The Perth Property Show

Host Trent Fleskens welcomes Shane Beaumont to the Perth Property Show to unpack a post-budget quarter where Perth’s market has cooled despite weekly sales volumes holding up, with offer counts dropping sharply and buyers taking more time. Beaumont says conditions now feel more “balanced,” with many listings mispriced for current sentiment, and stresses that price is an invitation to act; sellers should benchmark against current competing listings, not earlier sales with different circumstances, and seek leading agents who understand the story behind results and pending subject sales. The pair discuss normalisation in days on market, a shift toward certainty in contract terms, and how fatigue is delaying demand rather than removing it, while a resilient rental market and migration continue to underpin Perth. They also outline buyer opportunities in value-add properties, under-leased rentals, and retain-and-build strategies.

Host Trent Fleskens and Brendon Ptolomey (Managing Director, Herron Todd White) deliver a quarterly Perth market update, describing a sharp shift from early-2026 FOMO to “fear of participation,” with rising listings and fewer buyers creating a market “reset” rather than a crash. They stress suburb-level nuance: some areas are sliding faster while others hold or grow, with Baldivis used as an example of listings rising from ~20–30 late last year to ~150–160 now, driving price differentiation between top-quality homes and poorer stock. They discuss investors taking profits, likely rent strength from reduced rental supply, and how federal tax changes have reduced investor borrowing capacity and dampened demand, while potentially pushing more money into principal residences and blue-chip suburbs. They note weaker national conditions (especially Melbourne/Sydney), potential vulnerabilities in investor-heavy Perth corridors, soft off-the-plan/new-build demand, and recommend CGT-date valuations ahead of 1 July 2027.

Host Trent Fleskens speaks with Vanessa Rader, Ray White’s commercial/industrial expert, talk about major shifts across Australian commercial property. They note childcare has “fallen off a cliff” nationally due to oversupply, staffing shortages, negative press, weak occupancy and fee growth, and limited buyer urgency, with over 30 closures in WA and yields rising as investors move to alternatives. Fast-food assets continue trading at very tight sub 4% yields, while service stations face questions amid rising EV sales, though profit is framed as coming from food and beverage and charging-related dwell time. Perth office is a relative bright spot, with 15.4% vacancy and nearly 30,000 sqm of take-up, constrained new supply, and potential rent growth from a low base versus Sydney. Industrial growth has stabilised but remains supported by demand, land constraints, and investor value, with SA attracting capital after removing stamp duty. They finish on medical’s renewed appeal (sticky tenants, diversified “one-stop” hubs) and the emerging need and planning challenge for aged care.

Host Trent Fleskens opens with a Perth market update, noting slowing conditions as listings rise, strong competition for quality homes, weaker demand for inferior properties, transactions in the 600s, and uncertainty ahead of an interest-rate decision. He then interviews Aaron Sice from HIA about proposed R-Codes reforms aimed at unlocking subdivision potential in R20-and-under areas, with likely impacts across suburbs such as Joondalup/Ocean Reef and Booragoon–Melville–Willetton–Lynwood, while minimum lot sizes remain. They discuss how ancillary dwellings and subdivision could increase dwelling yields, cautioning not all blocks are suitable and noting constraints like sewer and protected-tree policies. Aaron outlines streamlining changes including splitting the codes by housing type, expanding DA exemptions up to four dwellings/apartments, and simplifying rules (setbacks, privacy, site cover removal), plus proposals like three-storey R40, greater cut/fill allowances, and removing minimum parking requirements.

Host Trent Fleskens welcomes Mike McGowan from the HIA back to the Perth Property Show to rebalance the conversation from demand to the supply side of WA housing. Trent notes established listings are in the mid-6,000s with stock rising weekly, while Mike says new-build inquiry has fallen about 25% since March amid interest rate rises, budgets, and policy uncertainty, though sales remain consistent and most builders hold 8–12 months of work, constrained by titled land delays. They discuss build times (around 10–11 months currently, with a 5–6 month target), a persistent 40,000-home deficit, and expectations that WA will only deliver roughly 20–24,000 homes per year this decade without more land, higher-density feasibility, and skilled trades. They cover material price rises, affordability caps, the state’s Housing Innovation Fund supporting alternative methods like framing and modular, and promote HIA’s September 4 Economic Outlook Luncheon at the Westin featuring chief economist Tim Reardon and a builder panel.