This month marks a milestone for the HTW Prestige Property Monitor, with the Gold Coast joining our coverage for the first time. As one of Australia’s most dynamic luxury markets, headlined this month by a $30 million off-the-plan penthouse at Burleigh Heads, its inclusion adds an important new dimension to our national picture, and we welcome the team’s inaugural contribution.
The June HTW Prestige Index registers a national average of 61 out of 100, unchanged from May. That headline stability, however, deserves a closer look. Across our five founding cities, sentiment has continued to drift lower, now averaging 58, with the Gold Coast’s debut reading of 75 lifting the national figure. Viewed over the life of the monitor, the trend is one of gradual recalibration: from an equivalent reading of 66 at our launch in February to 65 in March, 62 in April, and 61 through May and June.
The city-level divergence is now pronounced. Perth is the clear outlier, surging from 70 to 80 as transactions in the western suburbs continue and astute buyers back the market’s momentum. Brisbane holds steady at 62, while Adelaide eases from 75 to 70 even as it celebrates a new residential price record – $15.5 million at Medindie.
Sydney and Melbourne have both slipped from 45 to 40, anchoring the lower end of Balanced territory.
The drivers being highlighted by our team are consistent nationally. Three cash rate increases in 2026, the May Federal Budget’s changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax settings, and ongoing geopolitical instability are all weighing on buyer psychology, even at the high end of the market. Yet the flight to quality endures, with A-grade, turnkey homes in tightly held precincts continuing to transact with conviction, while secondary stock faces longer selling periods and harder pricing questions.
In markets moving at two speeds, granular, independent intelligence matters more than ever. Our Directors are on the ground in these markets daily, and their insights in the following pages will help keep you ahead of any shifts.