Australian Mortgage Market: Forecasts and Future Opportunities

Summary
This brief presents a review of the condition of the Australian residential mortgage market in 2014 before examining the critical factors that will determine the future of the market. The brief concludes with a forecast of mortgages held by different types of buyers (owner-occupiers, first-time buyers, and investors) and held in different products (offset, reverse and interest only mortgages)


Synopsis
- Sculpt more targeted strategies by utilizing analysis of key mortgage market developments.
- Stay competitive by understanding the various demand and supply side factors that will determine the shape of the market going forward.
- Inform your future plans with our five-year forecast of gross advances for niche product lines.

Reasons?To?Buy
- Which factors will impact the supply of mortgage lending?
- Which factors will affect consumer demand for mortgages?
- Which sectors offer the best prospects and opportunities for expansion over the next few years?
- What will be the market share of key mortgage sectors over the next few years?

Key Highlights
The first-time buyer segment is expected to remain depressed in 2015, though it is expected to revive in the later years of the forecast. Providers looking to target this segment should lead with products that allow customers to overcome affordability constraints and the difficulty of building up sufficient deposits for a down payment.

While owner-occupiers still dominate the market, the investor segment has shown rapid growth in recent years, and current market conditions will support this trend. Interest-only and offset mortgages continue to dominate product types. While interest rates remain low, Verdict Financial expects no change to the popularity of these products.

Foreign investors are expected to show continued demand in Australian property. As currency swings have depressed the value of the Australian dollar in favor of overseas investors, this segment is expected to remain extremely active in the property market, and to a lesser extent the Australian mortgage market as well.