The Unassuming Economist

On cross-country:

• Real global house prices declined by 1.2% year on year in the first quarter of 2026. Real prices stopped growing in advanced economies, and continued to decrease in emerging market economies, mainly driven by developments in Asia. – BIS
• EU to crack down on short-term rentals in bid to slash housing prices. The bloc’s new Affordable Housing Act will give local and regional governments legal cover to curb tourist flats. – Politico
• Questions and answers on the Affordable Housing Act – European Commission
• How would you like to have 10 fewer years left on your mortgage? Did you know that in many countries, the typical mortgage is 20 years long, not 30 years long? – Real Estate Decoded

On Australia and New Zealand:

• [Australia] Australia has a housing shortage. So why are Bathla and other home builders collapsing? – The conversation
• [Australia] Australia’s Housing Pain Likely to Deepen on Interest-Rate Pressure – Bloomberg
• [Australia] Housing shortage will cause prices to start rising again: Westpac boss – Financial Review
• [Australia] Forget falling house prices: The real threat is a big jump in rents. The big risk over the next couple of years is a downturn in housing construction that crimps the supply of new homes and causes a squeeze on renters. – Financial Review
• [Australia] High-end property hit by steepest price falls as affordable end of Australia’s housing market proves resilient. Despite falls in some parts of the market, prices are showing signs of stabilising as investors exit and first-time buyers move in, analysts say – The Guardian
• [Australia] High-end property hit by steepest price falls as affordable end of Australia’s housing market proves resilient. Despite falls in some parts of the market, prices are showing signs of stabilising as investors exit and first-time buyers move in, analysts say – The Guardian
• [New Zealand] Housing market continues to soften in three months to August – QV – RNZ
• [New Zealand] New Zealand to allow wealthy migrants to build rental housing – Reuters

On other countries:  

• [Canada] Canada’s housing markets show persistent regional splits – RBC
• [Korea] South Korea’s AI property boom puts pressure on president. Runaway prices in Seoul are becoming a political risk for Lee Jae Myung as youth anger mounts – FT
• [Spain] Spain home prices rise 12.2% in second quarter, extending streak of double-digit growth – Reuters
• [United Kingdom] UK house prices fall for first time since November 2023, Lloyds data shows – Reuters
• [United Kingdom] UK house prices fall for first time since 2023, led by London and south-east. Average property cost £298,468 in August, down by 0.4% year on year amid higher interest rates, says Lloyds – The Guardian
• [United Kingdom] The British Housing Market Continues to Weaken. Prices fell year-on-year in August, for the first time since 2023, according to lender Lloyds. – Bloomberg