WA Housing: Regional property market booms as Perth lags, with Albany, Kalgoorlie and Busselton leading charge

WA’s regional property market is red-hot. New data from property analytics firm Cotality shows regional WA recorded the strongest price surge of any state in the nation, with dwelling values jumping 6.1 per cent in the three months to January — up sharply from 4.9 per cent in the previous quarter. Albany, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Busselton are leading the charge. Albany saw a staggering 7.7 per cent quarterly rise, closely followed by Kalgoorlie-Boulder at 7.6 per cent and Busselton at 7 per cent. Cotality’s head of research, Gerard Burg, said the gap between city and regional markets was narrowing. “With capital city prices still near record highs and stock levels tight, many households are once again looking to regional Australia for greater value and liveability,” he said. “We’re seeing momentum build across a wide range of regional markets, from inland hubs to coastal centres and mining adjacent regions.” The median time on market across regional WA is just 20 days, with Albany leading the charge at a lightning-fast 10 days. But while homeowners pop the champagne, renters are feeling the squeeze as regional rent climbed 1.6 per cent over the quarter.