We have reasons to feel pessimistic. Headline inflation is holding at 3.8 per cent. The RBA’s decision to increase the cash rate by 25 basis points back to 3.8 per cent. All major banks have followed with increases in their variable lending rates, increasing the cost of owning a home. Energy costs are up, wage growth is slow and productivity is stagnant. The cost of living is increasing.
And then along comes Trump. First with the reversal of the tariffs and then the war in Iran, upturning world trade norms and spiking fuel costs that will impact all aspects of our economy.
On the face of it maybe it should be doom and gloom. But that is not what is happening. Far from it. In fact, we are back, baby!
I have spoken to several prominent principal agents across the region, from Portarlington to Torquay, Armstrong Creek and Geelong. Three of the largest agencies, with multiple offices in the region have just recorded the highest February sales numbers on record!
All agents are reporting a strong increase in transactions in February; one agency sold 54 properties in the month! They are big numbers, with the bulk of the sales action in the lower affordability bracket. The lower tier has been very active since before to Christmas, with more demand than supply.
What’s interesting is that we are now seeing the ripple effect.
In the last week of February, Geelong had 10 sales of over a million dollars in a single week! We are seeing a recovery in the mid-tier markets. Essentially, people are recognising the opportunity to value up!
On top of this, we have finally seen some movement in the top bracket as well. The $3 million plus market has been described as dead for the past 18 months, with properties like Raith Terrace, Newtown, sitting on the market for over 350 days. I am excited to say, it’s resuscitated.
The historic mansion at 11 Aphrasia Street, sold for $3.5 millon (agent Marcus Falconer – Jellis Craig) and 10 Mercer Parade, Newtown, has sold for $3.8 millon (John Moran – Whitford).
We understand that a certain Wandana Heights property, which I cannot disclose at this point, was sold for $6.1 millon, making it the highest sale in over 12 months, pipping 15 Stephens Street, Newtown, which sold last year for $5.8 millon (Kay & Burton).
Looking at what’s still for sale in the upper bracket (above $3 millon), the stock pool is now looking a bit thin in the traditional inner suburbs yet is still oversupplied down on the coast.
What’s happening is “catch-up”. Victorian house price growth has significantly lagged behind other Australian states over the past 12 months (to late 2025), with growth slow or even declining.
While Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide experienced booming, high-single-digit or double-digit annual increases, Victoria’s home values remain below their 2022 peak, making the market relatively more affordable, with Geelong still more affordable than Melbourne. And the gains are not coming just from the interstate investors.
Commercial markets are also starting to show a bit of a wiggle, with over a dozen industrial sheds selling since Christmas within established industrial parks. This market segment has been languishing from oversupply for a long time and it’s good to see some demand return, most prominently from owner-occupiers.
Our region is also attracting interest from sophisticated interstate investors, with a purchase in Waurn Ponds by expanding fast-food chain Guzman & Gomez and the sale of Eastbrooke Medical Clinic in Belmont, for $10.6 millon, setting a new record for a healthcare asset in the Geelong region.
We do have headwinds, with another rate rise looking increasingly likely, but what happens in our region will also happen across the rest of the country, so, by comparison, we will still remain the more affordable and more attractive option.
It’s hard being both, but trust me, you will get used to it!
Things are looking good for 2026, living the dream again in Geelong!