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Despite a rise in the number of properties listed for over 180 days in March, overall listing activity remained steady throughout the month, according to SQM Research.
Recent data from SQM Research has revealed that total nationwide residential property listings rose by 0.9 per cent over March 2025, reaching 251,605 listed properties.
However, the number of new residential property listings (listed for less than 30 days) decreased by 1.6 per cent last month, bringing listings down to 74,951 properties nationwide.
Compared to listing volumes one year earlier in March of 2024, the number of total listings decreased by 1.7 per cent, while new listings coming onto the market fell 5.5 per cent year-on-year.
Managing director of SQM Research, Louis Christopher, said the listings activity was stable in March but noted a pronounced uptick in older listings.
Data showed that the number of older residential properties listed for over 180 days increased by 3.6 per cent nationally in March 2025 to 74,877 properties, marking a 7.7 per cent rise year-on-year.
The number of older listings in Sydney rose over the month by 4.6 per cent to 6,442, which registered a strong annual increase of 23.7 per cent from levels in March 2024.
Canberra’s market also saw an influx of older listings, with volumes rising 10.3 per cent over the month to 844, which is 44.5 per cent higher than levels from one year prior.
While older listings in the Perth market decreased by 22.4 per cent year-on-year, volumes rose by 15.2 per cent over the month to 1,694, which Christopher said could indicate the city’s market “might be slowing in activity. "
Perth recorded the highest increase over the month for total listings, bringing volumes to 16,080 and registering a yearly increase of 5.3 per cent on volumes from one year prior.
Even though total listings in Canberra only notched up 0.6 per cent over the month to 4,689, the total listings in the city’s market are now 11.4 per cent higher than last year, marking the largest annual increase of the capital cities.
Darwin led with the highest increase to new listings across the capitals, with a monthly increase of 37.2 per cent to 354 listings, marking annual growth of 45.1 per cent compared to March 2024.
Although Melbourne recorded a 3.4 per cent increase in new listings over the month to 17,722, the city’s number of new listings still stands 3.4 per cent lower than at this time last year.
Conversely, the number of new listings in Canberra declined by 2 per cent over the month to 1,904, but still remains 4.1 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Distressed listings number rise in March but lower year-on-year
Data showed that the number of properties listed under distressed conditions nationwide rose to 4,970, marking a 0.5 per cent rise from the previous month.
On an annual scale, SQM Research noted that the number of distressed listings nationwide still remains 7.1 per cent lower-year-on-year, which indicates that distressed activity overall remains at “benign levels”.
The company’s research also showed that vendors have remained confident over the month, with house prices increasing by 0.8 per cent, and unit prices by 0.7 per cent across the nation, resulting in a combined increase of 0.8 per cent.
However, Louis Christopher said that uncertainty around the upcoming federal election and the timing of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) next interest rate cut could lead to shifts in market sentiment.
“With the federal election now called, it’s quite likely we will see reduced activity levels in the housing market until after election day. The RBA not cutting interest rates may also cool the heels of would-be home buyers,” he concluded.
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