The number of new home loans fell 15.0 percent in the September quarter to 111,878, and the value fell 15.5 percent to A$81,157 million, the largest quarterly fall in value since the series began in the September quarter 2002, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. The bureau said the decline continues the downward trend seen throughout 2026.
Investor lending fell fastest. The number of new investor loans fell 30.6 percent to 35,301 and the value fell 32.3 percent to A$24,705 million, the largest quarterly falls on record for both series and the third consecutive quarterly decline, with falls in every state and territory. Owner occupier loan numbers fell 5.3 percent, and first home buyer loan numbers fell 8.6 percent. Mish Tan, the bureau’s head of finance statistics, said investor activity appears to be influenced by factors beyond increasing borrowing costs, including the potential impacts of tax changes and expectations of lower house prices.