Login
ISCOVER
The aggregator’s latest Mortgage Index results show that the market share of Australia’s major banks has hit a post-GFC low.
Released last week, the AFG Mortgage Index found that only 64.4 per cent of broker-originated loans are going to the big four as borrowers continue to explore alternatives outside of the major bank-owned brands.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Looking for more benefits? Become a Premium Member.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Looking for more benefits? Become a Premium Member.
The aggregator said that the results show that “major structural change” in the Australian lending landscape is continuing.
“The results paint a very different picture from this time last year,” AFG CEO David Bailey said. “Regulator-led tightening of investor lending has led to a further drop in investor volume, and they are now sitting at an all-time low of 29 per cent of the market.”
The shift in lender appetite from investors to upgraders is also evident in average loan size. Mr Bailey noted that the national average home loan is now sitting at an all-time high of $491,000.
“This increase can be explained by the fact that people generally spend more for their primary place of residence than they do for an investment property.”
AFG found that the number of people looking to refinance has dropped to 25 per cent, while those keen to upgrade their living situation is increasing, with upgraders now representing 41 per cent of the market.
“This is also likely to be a reflection of the lack of lending options on the table for investors wanting to refinance, as lenders pull back from the investor market to meet regulator demands,” the CEO said.
First home buyers are enjoying their third consecutive quarter in double digits since the beginning of 2014.
National market share for first home buyers has lifted to 13 per cent across the last quarter, helped in part by new stamp duty concessions kicking in on 1 July for this segment of the market in Victoria and New South Wales.
Victoria continues to set the pace, with lodgement volumes in that state up by 27 per cent on the first quarter of last year, while every other state has lost momentum to varying degrees. The strength of the Victorian home market is also evidenced in the average loan size for that state, which is 5 per cent higher than it was at the same time last year.
“Overall, volumes are up on the previous two quarters; however, compared to the same time last year, they are flat.
“This translates into the view that regulator-led changes are being felt everywhere except Victoria,” Mr Bailey concluded.
[Related: Aggregator launches insurance business]
