “don’t catch a falling knife” argument sounds logical. It is not a strategy — it is fear dressed as caution.
Smart investors do not just read market sentiment; they assess the intrinsic value of the asset. If a property was genuinely worth $1.00 and it is now priced at $0.80, the question is not whether it might drop to $0.60. The question is: what is the asset actually worth, and am I buying below that value?
As Massey Archibald, CEO of Teach Me About Property, explained on the Teach Me About Property podcast: “In a hot market, you can get caught overpaying. In this environment, you are most likely to underpay for an asset.”
Down markets are historically where the best deals are made. Two groups are still actively buying right now — first home buyers who are finally in a financial position to act, and experienced investors who understand that discount pricing on quality assets is the whole point.
A Step-by-Step Approach for Buyers Right Now
- Clarify your segment. Focus on sub-$950,000 stock in Sydney or equivalent entry-level ranges in your city. This is where demand remains firm.
- Get your borrowing capacity confirmed. Many buyers assume they cannot qualify — this is often an untested fear. Run the numbers first.
- Research recent comparable sales. Understand true market value so your offers are anchored in data, not guesswork.
- Make unemotional, below-asking offers. Leave the offer with the agent, request it be presented to the vendor, and be willing to walk away.
- Ask the right question. Why is this vendor selling in a declining market? That answer tells you how motivated they are — and how much room you have.
- Maintain a cash buffer. Buying an asset and going cash-flat creates financial stress that undermines the investment. Structure the purchase so you retain a meaningful buffer post-settlement.
The Real Risk Is Waiting for Permission From the Media
Sentiment is not strategy. The headlines reflect fear, and fear keeps buyers frozen while motivated sellers wait.
First home buyers who have saved for years and are done paying rising rent are buying right now — because they are making decisions based on their own financial position, not the news cycle. Experienced investors are doing the same, because they recognize that the best time to buy is rarely the time that feels the most comfortable.
The market will not announce when the bottom has passed. For buyers who understand asset value and negotiate from a position of patience, right now offers conditions that a rising market simply cannot.
