According to the REA Group Listings Report, Sydney and Melbourne led the charge with impressive year-on-year growth of 17.7 per cent and 13.5 per cent.
This continues the trend of above-average activity in Australia’s two largest property markets in 2025.
The timing of Easter has played a significant role in these figures, as Easter fell in March last year but will occur in April this year.
This timing difference partially explains the strong year-on-year growth, as listing activity typically slows during the Easter period.
Nearly all capital cities recorded more new listings compared to last year, with Brisbane being the only exception.
The Queensland capital saw new listings fall by 5.5 per cent year-on-year, likely due to cyclone-related disruptions affecting the property market.
Regional areas showed more subdued activity compared to their metropolitan counterparts, with new listings declining 4.6 per cent compared to March 2024.
Meanwhile, total national listings increased by 2.1 per cent over the month to sit 4.0 per cent higher than a year earlier.
REA Group Senior Economist Anne Flaherty said the busy March for listings can be attributed to multiple factors beyond just the Easter timing.
“Depending where you are in the country, seller sentiment is actually quite strong,” Ms Flaherty said.
“Particularly in markets like Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, we know from our own market research that people feel very good about selling conditions.
“They feel pretty confident that they’ll find a buyer.”
The increase in available properties represents positive news for potential buyers who have faced limited options in recent years.
“When we have a shortage of listings, home values tend to rise more rapidly,” Ms Flaherty said.
“But in a market where we’re seeing a lot of properties being put up for sale, that gives buyers more choice and it helps to reduce that competition.
“It gives buyers a bit more breathing room.”
Looking ahead, Ms Flaherty said that economic uncertainty could impact listing volumes in the short term, but the outlook remains positive due to interest rate expectations.
“This level of uncertainty we’re seeing could lead people to potentially hold off,” she said.
“We know that when people feel a bit unsure about the state of the economy, sometimes they hold off taking action.”
“The fact that interest rates have moved downwards already and are forecast to move further downwards over the course of this year, that’s definitely supporting buyer confidence and it’ll support home values.
“I think that selling conditions will remain very good in most markets and I think that will help to maintain pretty healthy listing levels.”
