💸 Sydney Buyers Snag Big Discounts as Market Softens in Select Suburbs

Good news for Sydney home seekers — in some parts of the city, buyers are back in control.

As interest rates edge downward, savvy buyers are scooping up properties for as much as 15% below the asking price, particularly in pockets of Sydney’s middle ring and outer suburbs.

📉 Where the Discounts Are Happening

New data from SuburbData reveals several suburbs where average sale prices are 10% or more below list price, driven by private treaty sales and slower market momentum:

🔻 Top Discount Suburbs (Units):

• Merrylands West – 15% below list
• Rosebery – 13% below
• Hurstville, Epping, Surry Hills – 10% below
• Rockdale – ~9% below

🏠 Discounted House Suburbs:

• Revesby – Houses selling ~8% below list

These buyer-friendly suburbs stand in contrast to hotter markets, like:

• Sutherland – Units selling 13% above list
• Cronulla – 8% above
• North Kellyville – 10% above
• Ingleburn – Houses selling 11% above

🧠 What’s Driving the Gap?

According to SuburbData’s Jeremy Sheppard, the biggest discounts happen where demand is low and sellers are under pressure:

“Buyers are in control — sellers have to take what’s given to them.”

Meanwhile, other suburbs are seeing intense competition, where buyers are paying well above guides and agents are fielding multiple offers immediately.

💬 What Buyers Are Saying

Buyers like Rockdale’s Kelly Olive were stunned by how much value they could get after shifting their focus from the inner west:

“I couldn’t believe how lucky I got. I bought at just the right time.”

In Revesby, a family secured a $105,000 discount on a duplex with no competing offers — simply because the sellers had to move quickly.

🔮 What’s Next?

Chantelle Rangel of Mortgage Choice warns the window for discounts may be brief:

“There’s always a frenzy as soon as rates drop. We’ve seen a big jump in investor pre-approvals and SMSF buyers preparing to strike.”

But Sheppard cautions:

“Just because you’re getting a deal doesn’t mean the property’s value will jump right away.”

🧠 What This Means for Home Run Players

If you’re tracking trends for Home Run auctions:

• Look for discount-heavy suburbs where buyer sentiment is cautious — that’s where underbidding may still land near the mark.
• Avoid overheating markets unless you’re confident in supply/demand dynamics.
• Understand that a “deal” doesn’t always equal short-term capital growth — be strategic.