Australia Foreign Home-Buying Approvals Hit A$4.7 Billion in 2025-26, Chinese Buyers Lead With A$900 Million Across 785 Deals
Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approved A$4.7 billion of foreign residential property purchases in 2025-26, with buyers from China leading all sources at A$900 million across 785 approvals, according to official figures reported by Australian property media on October 27, underlining the weight of Chinese buyers in the Australian housing market.
The Chinese total exceeded Taiwan (A$500 million) and Vietnam (A$300 million) combined, with Indonesia and India at about A$200 million each. But approvals for Chinese buyers have fallen steadily, from A$2.6 billion in 2023-24 to A$1.4 billion in 2024-25 and A$900 million in the latest year. Total approvals from all sources dropped from 5,581 to 2,979 over two years; in the June quarter of 2026 alone, 656 approvals worth A$900 million were recorded across all sources.
The trend comes as the federal government keeps tightening restrictions on foreign purchases of established homes. Daniel Ho of Juwai IQI said many Chinese buyers now wait until they obtain permanent residency before buying, bypassing the foreign investment approval process.
Esther Yong, founder of Chinese-buyer property portal ACproperty.com.au, pointed to an emerging resale market as earlier Chinese migrants who bought Australian homes begin to sell, a segment she says Chinese buyers entering the market should watch.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：悉尼唐人街Dixon House德信美食中心入口。/ Dixon House food court entrance in Sydney's Chinatown. 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，作者MDRX，CC BY-SA开放授权。
