Hosts Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley break down the 3.8% CPI print and why housing costs—especially rents and electricity—are doing most of the damage. We explain what a likely 0.25% RBA hike means for prices, buyer sentiment, and negotiations, then turn to NSW’s new name-and-shame register for agents and whether tougher enforcement can rebuild trust in the industry.

We also discuss:

• Headline inflation at 3.8% and the upward trend
• Trimmed mean inflation closer to target, but not enough to reassure the RBA
• Housing as the key CPI driver: rents and electricity in focus
• Why a 0.25% rate hike is likely at the next RBA meeting
• January listings lifting as vendors move earlier than usual
• Buyer sentiment dipping despite APRA buffers and approvals holding
• Stress risk concentrated in households with thin cash buffers
• Uneven impacts of first-home buyer schemes across suburbs
• Migration continuing to support house-and-land demand
• NSW’s name-and-shame register: who it applies to and what offences qualify
• Underquoting incentives versus real consumer harm
• Fee misuse, conflicts of interest, and stricter enforcement ahead
• Practical tactics for pricing, negotiating, and timing decisions in a tighter setting

Send us a text

As always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!