The Market Is Cooling: Here's Exactly Where to Buy Right Now | Market Updates 2026

Is fear costing you the greatest property buying opportunity in the last 5 years, or is the worst yet to come for the Australian housing market in 2026?

In this episode of The Follio Property Podcast, Reece and Lachlan break down the real impact of the US-Iran war, rising inflation, and the RBA’s next move on Australian property and why the investors sitting on the fence right now could be making the same costly mistake they made during COVID.

With record migration numbers (57,000 arrivals in January alone!) and the RBA forecasting 3-5 more rate rises, the “Confidence Gap” between seasoned investors and first-time buyers is widening. We reveal the exact “low-ball” auction strategy that is working right now in Melbourne and Sydney, and why Darwin’s recent sentiment collapse is a warning sign for real estate Australia as a whole.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer finally seeing negotiating power return to your hands, or a seasoned investor looking to capitalise on this window of fear-driven opportunity, this episode gives you the complete picture of where Australian property is heading and what to do about it.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The Fear Trap: Why fearful investors will look back at 2026 and regret sitting on the fence
• War & Inflation: How the US-Iran conflict is driving fuel, food and mortgage costs for Australian households
• RBA’s Next Move: Why 3-5 rate rises are now being forecast and what it means for your borrowing power
• The Migration Crisis: Why 57,000 arrivals in January 2026 is making the housing shortage dramatically worse
• Capital City Scorecard: Why Perth property market 2026 is leading at 2.3% while Sydney and Melbourne flatline.
• The Darwin Warning: Why this market fell off a cliff and which other markets are flashing the same signals
• The Auction Opportunity: The exact low-ball strategy working right now in Melbourne property and Sydney property
• The COVID Parallel: Why the best buying window after COVID lasted only 2 months — and history may be repeating
• Sentiment Index Revealed: What our live buyer data is telling us that mainstream media won’t

Published: 02 Apr 2026