New figures from REA Group show enquiry growth of up to 245 per cent in regional and fringe suburbs, a number too large to file under the usual seasonal noise.
The scale of the shift matters more than any single suburb result. When enquiry growth of that size shows up in regional and fringe markets simultaneously, it points to something structural rather than a handful of good campaigns. Affordability pressure in the capitals, remote work arrangements that never fully reversed, and lifestyle preferences that shifted during the pandemic and never fully shifted back are all still doing quiet work on where buyers actually want to live.
For agents working regional and fringe patches, this is the kind of data that should be sitting in every listing presentation this spring, not as a vague regional is hot line, but as a specific number vendors can be shown. For metro agents, it is worth asking a harder question: how many of the buyers currently sitting in your database have quietly started looking further out, and does your follow-up process even notice when they do.
Enquiry data does not lie about where attention is going. The only question is who is paying attention to it first.
This article was independently written and edited by Real Estate Today. © Real Estate Today 2026 – All Rights Reserved.
Real Estate Today is an independent real estate industry publication covering Australia and New Zealand.
THE-RET experience
The Morning Brief
The essential real estate briefing with Jake & Mia.
From 5:30am every weekday.
The 7:30 Report
The day's property news, context and what comes next with Dan & Sarah.
Five nights a week.
Trending
ActivePipe by MoxiWorks Joins Real Estate Today as Major Partner
Industry News
Three heavyweights, one network: Eastern suburbs rivalry heats up
Industry News
The Truth Hurts, But Read This Anyway
Network News
Harcourts Solutions Golf Day raises $13,000 for Mitchelton Special School
Community
What Actually Makes a Healthy Real Estate Office? The Numbers Beyond GCI
Opinion
