SYDNEY, June 18, 2026, 08:02 AEST
- REA Group finished the session at A$145.48, up 1.1%. The S&P/ASX 200 was also higher, adding 0.54% to close at 8,966.30. Yahoo Finance
- realestate.com.au expects combined-capital home prices to stay flat through 2026, then rise 5.5% in 2027.
- REA has cancelled 261,130 ordinary shares through its on-market buy-back, a new filing showed. IRM
REA Group was set to open Thursday in Sydney trading close to its 52-week low. Its realestate.com.au business put out a weaker housing forecast, citing higher rates and incoming federal tax changes as reasons why combined capital-city home prices should end the year about flat.
ASX cash trading was still paused at 08:02 AEST. The exchange says normal trade will begin at 09:59:45 Sydney time until 16:00. Australian Securities Exchange
REA ended at A$145.48 on Wednesday, rising A$1.62, or 1.13%. Shares are still off roughly 4.7% over the past week and trade near their 52-week low of A$140.02. That’s far under the stock’s 52-week high of A$265.98. Intelligent Investor
Timing is key for REA, a digital property ad company built around realestate.com.au in Australia. Investors track housing turnover, listings, and agent spend since these drive portal revenue and pricing power, according to Reuters.
Home prices in Sydney and Melbourne dropped for a third month in a row, according to the latest realestate.com.au Property Outlook. New listings in both cities climbed 6% to 7% in the first five months of 2026, so buyers have more options. Sydney prices are forecast to see a 3% drop this year, with Melbourne set for a 4% fall. Perth is still expected to gain 8%. RealEstate
REA Group executive manager of economics Angus Moore said this year’s rate hikes and tax changes were putting pressure on the market. Moore said home-price growth has “clearly slowed” and that market conditions have “cooled”. ANZ economist Madeline Dunk said the downturn “will not be evenly felt across the market,” warning investor-heavy apartments look more exposed. RealEstate
The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its cash rate at 4.35% on June 16, leaving the central bank’s main policy rate unchanged after three hikes of 25 basis points each earlier in 2026. One basis point is equal to one-hundredth of a percentage point. Reserve Bank of Australia
REA faces risk if there’s another rate hike or if buyer confidence stays low, which could keep listings and ad spend down in its core markets. On the other hand, the outlook points to limited new construction holding up prices, while population growth, stronger incomes and first-home buyer programs are still helping demand.
REA cancelled 261,130 shares worth A$39.85 million after buying them back on-market from May 27 to June 11, according to its latest capital management filing. On-market buy-backs cut shares on issue as companies purchase their own stock through the exchange.
ASX investors can’t look to a straight peer comparison anymore. Domain, which was REA’s main domestic property-portal competitor, got bought by CoStar Group in August 2025 and then delisted. CoStar said the purchase will mean more competition for agents, vendors and buyers in Australia. CoStar Group
REA holders face a basic choice at the open: was Wednesday’s move just buyers snapping up a beaten-down quality name, or is this a breather before more pressure from housing, rates, and a rival Domain with a bigger war chest?
