Why clarity matters most this November
Market Intelligence · October 2026
Price clarity in November and December is going to be absolutely crucial.
Buyer Fatigue
One thing I’m watching very closely at this time of year is buyer fatigue. It’s a behaviour we typically see in the first to second week of December.
This year, I’m tipping that next Tuesday’s RBA meeting will bring a rate increase. I think that could trigger buyer fatigue to start a lot earlier for the end of this year.
The upside is that it’s a pattern we can plan around.
For Sellers
For those selling, price certainty, price clarity and alignment in November and December is going to be absolutely crucial.
The dialogue on the ground for a while has been that the market has pulled back about 5%. In reality, it’s somewhere between 10 and 15% since earlier in the year.
Reports suggested the market began cooling around April or May. That’s not what we’ve seen on the ground. It started at the end of February when the war started, then came the second rate rise in March, then the third, and the May 12 budget. It has continued ever since.
That 10 to 15% adjustment from earlier in the year should seriously be factored into any sales you may have felt were comparable to yours.
Align early, and price becomes your strength rather than your obstacle.
For Buyers
Now, what about buyers?
I don’t think there’s ever going to be a better time to buy than right now.
Everything, admittedly, is in your favour.
But the moment the market gets a glimmer of hope that it’s finding its floor or levelling out, whether that’s inflation coming down, rates on hold, or perhaps the result of the Victorian election at the end of November, competition returns.
Whichever side of the table you’re on, the next few weeks reward those who are clear early.
