General News
8 February, 2026
Stawell property market surges to new highs
STAWELL’S housing market has surged to its strongest position in years, with prices rebounding sharply after a brief post-pandemic lull and investor demand now driving much of the town’s sales activity — even as rental supply remains critically tight.
Fresh figures from realestate.com.au show Stawell’s median house price has climbed to $375,000, up 19.1 per cent over the past 12 months, marking a significant rebound after prices spiked during the pandemic, softened, and then surged again through 2025.
Local real estate agent Ross Matthews, from Elders Real Estate, said most current sales activity — and enquiry — was coming from investors, rather than owner-occupiers.
“A lot of our buyers are from out of town, they’re investors,” Mr Matthews said.
He said while recent interest rate rises might weigh on borrowing power elsewhere, they were unlikely to derail Stawell’s market, where investors were focused on returns rather than short-term rate movements.
“As long as they’re getting their return on investment, it doesn’t really worry them,” he said, “It might change a return from 5.6 per cent to 5.5, but they’re still comfortable.”
Despite strong investor activity, Mr Matthews said Stawell’s rental market remained under intense pressure, with demand far outstripping supply.
“We’re full,” he said, “There’s just not enough stock.”
That pressure is reflected in online data, which shows the median rent for a three-bedroom house in Stawell sits at $410 a week, with rental listings scarce and demand high. In the past month, just six houses were advertised, while almost 100 prospective renters registered interest.
Mr Matthews said the mismatch between demand and supply had been building for some time and was being compounded by workforce demand tied to local industry and limited new housing coming onto the market.
Looking ahead, he said the town’s property market appeared well-positioned to remain firm.
“I think the market will stay steady, it’s quite buoyant,” he said.
With prices rising, investors circling and renters struggling to find a foothold, Stawell’s housing story is increasingly one of growth — and strain — unfolding at the same time.
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