US Housing Market Rapid Response US Mortgage Applications (Feb 2026) The sharp 15% fall in home purchase mortgage applications in February was probably due to temporary weather effects, as refinancing activity strengthened and mortgage costs continued to ease over the... · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia’s housing market loses some steam Australian house prices pared their gains in February, as housing demand softened a touch. Although the slowdown was driven largely by Sydney and Melbourne, we suspect it will become more broad-based... · 3 mins read
UK Housing Market Chart Pack UK Housing Market Chart Pack (Feb. 2026) The green shoots of a recovery in the housing market at the start of 2026 support other evidence that suggests the economy has strengthened. We think further falls in mortgage rates and looser lending... · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack ANZ Chart Pack (Feb. 2026) Our ANZ Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. The continued acceleration in Australia’s underlying inflation at the start of the year vindicates the... · 1 min read
US Housing Market Rapid Response US New Home Sales (Nov. & Dec. 2025) New home sales remained solid in November and December, even as the downward march in mortgage rates paused for breath. Because sales are recorded at contract signing, they likely softened in January... · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update EZ housebuilding subdued, civil engineering growing There is likely to be an increase in civil engineering activity in the euro-zone this year as Germany’s government boosts infrastructure spending. However, we think that this boost will be smaller... · 2 mins read
Canada Economics Update Canada Housing Watch (Feb. 2026) The housing market weakened sharply in January, with home sales and house prices both plunging. While the housing market has been struggling for some time, the record-breaking winter storm that hit... · 4 mins read
US Housing Market Rapid Response US Existing Home Sales (Jan 2026) The drop in existing home sales to a two-year low in January should prove temporary as the recent decline in borrowing costs feeds into greater homebuyer demand, notwithstanding some potential near... · 2 mins read
UK Housing Market Update UK RICS Residential Market Survey (Jan. 2026) The green shoots of recovery indicated by January’s RICS housing market survey support other evidence that suggests the economy strengthened at the start of the year. And it lends some tentative... · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Weekly Housing could take a while to thaw The local real estate board data for January shows that the housing market is still struggling, and we probably can’t blame it all on the weather. Meanwhile, the large fall in the unemployment rate... · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Focus Will the build-to-rent boom turn to bust? The boom in build-to-rent (BtR) housing starts to record highs, despite the immigration crackdown and accompanying fall in rents on new leases, reflects the significant expansion of government support... · 15 mins read
US Housing Market Rapid Response US Mortgage Applications (Jan. 2026) The large 8% rise in home purchase mortgage applications in January lifted them to their highest level in three years and is consistent with existing home sales rising to around 4.5m annualised over... · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Strong housing market bolsters case for RBA hikes Australia’s house price rally maintained solid momentum in January, while growth in advertised rents accelerated further. With the housing sector likely to feed inflationary pressures for a while to... · 4 mins read
UK Housing Market Outlook Looser lending standards to boost activity and prices Despite the recent increase in the supply of homes on the market, we think the combination of looser lending standards, further falls in mortgage rates and decent wage growth will allow housing... · 17 mins read
Canada Economics Update Canada Housing Watch (Jan. 2026) The housing market ended the year on a weak footing, with both sales and house prices continuing to fall. The outlook for this year is a little brighter, with tightening supply of new listings likely... · 4 mins read
UK Housing Market Update UK RICS Residential Market Survey (Dec. 2025) The continued weakness in buyer sentiment, the further rise in the supply of homes for sale and the softening in rental demand recorded by the RICS survey in December implies that the risks to our... · 3 mins read
