The bargain window is closing - and most buyers don’t yet know
Photo by Martin Moore on Unsplash
8 August 2026
KPMG's August 2026 property report had some old news - Sydney house prices forecast to fall 4.4% this year. Rate rises, tax changes, nervous investors.
But what is interesting is that KPMG isn't calling this a downturn — they're calling it a pause. A "V-shaped" market: down in 2026, but a 3.6% rebound in 2027.
Because underneath the soft sentiment, nothing structural has changed. Population's still growing. Vacancy rates are still near record lows. Supply is still miles short of demand. The only thing that's actually shifted is confidence.
Apartments are forecast to increase throughout the period, but it’s houses showing the volatility. As I’ve mentioned before, suburb by suburb is a different story. Malabar and Bronte both down much more than the overall market, but the decline is now spreading westward throughout Sydney.
I’m ringing the bell - this is the opportunity. And if KPMG are correct, it won’t last long. Weaker sentiment means less competition, more room to negotiate, vendors more willing to talk price — while the supply shortage that's driven Sydney prices up until now is still there, waiting for confidence to come back. KPMG reckons that window holds only for the rest of this year. Once the rebound shows up in the numbers, it's already in the price.
Too many potential buyers remain sitting on the sidelines waiting for a sign, this is probably it. Nobody rings a bell at the bottom (except me).
Marked Buyers Agency works with Eastern Suburbs and Lower North Shore buyers who want to move while others are still waiting — acquisition, auction bidding, negotiation, off-market access.
Source: KPMG Australia, Residential Property Report, 4 August 2026.
