Investors On The Hunt

Property investment activity has surged with a 64% increase in investor loans in the past three years.

The PropTrack Westpac Investor Report says investors accounted for a near-record share of loans in South Australia and the Northern Territory in 2025.

PropTrack Senior Economist, Angus Moore, says investor demand is being driven by tight rental market conditions and rapid rent increases.

In Queensland investor loans are at the highest level since 2004, in Western Australia, it is the highest level since 2010 and in New South Wales, since 2017.

Investor activity increased in the second half of 2025 following a period of softer activity – although the share of new investor lending in Victoria is still below average for the state.

Moore says nearly half of online searches on realestate.com.au from investors are for properties priced below $700,000.

He says investors are more likely to favour more affordable homes than other buyers. About 45% of first-home buyers, and 21% of existing homeowners, search in that price range.