Australian Property Seekers Are Casting a Wider Net in 2026
If you've been house hunting recently, you may have noticed yourself scrolling through suburbs you wouldn't have considered even a couple of years ago. You're not alone. According to a new survey of over 2,000 property seekers conducted by realestate.com.au, the distance that buyers are willing to move from their current home has reached an all-time high in 2026. This shift is reshaping the new homes market and redefining what Australians consider "too far" when it comes to finding their next property.
Every year, realestate.com.au conducts in-depth research into the evolving preferences of buyers active in the New Homes market. The 2026 findings paint a clear picture: property seekers are no longer anchored to their immediate neighbourhoods or even their familiar city fringes. The search radius is expanding, and it's doing so at a pace that signals a significant behavioural change across the Australian property landscape.
What the Data Is Telling Us
The annual survey, which captures the attitudes, motivations, and preferences of thousands of active property seekers, consistently provides one of the most reliable snapshots of where the market is heading. For 2026, the headline finding is both striking and telling: buyers are prepared to look further afield than at any point previously recorded in the survey's history.
This isn't simply a marginal shift. The willingness to move greater distances reflects a confluence of pressures and changing priorities that have been building for several years. Affordability constraints, evolving work arrangements, improved infrastructure, and a growing appetite for space and lifestyle have all played a role in encouraging buyers to expand their horizons — sometimes quite literally.
The New Homes segment in particular has benefited from this trend, as new housing estates and land releases are often situated in growth corridors and outer suburbs where land is more available and more affordable. Buyers who previously dismissed these areas as "too far out" are increasingly reconsidering, and the survey data confirms this shift is accelerating into 2026.
Why Buyers Are Willing to Move Further Away
Affordability Remains the Driving Force
It's no secret that property prices in major Australian capitals have placed enormous pressure on buyers, particularly first home buyers and young families. When inner-city and middle-ring suburbs move beyond reach, the outer suburbs and regional growth areas begin to look far more attractive. The ability to secure a brand-new home with more space, more bedrooms, and a larger backyard — often at a significantly lower price point — is a compelling proposition for buyers who have adjusted their expectations.
For many, the trade-off of a longer commute is increasingly worth making if it means getting a foot on the property ladder or upgrading to a home that truly meets their family's needs. The survey findings suggest that in 2026, more buyers than ever are making exactly that calculation.
Remote and Hybrid Work Has Changed the Equation
The lasting legacy of flexible working arrangements cannot be overstated when it comes to property search behaviour. When buyers are no longer required to commute five days a week, the calculus around location changes dramatically. A suburb that once seemed impractical due to its distance from a CBD office now becomes entirely viable when that commute only needs to happen two or three times per week.
This structural shift in working life has effectively extended the functional reach of every major city. Areas that were previously considered outer-ring or even semi-regional are now being evaluated as genuine lifestyle choices rather than compromises. For the New Homes market, which has long been concentrated in these growth corridors, this is a significant tailwind.
Infrastructure Investment Is Opening Up New Areas
State and federal investment in road, rail, and public transport infrastructure has also contributed to buyers' willingness to look further afield. New train lines, motorway upgrades, and improved public transport links have reduced travel times to key employment centres, making previously remote areas far more connected. When a new suburb is within 45 to 60 minutes of a CBD via improved transport links, it starts to compete seriously with established suburbs that cost significantly more.
What This Means for the New Homes Market
The implications of this trend for the New Homes market are substantial. Developers and builders operating in outer growth corridors stand to benefit from a larger and more motivated pool of buyers. Communities that were once considered niche or aspirational destinations are now attracting mainstream demand from buyers who are actively choosing to broaden their search.
For property developers, the message is clear: communicate the full lifestyle picture of your location, not just the price point. Buyers who are willing to move further are increasingly doing so with their eyes open, looking for amenity, community, greenery, and quality of life — not just affordability. Projects that can demonstrate a compelling vision of what life looks and feels like in their location will have a meaningful advantage.
Tips for Property Seekers Considering a Wider Search
- Research infrastructure projects in your target area. Planned road or rail upgrades can dramatically change a suburb's accessibility over the next few years, making an early purchase even more strategic.
- Visit the area at different times of day. Get a feel for commute times, local amenity, and the community vibe before committing to a location that's new to you.
- Look at growth corridor masterplanned communities. Many new estates in outer areas are designed with long-term liveability in mind, including schools, shopping, parks, and healthcare facilities built in from the ground up.
- Factor in total cost of living, not just purchase price. A lower purchase price in a more distant suburb may be offset by higher transport costs, so run the full numbers before deciding.
- Talk to locals and recent buyers. Nothing replaces firsthand experience. Online forums, community Facebook groups, and conversations with people who already live in an area can give you invaluable insight.
The Bottom Line: Distance Is Being Redefined
The 2026 realestate.com.au survey findings confirm what many in the property industry have been observing anecdotally: the boundaries of where Australians are willing to live are shifting outward. Driven by affordability pressures, flexible work, improving infrastructure, and a genuine reassessment of lifestyle priorities, today's property seekers are more open-minded about location than any previous generation of buyers on record.
For buyers, this represents real opportunity. For the New Homes market, it signals continued strong demand in growth corridors. And for the property industry as a whole, it's a reminder that the definition of "too far" is always evolving — and in 2026, it's further away than it's ever been before.