Two very different halves made up this financial year. Adrian William opened FY26 at full pace, then proved something more valuable when the market shifted beneath us. We surpassed 559 properties sold, welcomed some of the Inner West's most respected agents to our team, and set new suburb, street and complex records, even as the broader market recalibrated around us.
The Market
The year opened with momentum. Domain projected Sydney house prices to rise around 10% and nine of Sydney's ten most sought-after suburbs sat in the Inner West. Then conditions shifted quickly. Three rate rises, Middle East tensions, volatile oil prices and a Federal Budget that reshaped negative gearing and Capital Gains Tax triggered a correction unlike anything seen in over a decade. The NSW auction clearance rate fell as low as 28.54% by year's end. It would be easy to read this as a downturn, but we see it differently. This is a market recalibrating to reflect where value sits, after years of growth that even the most optimistic vendor would admit was unsustainable. Sydney remains the most expensive city in the country, and it still outperforms every other capital*. What we are witnessing is not the end of demand, but a pause in pace, and pauses in a structurally undersupplied city rarely last long.
On the National Stage
Adrian Tsavalas was named in the REB Top 50 NSW/ACT Ranking 2026, settling 116 properties and generating almost $199 million in sales during 2025. Property Management recorded 19.3% portfolio growth year on year, averaging just 12 days to lease against a market average of 36. The team also grew significantly, welcoming Urban Lane's Chris Akkawi, Alex Borthwick, Paul Koulizakis and Rosie Bold.
What's Next: The September Quarter
Winter brings Sydney's quietest selling period, and this year is likely to feel that lull. The Reserve Bank held the cash rate steady in June, with most major banks forecasting no meaningful relief before 2027. But within that sits genuine opportunity. For investors, now is the time to act before the Capital Gains Tax discount changes take effect. For buyers, conditions like this haven't existed in years, and upsizers in particular stand to benefit. For sellers willing to meet the market at value, the opportunity is significant.
Sydney remains a city more people want to live in than there are homes available. That demand doesn't disappear when conditions soften. It sits, waits, and returns stronger than before. There are buyers, there is opportunity, and there is no city in Australia we would rather be backing.
Sources: Domain Price Forecast Report 2025–2026; Domain End of Year Wrap 2025; SQM Research NSW Auction Results 2026; RBA Cash Rate Decision June 2026; ABS Total Value of Dwellings March Quarter 2026