Why autumn property listings are on the rise
Vendors are no longer waiting for spring to list their property, but there’s still an art to get the timing right
5 min
Industries like luxury fashion and elite sport are dictated by the seasons, so why not the residential real estate market? Selling homes is considered a science by some in the business who suggest that when you list can have a direct effect on the final price.
Analysis by property portal realestate.com.au’s data group PropTrack reveals there is generally a more profitable time of year to list a home for sale, but ultimately results can vary by region.
The 2021 research isolated the impact of the sale month from other features impacting price and discovered properties which sold in November received the highest average prices. Across Australia, sales in November were almost 6 percent higher than those in January, traditionally the sleepiest month on the real estate calendar. These results also ranked October and December as additionally profitable months.
Spring saturation
The reasoning behind strong spring selling statistics comes down to a mix of human behaviour and mother nature.
Tim Lawless, head of research at property data specialist CoreLogic, says while there is logic to the popularity of spring among sellers it could also just be an established pattern of behaviour Australians have found hard to kick.
“It definitely comes back to sentiment as well as the ability to present a property well. Spring is a time when the weather warms up, people become more active, the grass is greener and flowers start to bloom. So from a property presenting perspective, it’s a logical time to prepare your property for inspections so people can see it in its best possible light,” he says.
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It’s a great theory for houses with gardens, but he admits there is no real reason why apartment listings also ramp up in spring.
“I think it’s probably so deeply ingrained culturally that people don’t necessarily think about some of the logical aspects, because selling a unit wouldn’t be much different from season to season,” he says.
While this boom in the property calendar is often referred to as “spring selling season” Lawless says it could probably be more accurately be described as the “spring listing season”.
“We actually see the number of sales is equally as strong around March as it is in November, which are sort of both seasonal peaks in sales activity” he says. “But for listings, it’s really clear that after winter there’s normally a solid ramp up in the number of newly-listed properties coming onto the market.”
Understanding the real estate calendar
While spring is an active time of year in property, the rest of the calendar is marked by milestones which can make or break the success of a sale. School breaks, long weekends and even major sporting events should be taken into account when a home’s marketing campaign is being created.
“School holidays are relevant, but probably what’s more important would be long weekends, like Easter, or grand final weekends. The most obvious one is the Christmas period when pretty much everything shuts down,” Lawless says. “If you think about the property process, a lot of people need to be around to make a transaction happen.
“You need buyers and sellers obviously, but also you need the agent, the conveyancer, building inspectors and those individuals or professions may not be operating due to holidays.”
The real estate calendar had its first real shake up in a generation during the pandemic as potential buyers couldn’t leave on holiday or even view interstate homes.
Auctions moved online, property professionals worked from home and an unprecedented number of buyers bought site unseen.
As a result, some of those old seasonal selling tropes went out the window.
Bucking the seasonal trend for buyers
Bianca Denham, head of performance at the Ray White Group said bucking the seasonal listing trends could be a valuable move for sellers.
“Even pre pandemic we would train our agents not to fall into the trap of focussing on spring time,” Denham says.
“Because if sellers have been institutionalised — for lack of a better word — that spring is the best time to sell, then what it creates is actually more competition among listings.”
While there are more properties for sale, that doesn’t necessarily translate into more buyers, she says.
“Buyers don’t become buyers just because the daffodils are in bloom, they become buyers because something has happened in their life; they’ve got that promotion, finally saved the deposit, or they have a baby on the way,” she says. “Buyers become buyers for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the time of year.”
Alternatively, some agents are testing the water by working against old school traditions.
“We’re seeing more agents embracing the downtime of summer as an opportunity to sell,” Denham says. “If you look back to a pre pandemic so-called ‘normal’ market then you would have seen it go to sleep over Christmas and January.
“We’ve found that any agent who makes the concerted effort to list over Christmas is rewarded because there are inspections and they do get offers.”
She added that vendors who tap into holiday periods could be rewarded with more buyer eyeballs on their listing.
“When people step out of their everyday and go on a break, that’s when they can start dreaming because they’ve got time on their hands. It’s one of our nation’s most-loved pastimes — browsing on real estate portals. We love it even if we’re not actively buying.
“Not everyone goes away, and some people come from the country to the city, or vice versa, and they start looking at local real estate wherever they go.”
Lawless agrees that savvy sellers should consider just how saturated the market can get at certain periods.
“It’s definitely a factor in decision making. It’s good to know how much competition there’s going to be, or lack thereof,” he says. “So maybe going counter cyclical is a good idea by listing in winter when there’s not as many listings to come up against.”
In the end, do what works for you, he says.
“Your best option is to buy or sell when the timing is right for you rather than trying to time it with the seasons or trying to buy property at the bottom and sell at the top.”
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Melbourne’s lifestyle appeal is driving record population growth — and rising rents. Here are the six most expensive suburbs to rent a house in right now.
5 min
Melbourne is considered Australia’s most liveable city. In fact, Melbourne competes on the global stage, consistently ranking among Time Out’s top cities to live in the world and ranking fourth in 2025. Melbourne is a cultural mecca filled with arts, x, and the country’s best sporting events.
It’s the lifestyle factor that has seen Melbourne’s population grow by over 142,000 people over the 23/24 financial year, largely driven by overseas migration. With increased population comes increased demand for properties, particularly in the rental market.
Akin to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, Melbourne’s South Eastern suburbs, towards Bayside and the water, dominate the most expensive suburbs listed to rent across the Victorian capital.
In this article, we’ve examined the six most expensive suburbs to rent a house in Melbourne right now, according to property data analytics firm Cotality (formerly CoreLogic).
Brighton
Median purchase: $3.15m
Median rent: $1,353
Brighton is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house, and it’s easy to see why. A blend of grand period homes and modern architectural builds line the wide, tree-filled streets. The suburb is synonymous with luxury, and rental properties—especially those close to the famed Brighton Beach and its iconic bathing boxes—are snapped up quickly. Vacancy rates sit at a tight 0.9 per cent.
The Neighbourhood
Brighton offers an enviable mix of a beachside lifestyle and convenient shopping and dining. With access to top schools like Brighton Grammar and Firbank, plus Church Street’s boutiques and the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, the Bayside suburb is the complete package for Melbourne’s high-end renters.
Malvern
Median purchase: $2.8m
Median rent: $1,313
Long known for its timeless Victorian and Edwardian homes, Malvern is a leafy inner suburb with prestige appeal. Many properties here are fully renovated period homes, featuring extensive gardens and original features that appeal to families and executives.
The Neighbourhood
Malvern boasts a refined atmosphere with a strong community feel. Glenferrie Road and High Street offer upscale cafes, boutiques, and grocers, while schools like De La Salle and St Joseph’s make the suburb particularly attractive to families.
Black Rock
Median purchase: $2.29m
Median rent: $1,253
Nestled along the Bayside coast, Black Rock has seen steady growth in both house prices and rents in recent years. Larger blocks and a quieter, more laid-back vibe than neighbouring suburbs make this a coveted spot for renters seeking both space and lifestyle.
The Neighbourhood
Black Rock is home to the picturesque Half Moon Bay and scenic cliffside walks. The suburb blends beachside charm with village convenience, offering local cafés, golf courses, and direct access to some of Melbourne’s best coastal trails.
Sandringham
Median purchase: $2.21m
Median rent: $1,199
Sandringham, next door to Black Rock, offers more of the same as its neighbouring suburb, at similar prices. Sandringham too ticks the box for laid-back waterside recreation, with the majority of homes in walking distance to the sand and charming village shops.
The Neighbourhood
This is a family-friendly suburb with a strong community vibe. Sandringham Village, with its mix of cafes, wine bars, and boutiques, sits just a short walk from the train station and beach. The area also offers excellent sporting facilities and parks. Sandringham Harbour is the local landmark, a popular destination for boating, fishing, and waterfront views from Sandringham Yacht Club.
Canterbury
Median purchase: $3.15m
Median rent: $1,179
Canterbury is the innermost Melbourne suburb on this list. It is considered one of Melbourne’s most prestigious suburbs, defined by grand family homes, generally over-the-top opulent new builds with French Provincial façades behind gated entries.
The Neighbourhood
Canterbury is anchored by the exclusive “Golden Mile” precinct and is surrounded by elite private schools such as Camberwell Grammar and Strathcona. Maling Road provides a quaint village feel, while the area’s lush green spaces complete the picture of prestige.
Hampton
Median purchase: $2.3m
Median rent: $1,171
It’s back to Bayside for the sixth and final suburb on the priciest rental areas in Melbourne. Hampton is not too dissimilar to Brighton, with a main High Street providing convenience and the beach rounding out the relaxed lifestyle found on the bay. The suburb has undergone significant gentrification, with many original homes replaced by contemporary builds.
The Neighbourhood
With a stretch of clean, family-friendly beach and the bustling Hampton Street shopping strip, Hampton has everything renters could want—from stylish cafes to gourmet grocers and boutique fitness studios. Its proximity to Brighton and Sandringham only adds to its appeal.
Melbourne’s Cheapest Suburb: Melton South
Median purchase: $460,000
Median rent: $430
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Melton South—roughly 40km west of the CBD—offers the most affordable rental market. With a median rent of under $450 a week, it’s less than a third of the weekly rent in Brighton. The suburb attracts families and first-home renters seeking value and larger land lots.
Melbourne’s Best Suburb: Toorak
Toorak is considered the Point Piper of Melbourne. Boasting even more billionaires than Sydney’s harbourside hotspot, Toorak is home to Melbourne’s most expensive houses, and reportedly Australia’s most expensive house sale if the 1860s Italianate mansion Coonac settles at over $130 million.
The suburb has some of the best educational institutions in Melbourne, as well as luxury homes on the Yarra, two train stations, and a central shopping precinct undergoing a full transformation with several mixed-use retail and residential developments. It is definitely the place to be.
Where is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house?
As of May 2025, Brighton is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house.
Where is Melbourne’s cheapest suburb to rent a unit?
As of May 2025, Melton South is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house.
Where is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a house?
As of May 2025, Toorak is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a house.
Where is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a unit?
As of May 2025, Beaumaris is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a unit
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