Melbourne Market Shift: Investors Out, Owner-Occupiers In..?

Melbourne’s property market isn’t moving as one — it’s a story of different markets behaving very differently. In this TPC Gold segment, we unpack what’s happening on the ground, from inner-east price softening to intense competition in more affordable pockets. While higher-end properties are seeing less depth of buyers, the sub-$650K range is attracting strong demand, particularly from investors chasing value opportunities. We also explore how buyer behaviour is shifting, including the rise of interstate investors and buyers’ agents making sight-unseen purchases, and what that means for competition in certain segments of the market. At the same time, agents are adapting their strategies. More properties are being sold before auction, and clearance rates suggest a balanced but fragile market, rather than a clear buyer’s or seller’s market. With stock levels still relatively tight and confidence impacted by broader uncertainty, Melbourne remains delicately poised — with some pockets performing strongly while others soften. *Timestamps* 00:00 Inner Melbourne price changes and softening 00:26 Where demand is strongest right now 00:56 Investor activity and interstate buyers 01:27 Buyer behaviour shifting in 2026 02:00 Auction vs private sale trends 02:51 What clearance rates are telling us 03:35 Markets within markets explained 04:38 Stock levels and supply trends 05:14 Why uncertainty is holding listings back 05:47 A-grade vs B-grade property performance 09:07 – The limits of density in a continent-sized country P.S. This is just a snippet from our Ep 588 | Is THIS Australia’s ‘Best Value’ Property Market? – Chat with Greville Pabst. For the full scoop, check it out here 👉 https://thepropertycouch.com.au/ep588-australias-best-value-property-market-greville-pabst/ P.P.S. And feel free to send in your questions here 👉 https://thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/ We would love to answer them on the show! #ThePropertyCouch #TPCGold #Melbourne #PropertyTrends #AustralianProperty #Demographics #HousingMarket #PropertyInsights