Ray White Now | 3 Aug 2020 Vol. 12 | Page 4

MID-WINTER APPRAISAL NUMBERS DIP WHICH TIPS FAVOUR BACK IN BALANCE OF SELLERS AGAIN SUMMARY • Demand continues to outweigh the supply of listings on the market • Talk to us to understand your current appraisal to be fully informed As the market continues to defy what most commentators have predicted, the reliance on real time data has never been more relevant. It’s this data that contributes heavily to the decision that our clients make each day. the end of March and continued until the start of May. During this time we saw a 20 per cent decline in the number of new listings coming to the market. This fall in activity resulted in there being less available listings on the market creating supply levels that favour our seller clients. One of the data sources that we rely on to provide a leading indicator of things to come is the volume of appraisals that occur across the country. Many home owners considering selling their home initially engage a real estate agent to provide an appraisal of what the likely selling price will be should they take their property to market. A property appraisal can occur a few days before an owner lists their property for sale through to 12 months prior to making the decision to sell. In some cases property owners may not be selling but just want to establish a current value of what their property may be worth. For us, we use this data source as a key indicator into how much stock may be coming to the market in the near future. So what is the data saying right now? Regarding house prices, most sectors of the property market across Australia have proven resilient. Fast forward to May and June when consumer confidence grew and appraisal numbers started to increase to levels on par with previous years. Similarly our new listings rose too, although there was that slight lag. Over the past few weeks, appraisal numbers have slowly declined again to levels that are now less than previous years. As of 3 August, our network conducted 11,244 appraisals (over a 28 day period of time), some six per cent less than last year and 18 per cent less than 2019-20. So assuming recent history repeats itself, we will see a reduction in new listings come to the market which will again create supply levels that favour our seller clients. The Ray White network of members appraises approximately 12,000 properties, over a 28 day period of time. The start of March saw a sharp decline in the volume of appraisals being conducted which continued to decline through to the end of April. The number fell as low as 5,500 appraisals. When we compare this to our new listings that came to the market we saw the trend follow however there was a lag of about three weeks. The number of new listings started to sharply decline at The data paints a clear picture however what it doesn’t show are the reasons why there are less appraisals taking place. Is there a fear that house prices have fallen or are home owners concerned about being able to have an appraisal conducted in a safe manner given the ongoing concerns of COVID and the associated restrictions? Regarding house prices, most sectors of the property market across Australia have proven resilient. According to CoreLogic capital city prices are up over the last 12 4 The information is general information only, not financial advice, and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs.