Northern Suburbs Weekly in Perth reported PIPA’s 2026 Annual Investor Sentiment Survey, which found Perth investors far less likely to have sold than investors in Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney.
What the article reported
Keren Bellos reported the findings in the Northern Suburbs Weekly edition dated the 24th of September 2026, in a property news column that also covered housing affordability in Western Australia. PIPA’s survey found 7.2 per cent of Perth investors had sold at least one investment property over the past year. The comparable figures were 23.7 per cent in Brisbane, 19.6 per cent in Melbourne and 13.4 per cent in Sydney.
Respondents again rated Western Australia the most investor friendly state, with an average score of 6.99 out of eight, ahead of Queensland on 6.01. Victoria and the ACT ranked lowest. Nationally, 27.8 per cent of respondents planned to buy another investment property, down from 41 per cent in last year’s survey. The article reported PIPA Chair Cate Bakos as saying that higher interest rates, land tax and compliance costs were placing investors under financial pressure.
Affordability in the same column
The column set the survey beside the Real Estate Institute of Australia’s latest Housing Affordability Report. In Western Australia the share of family income needed to service the average loan rose 1.6 percentage points in the June quarter to 47.5 per cent, from 41.2 per cent a year earlier. That was the largest deterioration of any state or territory over both periods. The average owner occupier loan in the state reached $720,012, up 16.1 per cent over the year, and the average first home buyer loan reached $610,941.
REIWA president Suzanne Brown attributed the decline to rising prices and a third interest rate increase in May. She also said the market had “eased in the past few months”, and that affordability could improve slightly if rates hold. Rental affordability moved less: the median rent took 25 per cent of family income, up one percentage point over the year.
Why Perth investors are selling less
The survey does not ask investors why they held, so the reasons can only be read from the other findings. Western Australia received the highest investor friendliness score of any state. The gap in selling is widest against Brisbane and Melbourne. In Victoria, land tax on investment property has risen in recent years, and Victoria ranked lowest in the survey. An investor whose costs have risen faster than rent is more likely to sell. One whose rent has kept pace with repayments has less reason to.
The affordability figures describe the other side of the same market. Loan sizes rose by close to $100,000 in a year, and first home buyers borrowed 16.3 per cent more. Where investors hold, fewer established dwellings come to market for owner occupiers. The same established dwellings remain available to tenants, which may explain why rent took a stable share of income while repayments did not.
An investor weighing whether to hold or sell a Perth property can test the decision against:
- Net rental income after land tax, rates, insurance and management, measured against current repayments.
- The loan’s remaining term and how repayments would change after a further rate movement.
- Recent sales of comparable dwellings in the same suburb, given REIWA’s report that the market has eased.
- The capital gains tax position on sale, which depends on the purchase date and the owner’s circumstances.
The survey and the adviser
The full 2026 results, including the state rankings, are set out on PIPA’s Investor Sentiment Survey page. The national coverage of the findings is collected in the 2026 investor survey in the national media. Yield-focused buying in regional markets is covered in high regional yields and the lender’s view. Investors who want a hold or sell decision tested against their own figures can search for an adviser holding the QPIA accreditation.
Reported by
Keren Bellos, Northern Suburbs Weekly (Perth), 24 September 2026
Print edition, page 39, recorded by Isentia. Affordability data from the Real Estate Institute of Australia’s Housing Affordability Report. PIPA’s survey was cited in this coverage, and PIPA has commented for members and consumers. Copyright in the original article remains with its publisher.
