The Bundaberg Property Market - Stop waiting for the 'right time'.
There is a lot of uncertainty around the property market at the moment.
Interest rates have just increased again. Buyers are becoming more cautious. Borrowing capacity has reduced. Stock levels are building. And I’m hearing more and more people say:
“Maybe we should just wait another 12 months.”
I understand why people think that way.
But after more than 25 years in real estate, I’ve learnt one thing:
There is no perfect time to buy or sell property.
There is only the market you are actually standing in.
And right now, I think both buyers and sellers need to understand what is happening **now**, rather than trying to predict what might happen next year.
1. INTEREST RATES ARE CHANGING THE CONVERSATION
The Reserve Bank has just increased the cash rate to **4.60%**, its fourth increase of 2026. The RBA has also said financial conditions have tightened, housing prices have declined in most capital cities and demand for new housing loans has fallen noticeably.
There is plenty of talk about another increase around the Melbourne Cup period and potentially again in December.
Nobody knows whether that will happen.
But if rates continue to rise, the pressure on household budgets and borrowing capacity will continue.
And that matters to property.
If the economy slows significantly, we could see buyers become even more cautious.
That doesn't mean property is going to suddenly collapse.
It means uncertainty can make people sit on their hands.
And when buyers sit on their hands, sellers need to understand that they may have fewer people competing for their property.
2. BUYERS ARE WAITING FOR PRICES TO FALL FURTHER
This is one of the biggest things I am hearing.
Some buyers are saying:
“I'll wait. Prices might come down further.”
And I understand the thinking.
But here is the problem with waiting for the bottom:
You only know where the bottom was after you've passed it.
We saw this during previous periods of uncertainty.
The GFC.
The COVID period.
The various interest-rate cycles and market downturns I've worked through over more than 25 years.
People stop buying because they are worried about what might happen next.
Then eventually confidence returns.
And when people look back, they often say:
“I wish we'd bought when we had the chance.”
Think back to the homes that were selling around Bundaberg before COVID.
Homes around the $350,000 mark could buy you a very nice home.
Today, many comparable homes are being marketed around $650,000–$700,000.
Obviously, every property and every market cycle is different.
But the point is simple:
Nobody rings you and tells you, “This is the bottom. Buy now.”
3. BUYERS HAVE CHOICE — AND LOTS OF IT
This weekend there were approximately 172 open homes across the Bundaberg region by my count.
That's a lot of property for buyers to choose from.
And importantly, some of those properties have already been on the market for 6–8 weeks or more.
From a buyer's perspective?
This is opportunity.
You have choice.
You can compare properties.
You can inspect several homes.
You can negotiate.
You don't necessarily have to make an emotional decision on the first Saturday because there are three other buyers standing behind you.
If I was buying today, I would want to be looking at the market very closely.
Not because I know prices are going up.
Not because I know prices are going down.
But because there is choice.
And choice gives buyers something they haven't always had:
Negotiating power.
4. BORROWING CAPACITY HAS CHANGED
This is another important part of the conversation.
A buyer who could borrow a certain amount a couple of years ago may not be able to borrow the same amount today.
Interest rates, lending assessments, living costs and individual circumstances all affect borrowing capacity.
The RBA has already reported that demand for new housing loans has declined noticeably.
So sellers need to understand something very important:
Your house may still be worth what you believe it is worth — but that doesn't mean today's buyer can borrow enough to pay it.
That is where pricing becomes critical.
The market doesn't care what you paid for the property.
It doesn't care what your neighbour sold for 18 months ago.
And it certainly doesn't care what an online valuation says.
The buyer standing in front of your property today is the market.
5. SOME BUYERS ARE LOOKING ELSEWHERE
I'm also hearing people talk about looking outside the local market — including overseas — rather than committing to property here right now.
That doesn't mean everybody is doing it.
But it is another sign of uncertainty.
When people aren't confident about where the market is heading, they start looking at alternatives for where to put their money.
And that is exactly why I don't think sellers should simply assume:
“Next year will be better.”
It might be.
It might not.
Nobody knows.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IF YOU ARE SELLING?
I WOULD STILL SELL.
I'm not saying that because I'm a real estate agent.
I'm saying it because I've spent more than 25 years watching property markets change.
I've seen recessions.
I've seen the GFC.
I've seen COVID bring the market to a standstill.
I've seen buyers disappear.
I've seen sellers panic.
I've seen markets turn around when nobody expected them to.
And I've seen people wait for the “right time” only to realise later that the opportunity they were waiting for had already passed.
If you genuinely want or need to sell, don't put your life on hold waiting for a crystal ball.
But there is a BIG condition.
YOU HAVE TO PRICE AND SELL FOR THE MARKET YOU ARE IN.
Not the market you had in 2021.
Not the market your neighbour had 12 months ago.
Not the market you hope arrives next year.
TODAY'S MARKET.
If you want to be one of those properties that actually sells out of the large amount of stock currently available, buyers need to see value.
That doesn't necessarily mean giving your property away.
It means being realistic.
It means listening to buyer feedback.
It means looking at the competition.
And it means adjusting your strategy if the market tells you that you need to.
AND PLEASE DON'T ASSUME TAKING IT OFF THE MARKET WILL FIX IT
This is something I would seriously think about before deciding to withdraw a property and “try again next year.”
If the property isn't selling now because the price is too high, taking it off the market doesn't magically make it worth more six months later.
You may simply be delaying the conversation.
And if the market weakens further, you could find yourself coming back into the market with:
More competition.
Fewer buyers.
Lower borrowing capacity.
And buyers negotiating harder.
That is not guaranteed to happen.
But it is absolutely possible.
The RBA itself is currently warning that economic activity is uncertain and that housing-market conditions have weakened.
IF I WAS BUYING RIGHT NOW…
I'd be looking.
Seriously.
172 open homes.
That's a lot of choice.
I'd be inspecting.
I'd be comparing.
I'd be doing my homework.
And I'd be negotiating.
Because when buyers have choice, they can afford to be selective.
IF I WAS SELLING RIGHT NOW…
I wouldn't panic.
But I also wouldn't bury my head in the sand.
I'd make sure my property was priced properly from the beginning.
I'd listen to the feedback.
I'd watch the competition.
I'd understand what buyers are actually doing.
And most importantly:
I'd act on today's market.
Not the market I hope arrives in January.
Not the market I think might arrive in 12 months.
The market that exists today.
Because property markets don't send you a memo telling you when conditions are about to change.
They just change.
AFTER 25+ YEARS, THIS IS WHAT I KNOW
There is always a reason to wait.
Interest rates.
Elections.
The economy.
The news.
A recession.
The next interest-rate decision.
Christmas.
January.
The next property cycle.
And then, eventually, people look back and say:
“We should have bought.”
or
“We should have sold.”
You can't control the market.
But you can control how you respond to it.
So if you're thinking about buying, don't automatically assume waiting is going to make it cheaper.
If you're thinking about selling, **don't automatically assume waiting is going to make it better.
Look at the evidence.
Look at your own circumstances.
Look at what buyers are doing.
And make your decision based on the market that actually exists.
Because in real estate, there is no perfect time.
There is only the right decision for you, at the time you need to make it.
Barbara Burstall
Principal | Licensed Real Estate Agent | Auctioneer
Hotspot Realty Bundaberg