The value of new owner-occupier loan commitments for Australian dwellings fell by 4.3% quarter-on-quarter to AUD 61.4 billion in Q1 2026, reversing a downwardly revised 9.4% increase in the previous quarter. First-home buyer demand declined 6.7%, following a 15.2% surge in Q4 that had marked the strongest quarterly rise in two years. Demand from non–first-home buyers also eased, dropping 5.0% after a 6.5% gain in Q4. On an annual basis, however, owner-occupier lending was up 14.3%.
Investment lending for housing decreased 3.0% to AUD 41.5 billion, compared with an 8.2% decline in Q4. Year-on-year, the value of investment loans rose sharply, jumping 25.3%.
