We Are Looking At A Strong Market

Wherever you look these days, there are increasing commentaries and articles about how, just maybe, the property market is set to keep advancing.

Well, we never said anything else. Personally I have been forecasting strong property price growth since 2008, starting with the outer suburbs of Sydney first, and then gradually shifting last of all to the Harbourside eastern suburbs in that case. This was because I knew the real economy was going to recover before the confidence of bankers recovered. This is exactly what happened.

Just as real people are becoming keen on property right now, before the forecasting fraternity really gets it.

There are increasing positive stories to be seen, but these are just the beginning of what could become a flood of more positive news. If you already have a full property portfolio, that’s great news. If not, then maybe its time to get busy. Because it looks like everyone else is starting to catch on to what we have been saying consistently this past year. The outlook is very strong.

Mid last year, I wrote an essay about how Australian property prices would continue to rise by 20% by 2020. We are well on track to achieving this. The interesting thing is that property demand and prices have remained very firm. Albeit with momentary hesitations at weekend auctions for instance due to Brexit, and other negative fear media beat ups. The great thing is how quickly market interest keeps bouncing back from these supposedly fearful events.

This is not only true of the Australian property market, it is also true as I occasionally remind people, of the stock market too. In fact all markets everywhere, including commodity markets which is particularly great for Australia, are steadily moving higher. By the way, I am holding a full day seminar on economics and financial markets, which you can see the details of at www.cliffordbennett.com.au. Just click on the Warrior Trading button.

You will of course have seen those big media reports about the stock market will crash because of Brexit? Well, not only has nothing of the kind happened, but stock markets have been steadily hitting all time records in the US. Even in the UK, the stock market has been making fresh 14 month highs. Not a bad reaction to a supposed disaster as the media said it would be. Very reassuring too about the outlook for the global economy.

Where’s the press coverage of this though? Where’s the front page stories about the billions being added to the market? The media sensationalises bad things, and ignores positive events. Time and time again.

This has been very true of the Australian property market too. Yet Australian property prices have been tending to go sideways, or in many cases, have moved strongly higher. There is no doubting the resilience of a market, when it absorbs endless media and forecasters negativity, yet holds and even climbs. This tells us that there is strong underlying demand. Some of this demand may in fact be hidden, as foreign purchases remain a significant element of this market. They are however, just the icing on the cake, of true blue Australian demand.

Australia is again becoming a wealthier country, in the context of a wealthy Asian region and strong commodity prices yet again. With more and more people likely headed to Australia from Europe, as well as Asia, one wonders just how high prices will go. It is important not to hesitate, as so many other investors have. From stocks to commodities to property, people are missing out.

Clifford Bennett