Compare the whole property cost, not just the headline price.

Government and central-bank data for settled sales, indexes and defensible time series.

REINZ, CREA, PropTrack, Domain, Zoopla and similar reports can be faster locally.

Listing sites show price cuts, stale stock, land supply, new builds and fee clues.

Rates, arrears, approvals, debt levels and lending standards explain affordability pressure.

Useful for apartments, condos and international city comparisons.

Separate new builds, completed stock, renovated older homes and very old homes.

Compare one bedroom, two bedroom, older blocks, luxury towers and investor stock separately.

Good suburbs, cheaper outer suburbs, serviced lots, rural land, zoning and build access.

Buyer taxes, land transfer tax, registration costs, notary costs and surcharges.

Approvals, bans, quotas, land restrictions, residency conditions and exemptions.

Holding costs, assessed values, investor thresholds and vacancy rules.

Maintenance, insurance, lifts, defects, reserves and special assessments.

Rates, water, sewerage, rubbish, local charges and special levies.

Flood, fire, storm, coastal, strata and lender-required insurance costs.

Nonresident exposure, gift rules, succession, probate and family ownership issues.

CGT, nonresident withholding, bright-line rules and tax residency.

Higher repayments reduce borrowing capacity and raise refinancing risk.

Fewer sales, more listings and longer days on market often come before price falls.

Mortgage stress, repossessions, distressed listings and lender-controlled sales.

Population ageing, lower birth rates and tighter immigration can affect demand.