Property Investors Return with Force: Investor participation in the housing market has surged, with their share of new home loan commitments hitting an 8-year high. In the June quarter, investor loan values accounted for 37.7% of new commitments, driven by significant growth in markets like Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland.

Interest Rate Cuts Back on the Table: After a period of uncertainty, expectations for a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate cut have returned. Economists and major banks are again tipping a fall in interest rates, citing economic signals such as a lengthening jobless queue and a 12-month low in consumer confidence. This environment has prompted an advisory for businesses to lock in current business term deposit rates before any potential RBA cuts reduce returns. The high investor activity, combined with rate cut anticipation, is fueling a surge of buyers back into the property market.

Westpac NZ Scraps Trail Commissions: Westpac New Zealand has announced a major change to its mortgage adviser network, scrapping trail commissions. The bank will move to a single upfront commission structure of 0.90% of the new loan value, effective for all settlements from June 1, 2026. This replaces the current 0.60% upfront plus 0.20% annual trail commission model, with an interim 0.30% top-up payment offered until the new structure is fully implemented.