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Property markets won't wait: OpenCorp says today's RBA hold signals a turning point for investors

AD Press Office

Key Facts:

• Australia's Reserve Bank is expecting to hold the cash rate at 4.35%, which OpenCorp believes could signal a turning point for the property market.
• OpenCorp Co-Founder Cam McLellan warns that waiting for a rate cut is a mistake, as property markets respond to confidence rather than lower rates themselves.
• Three of the four major banks are forecasting a rate cut, with market sentiment shifting as buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines begin to return.
• Australia's ongoing housing shortage means that while buyer confidence can return quickly, new housing supply cannot be built overnight, potentially driving rapid price growth.
• McLellan's book *Investing in the New Normal* draws on 50 years of Australian property investment experience and has successfully tracked major changes in the property market from 2020 to 2026. 

Australia's leading property investment firm OpenCorp says today's [expected] Reserve Bank decision to hold the cash rate at 4.35% could mark the moment the property market stops waiting and starts moving. For long-term investors, it comes as no surprise.

"The biggest mistake investors could make right now is waiting for the first rate cut," said Cam McLellan, Co-Founder of OpenCorp. "Property markets don't respond to lower rates. They respond to confidence. Today's RBA decision reinforces what experienced investors already understand: once the market becomes convinced the rate cycle has turned, demand can return much faster than most people expect."

"The challenge is that Australia's housing shortage remains unresolved. We can create buyer confidence overnight, but we can't build hundreds of thousands of homes overnight. That's why the next phase of the market may not be driven by interest rates at all. It may be driven by the simple fact that demand is returning to a market that still doesn't have enough homes."

McLellan, whose 2020 book Investing in the New Normal drew on 50 years of Australian property investment experience to help investors make decisions based on long-term fundamentals, says the current cycle is one OpenCorp has been modelling for years.

"For the past six months, uncertainty around interest rates, the Federal Budget and the broader economy has kept many buyers on the sidelines. But markets don't move when rates are cut - they move when people become confident enough to believe cuts are coming.

"Historically, we see demand strengthen when rates stabilise, and this is the first hold since December. With three of the four major banks now forecasting the next move down, sentiment is shifting quickly.

"The problem is that confidence can return almost overnight, but new housing supply can't. Australia is already struggling to build enough homes to meet demand, so if buyers wait for complete certainty before acting, they may find themselves competing in a market that's already moved.

"For investors who have been focused on long-term fundamentals rather than short-term headlines, none of this should come as a surprise. The housing shortage hasn't gone away. What's changing is confidence."

Case studies available:

Ilana - 19 year old from Melbourne who has just invested in her first rent-vesting property with her sister Olivia with the help of Bank of Mum & Dad

Bailey - 24 year old finance worker from Sydney who has just invested in his first rent-vesting property. Bailey is wanting to duplicate and retire by 35. 

Matt - mid 30s father who is looking to invest in his fifth new property to help support his young family and retire early

ENDS

About us:

About OpenCorp

OpenCorp is one of Australia's leading property investment firms, helping Australians build wealth through evidence-based strategy, done-for-you property and finance services, and expert mentoring. Since 2006, the OpenCorp team has helped more than 1,500 Australians add over $500 million to their property portfolios, transforming their wealth, retirement and financial futures.

Co-Founder Cam McLellan is the author of Investing in the New Normal and the bestselling My Four-Year-Old the Property Investor, drawing on decades of experience as a property investor and businessman to help everyday Australians make informed, long-term investment decisions.

opencorp.com.au

Contact details:

Ashleigh Dyer - AD Press Office

[email protected]

0421128914