Sydney prestige prices may weaken with rise in stock: HTW

The prestige market as a whole is currently dominated by a lack of supply, which is most keenly felt in traditional blue ribbon prestige areas such as the eastern suburbs and lower north shore, according to the latest report by Herron Todd White.

As a result, transaction numbers remain somewhat subdued, although strong buyer demand for this limited available stock level is translating into bullish prices being achieved in some instances.

Herron Todd White noted that the prestige market shows signs of strong price growth.

"With an overall strengthening in the prestige dwelling market combined with limited stock levels, the prestige apartment market has shown recent signs of strong price growth primarily driven by the empty nester buyers, who previously struggled to realise adequate selling prices as a flow on from the impact of the GFC," said the report.

"While the prestige market is not stimulated as strongly by the impact of interest rate fluctuations, we do consider that savvy participants closely watch the performance of global and local markets and remain concerned about the under performing and fluctuating equities market and moderate performance of the local economy.

"Should stock levels increase, we consider that buoyant market conditions currently enjoyed in the prestige space may weaken."

Prestige residential property in Sydney is generally considered to represent properties greater than $3 million.

Prestige homes are scattered throughout the greater Sydney metropolitan area, with the highest concentrations in the eastern suburbs and eastern beaches, inner city and inner east, inner west and the lower and upper north shores.