Episode 105: Inflation, Housing Costs & Trust Under Pressure
Wed Jan 28 2026
Hosts Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley break down the 3.8% CPI print and why housing costs—especially rents and electricity—are doing most of the damage. We explain what a likely 0.25% RBA hike means for prices, buyer sentiment, and negotiations, then turn to NSW’s new name-and-shame register for agents and whether tougher enforcement can rebuild trust in the industry.
We also discuss:
Headline inflation at 3.8% and the upward trendTrimmed mean inflation closer to target, but not enough to reassure the RBAHousing as the key CPI driver: rents and electricity in focusWhy a 0.25% rate hike is likely at the next RBA meetingJanuary listings lifting as vendors move earlier than usualBuyer sentiment dipping despite APRA buffers and approvals holdingStress risk concentrated in households with thin cash buffersUneven impacts of first-home buyer schemes across suburbsMigration continuing to support house-and-land demandNSW’s name-and-shame register: who it applies to and what offences qualifyUnderquoting incentives versus real consumer harmFee misuse, conflicts of interest, and stricter enforcement aheadPractical tactics for pricing, negotiating, and timing decisions in a tighter settingSend us a text
As always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!
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Hosts Ciaran O’Brien and Peter O’Malley break down the 3.8% CPI print and why housing costs—especially rents and electricity—are doing most of the damage. We explain what a likely 0.25% RBA hike means for prices, buyer sentiment, and negotiations, then turn to NSW’s new name-and-shame register for agents and whether tougher enforcement can rebuild trust in the industry. We also discuss: Headline inflation at 3.8% and the upward trendTrimmed mean inflation closer to target, but not enough to reassure the RBAHousing as the key CPI driver: rents and electricity in focusWhy a 0.25% rate hike is likely at the next RBA meetingJanuary listings lifting as vendors move earlier than usualBuyer sentiment dipping despite APRA buffers and approvals holdingStress risk concentrated in households with thin cash buffersUneven impacts of first-home buyer schemes across suburbsMigration continuing to support house-and-land demandNSW’s name-and-shame register: who it applies to and what offences qualifyUnderquoting incentives versus real consumer harmFee misuse, conflicts of interest, and stricter enforcement aheadPractical tactics for pricing, negotiating, and timing decisions in a tighter settingSend us a text As always if there is a specific topic you would like for us to cover, please reach out and let us know!