Current Market Insights

On 2GB Nights with John Stanley , Peter O'Malley from Harris Partners explains why Australia’s property downturn is no longer confined to Sydney and Melbourne. As auction clearance rates weaken across more capital cities, the discussion explores the widening disconnect between buyers and sellers, and why confidence—not just interest rates—is shaping the market. They also discuss:  The propert...

In this deep dive on the issues that have dictated the market performance in 2026, Louis covers:  the shock and awe conditions facing the property market the historical crash in Auction results  the best and worst performing segments of the Sydney market  why the market won’t crash the true impact of the Federal Government's Budget  when the RBA are likely to cut interest rates First Home Buy...

On Across Australia , host Chris Smith is joined by Peter O'Malley to examine the sharp decline in auction clearance rates across Sydney and Melbourne, and whether recent federal housing policies are undermining confidence in the property market. The discussion explores the flow-on effects for buyers, sellers, landlords, and renters as affordability pressures continue to mount. They also disc...

On 2GB Nights with John Stanley , Peter O’Malley takes a hard look at the softening Australian property market and what weakening auction clearance rates mean for buyers and sellers. As competition thins, the focus is shifting from auction theatre to genuine negotiation, while rising renovation costs are forcing many owners to rethink their plans. They also discuss:  Winter stock levels tightening...

We tackle the uncomfortable vendor dilemma of whether to stick with an underperforming real estate agent or flick them and start again. We share the practical markers that separate a tough but competent agent from one who is avoiding reality, plus the legal and financial traps that can hit when you switch mid-campaign. • recognising when the market has moved since the appraisal • valuing honesty a...

Sydney’s property market can look like a disaster if you only read the headlines, yet the real story is more nuanced: prices are off their highs, auctions are struggling, and buyers are cautious, but demand has not vanished and credit is still flowing for people who qualify. We walk through what we’re seeing across Sydney right now, why the mood feels worse than the reality, and how to make sense...

On 2GB Nights with John Stanley , Peter O’Malley joins the program to discuss why the property market feels increasingly uncertain despite seemingly steady auction results. Beneath the headline numbers, buyer competition is thinning, demand is softening, and the outlook for housing supply remains constrained by high construction costs and economic pressures. They also discuss:  Holiday weekend con...

The budget headlines are everywhere, but the bigger story is what sits underneath them: inflation pressure, government spending, and what the RBA might be forced to do next. We sit down with Peter O’Malley to break down economist Warren Hogan’s hard-edged view of the 2026 Federal Budget, including his argument that Australia becomes inflationary once GDP growth pushes above 2%, while spending keep...

On 2GB Nights with John Stanley , Peter O’Malley from Harris Partners joins the program to unpack the clear softening emerging across Australia’s property market. With weak auction clearance rates, falling buyer confidence, and proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax dominating headlines, the conversation explores what could lie ahead for prices, investors, and renters. They als...

We react to the Federal Budget’s big property moves and explain why the headline promise of helping first home buyers may actually tighten rentals and lift prices in new stock. We break down how the negative gearing reset and capital gains tax changes could reshape investor behaviour, developer margins, and the next few years of the Sydney property market. • the budget framing on property policy a...

On Across Australia , host Chris Smith is joined by Peter O’Malley to cut through the political noise surrounding negative gearing and capital gains tax reform. Rather than focusing on headlines, the discussion examines what’s actually unfolding on the ground across Sydney’s property market — from weakening auctions to rising rental pressure and shifting buyer behaviour. They also discuss:  Why ta...

We unpack the RBA’s 0.25% rate rise to a 4.35% cash rate and read the statement for what it really says about inflation risk and what comes next. Then we shift to the on-the-ground property impacts, from Sydney’s tightening rental market to what falling clearance rates mean for buyers and sellers.  • what the rate rise means for mortgage rates and household pressure  • why we prefer reading the RB...

A ten-year ban doesn’t just end one agent’s career. It detonates a trust problem that’s been sitting in plain sight across Australian real estate for years. Ciaran O'Brien sits down with industry veteran Peter O'Malley to unpack why the Josh Tesolin case has triggered a genuine public brawl between high-profile agents, trainers, and business leaders, and why the loudest arguments aren’t...

Sydney feels like it has hit a new gear, and not the fun kind. Buyer confidence has slipped hard, open home crowds have thinned out, and auction clearance rates are now printing numbers many people have not seen in years. We sit down and get specific about what that looks like on the ground, from the way buyers are negotiating to the brutal reality of properties that simply cannot find competition...

The New South Wales government just tabled legislation that could fundamentally change how real estate agents operate. Fines are tripling, agents will be forced to publish a price on every listing, and a new statement of information will create a paper trail that makes underquoting almost impossible to hide. In this episode Peter O'Malley breaks down what the proposed bill actually says, why...

The RBA just hiked rates for the second time this year and the board was split 5-4, which is rare and significant. In this episode, Ciaran O'Brien and Peter O'Malley unpacks what that split really signals, why markets are already pricing in a third hike on May 5th, and how the combination of rising rates, a Middle East conflict and growing recession talk is reshaping the property market...

In Episode 111, Peter O’Malley and Ciaran O’Brien unpack one of the most important issues sellers face during a sales campaign: the difference between genuine buyer feedback and agent conditioning. They explore how some agents win listings with overblown price expectations, then try to walk vendors back through negative commentary, and how sellers can spot the difference. It is a practical convers...

In Episode 111, Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley sit down with special guest Mike Salvartsis, Owner Director of Real Property Buyers, for a sharp look at what is really happening across the Sydney property market. The conversation covers how global uncertainty and interest rate pressure are shaping buyer confidence, why investor activity is shifting, what is happening with first home buyers, and...

In this episode of Current Market Insights, Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley unpack the part of buying in NSW that most people think they understand, until it gets real. Offers are easy. Exchange is the moment it becomes binding. And the pathway you choose changes everything.   They break it into the non binding world of verbal, letter, text, and email offers, versus the binding options where a c...

Ciaran O’Brien sits down with Peter O’Malley for a boots on the ground read of the Sydney property market as February 2026 wraps up. They unpack a softer feel behind the headlines, including Marrickville results that raised eyebrows and why comparing February to the same time last year matters more than week to week noise. Peter explains what he is seeing in buyer and seller behaviour right now, w...

This week on Current Market Insights, Kieran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley unpack the key points from Peter’s latest monthly newsletter and what they mean on the ground in Sydney real estate. They cover why the market is likely to brush off the latest rate hike, and why the bigger story is what happens next if the RBA goes again. They also dig into the New South Wales Fair Trading name and shame regi...

Hosts Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley unpack the RBA’s latest rate hike and why inflation in Australia remains stubbornly above target. We explore how the next six weeks could reshape sentiment, borrowing capacity and price momentum, while comparing Sydney’s serviceability risks against other cities and assessing whether policy proposals around land supply can truly shift the housing balance. We...

Hosts Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley break down the 3.8% CPI print and why housing costs—especially rents and electricity—are doing most of the damage. We explain what a likely 0.25% RBA hike means for prices, buyer sentiment, and negotiations, then turn to NSW’s new name-and-shame register for agents and whether tougher enforcement can rebuild trust in the industry. We also discuss: Headline i...

Hosts Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley deliver a clear-eyed check on how Sydney’s property market opens in 2026—steady inspections, cautious buyers, and a noticeable shift where apartments begin edging ahead of houses as first home buyer activity concentrates at the affordable end. We map the three key signals to watch this year—immigration, the employment market, and interest rates—and explain h...

Peter O'Malley joins 2GB's John Stanley to give a clear read on Australia’s property market in 2026, weighing forecasts for modest growth against pressure from rising rates, strong migration, and a tight rental market. Peter looks at investor exits, tax changes, commercial risks, prestige momentum, and how jobs and AI could tip the balance. • four to eight percent growth forecasts versus...