The 2026 investor survey in the national media

The 2026 PIPA Annual Investor Sentiment Survey, released on the 11th of September 2026, was reported by ten national, trade and regional outlets within nine days.

Where the survey was reported

realestate.com.au (Lydia Kellner) and Australian Broker (Mina Martin) reported the results on the day of release, the 11th of September 2026. news.com.au (Kaylee Cranley) followed on the 12th, Domain and Allhomes (Glen Norris) on the 14th, The Adviser (Charlie Tchetchenian) on the 15th and Smart Property Investment (Mathew Williams) on the 16th. The Courier Mail, the Gold Coast Bulletin and The Daily Telegraph drew on the results for state-based reports on the 19th of September. The full findings are set out in PIPA’s release, investor exodus drains rental pool as negative gearing and CGT reforms take hold.

The survey was conducted online in August 2026 among 626 property investors, as The Adviser reported.

What the coverage emphasised

Most outlets led with the same three results:

• 18.3 per cent of investors sold at least one property in the year to August, the third consecutive annual rise.
• 51.6 per cent of those sellers sold to an owner-occupier, taking the dwelling out of the rental pool.
• Only 27.8 per cent plan to buy another investment property, down from 41 per cent.

The explanation given by Cate Bakos, Chair of PIPA, for why investors are selling was quoted in most reports.

Investors are not selling because they think it is a smart time to sell. Many are selling because the numbers no longer work for them.

Cate Bakos, Chair of PIPA, quoted in Australian Broker, news.com.au, The Adviser and Domain, September 2026

The Adviser reported cash flow in more detail: 62.3 per cent of investors are now in negative cash flow, against a low of 30 per cent in 2022. and 41.7 per cent had seen costs rise by 11 to 20 per cent over the year.

Findings reported less widely

On new housing, only 4.8 per cent of investors said they were more willing to buy new builds as a result of the reforms, while 50.7 per cent still prefer established dwellings. Ms Bakos told Domain that many investors will not simply switch from established to new, and will instead invest in something else. The policy’s intended move of investor capital into new supply is not yet visible in investors’ stated intentions.

On rents, Domain reported that 62.6 per cent of investors have passed on 10 per cent or less of their higher costs to tenants. More than half expect to pass on some or all of their higher compliance costs in future. Ms Bakos described a limit to how long investors can keep absorbing costs.

On stability, 87.2 per cent of investors are not confident that future governments will keep property tax settings stable, including 50.4 per cent who are not confident at all.

Support for professional standards

Among the results reported by Australian Broker, 96.1 per cent of investors said property investment advisers should hold formal training or education. That training is not currently required by law. PIPA’s QPIA accreditation is the education standard its advisers meet, and PIPA’s advocacy seeks a regulatory framework for everyone who gives property investment advice.