Five years of relentless price growth. Multiple offers on every second property. Buyers stretching, waiving conditions, bidding against ten other parties just to get a foot in the door.
Then, on 12 May 2026, the Federal Budget landed the biggest shake-up to property tax settings in a generation — reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax. And almost overnight, the mood shifted.
Investors have paused. Home buyers have paused. Auction rooms that were standing-room-only six months ago are noticeably quieter.
For most people watching the market, that reads as bad news. We think it’s the opposite — and in our 22 years as exclusive buyer’s agents, we’ve seen this part of the cycle before and there are opportunities that can be taken with due care.
Three takeaways before we get into it:
Competition at the pointy end of the market — auctions and negotiations — has genuinely eased, and we’re seeing it firsthand.
This window won’t stay open. Once uncertainty settles, competition comes back.
We have seen this part of the cycle before and many of our clients have taken advantage of these pauses to their great benefit — the only things that matters right now are whether you’re financially ready to act and focusing on quality.
What actually changed, in plain terms
The headline reforms affect established residential property purchased after 7:30pm on 12 May 2026. From 1 July 2027, negative gearing on those properties will only offset rental income, not salary or wages. The 50% CGT discount is being replaced with cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax on gains accrued after 1 July 2027. New builds, properties bought before the announcement, and a handful of other categories are exempt.
The detail matters for individual strategy, and we’d always recommend running your own numbers with an accountant. But the market impact has been less about the fine print and more about the fear the headlines created.
Why buyers have hit pause
Uncertainty is the enemy of confidence, and confidence is what drives people to act on property. Investors are reassessing whether established homes still stack up. Owner-occupiers, watching investor activity slow, are wondering if prices are about to fall and whether they should wait it out.
That hesitation is understandable. It’s also, in our view, a mistake for anyone who is actually ready to buy.
This is the window Brisbane buyers have been asking for
For half a decade, we’ve heard from from buyers who did everything right — got pre-approved, did the due diligence, showed up to the auction — and still lost, again and again, to a market with more buyers than stock. Over our 22 years as exclusive buyer’s agents, we’ve watched this cycle turn before: heat, hesitation, and then a window like this one. The most common thing we’ve heard is some version of “we just need less competition and more time to think.”
That’s precisely what’s on offer right now. Fewer bidders in the room. More room to negotiate rather than just bid. Time to actually assess a property properly instead of making a decision under auction-day pressure.
This isn’t a call that prices are about to crash, and it isn’t a call that they’re about to boom. It’s simpler than that: when the number of people competing for a property drops, the buyer’s position improves. That’s true regardless of which direction the broader market moves next.
A case in point
I was at an auction in late June this year for a property I liked, expecting the usual scrum. Instead, there were only two other active bidders. It went a touch over my limit in the end — that’s how auctions go, and I’ll find the next one — but the difference in dynamics was obvious. A property that would have attracted eight or 15 registered bidders five months ago attracted two. That’s not a one-off. We’re seeing the same pattern across the properties we’re tracking for clients right now.
What we’d say if you’re financially ready
If you’re pre-approved, clear on your budget, and were simply waiting for the market to give you some breathing room — this is that moment. Not because anyone can predict where prices go from here, but because the conditions you’ve been asking for — less competition, more time, more negotiating power — are here now, while everyone else is busy waiting to see what happens.
Markets don’t stay quiet forever. As the reforms bed in and the uncertainty fades, we’d expect competition to return. Buyers who move while the room is quiet are the ones who tend to look back and say they bought well.
If you’re weighing up whether now is your moment, we’re always happy to talk it through.
Why Property Pursuit Advisors?
Buying property is one of the most significant financial decisions you’ll make. You deserve an advisor whose only interest is yours.
At Property Pursuit Advisors, we work exclusively for buyers — never agents, never developers. Our structured 10-Phase Client Risk Management Framework means nothing falls through the cracks, from finance preparation through to settlement.
But process only takes you so far. The difference between a good purchase and a great one comes down to judgement — knowing which suburb will outperform, which property to walk away from, and when market conditions have created an opportunity others are missing. That’s what we bring.
You will buy Brisbane property with insight, confidence, and the support of a trusted experienced guide, protecting your interests at every step of your journey.
Ready to find your ideal property? Let’s talk.
Click Here to find out more about how our experienced Brisbane Buyers Agents can help you. Or call us or send an email to receive more information.
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