FEAR & GREED | Business News Q+A: Why regional property is outperforming the capitals
Feb 18, 2026
Tim Lawless, Executive Research Director for Asia Pacific at CoreLogic/Cotality, shares data-driven property analysis. He compares regional value growth with capitals. He discusses pandemic-era shifts, corrections in lifestyle hotspots, and standout towns like Albany and Karratha. He explains how affordability, services, infrastructure and jobs drive regional resilience.
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Regions Outspeed Capitals
- Regional housing has outperformed capital cities across 1-, 5- and 10-year windows in recent data.
- Regions rose ~10.3% last year versus capitals ~9.2%, and show stronger medium-term gains.
Byron's Pandemic Peak And Drop
- Byron Bay and similar lifestyle markets surged during the pandemic but then corrected sharply from mid-2022.
- Byron saw roughly a 15% downturn due to rate rises and severe flooding impacts.
New Winners: Diverse Regional Markets
- Top regional performers today differ from pandemic winners and include diverse locations like Albany and Karratha.
- Karratha rose ~23% last year but remains ~20% below its 2012 peak after the mining boom hangover.