REAL ESTATE

Rental growth across Australia's capital cities stalled in the June quarter, according to reports from the country's largest property data providers.

Over the past year or so we have seen the rise of Real Estate Agents using Facebook to promote their business or personal profile. The best of you continually add informative and fun content to your page and have seen a steady rise in fans. But there is a disturbing trend to this and this shows complete mis-understanding of how to market yourself online.

First home buyers in Australia have not yet returned in numbers to the property market despite some growth in the last few months, according to a financial comparison site.

The broad adoption of HR outsourcing across Asia-Pacific has emerged as the main finding of regional research conducted by Talent2.

House prices have continued to soften in the June quarter, with rental growth slowing as well.

A fall in residential land sales augurs poorly for home building, the HIA has said.

Property ownership has become Australians no.1 priority, with buying a home now regarded as even more important that having children, according to new research released today.

Confidence in housing picked up by 3.3% with the Index now at its highest level since January 2010, as a result of modest recent falls in house prices improving affordability. The uptick comes as overall consumer sentiment in Australia plummets to its lowest level in two years.

Housing stock on market is falling, but still has some way to go before reaching the levels it saw last year.

Bright days are ahead for the mortgage broking industry despite a difficult credit market and increased regulation, Bankwest's Ian Rakhit has said.

Property price growth in Australia may have stalled over the past year or so, but experts say there are still plenty of areas around Australia where property prices are continuing to rise and countless locations where values are expected to rise in the near future.

The cost of living in Australia has become the biggest concern for the next 12 months among upcoming property investors, new research shows.

Heritage Building Society has finalised an $800m RMBS deal in its largest domestic securitisation transaction.

Capital city rents have grown below inflation over the past year, RP Data has stated.

As a followup to recent articles relating to the industry revolt and ACCC investigation into RealEstate.com.au, Australian Financial Review journalist Ben Hurley has released another article that takes aim at RPData and their valuation strategy.

Compliance costs and lenders’ volume targets are pushing many broker groups into each other’s arms. MPA investigates the do and don’ts of consolidation.

PLAN CEO Trevor Scott is a passionate supporter of the broker industry and a big believer that brighter days are ahead for brokers.

Capital city auction clearance rates are edging up after tracking below 50% for five weeks, RP Data has indicated.

Australia is on the cusp of making major changes to its credit reporting regime, but whether the new system will be better for brokers’ clients is still up for debate.

The protracted pause on interest rates by the RBA is bringing first home buyers back to the market, Loan Market has claimed.

The MFAA has claimed refinancing is still alive in spite of a flat mortgage market.

Home owners are still refinancing their mortgages, even as the property market remains flat, the latest Bankwest/MFAA* Home Finance Index has shown. The Home Finance Index, which surveyed more than 1,139 respondents, revealed that one in four (24.7%) had refinanced their loan in the past two years and 14.2 per cent had refinanced in the previous year, an increase on the previous HFI.

Amid the cash rate calm and the now little cost difference between the average fixed term home loan interest rate and the average variable interest rate, deciding which type of loan to choose is even more difficult.

Out of 39 countries with timely house price statistics for the year to Q1 2011

A dramatic turnaround in builder sentiment is seen as Australia’s building and construction industry loses the cushioning effect of government stimulus programs, according to Master Builders Australia’s June quarter 2011 national survey.

A new online compliance forum will help provide guidance to brokers struggling to come to terms with the NCCP regime.

New home sales volumes in Australia remain well below par, according to new research released today by the Housing Industry Association.

Sales of detached homes fell in two of Australia's most populous states according to recent industry data.

Australian capital city home values have falled by 2.7% during the 2011 calendar year, according to the latest research from RP Data.