NT border reopening to drive demand for Darwin property

Darwin homeowners and landlords are preparing for a significant surge in activity when the Northern Territory’s borders reopen in July, according to Glenn Grantham, the general manager of Raine & Horne Darwin.

“Even before the border announcement this week, we received six rapid-fire bookings for a holiday rental apartment in the Darwin CBD,” Mr Grantham said.

“Typically, at this time of year, this penthouse apartment in the stunning Oasis building books for weekends only. The six bookings are for weeklong stints.

“All six bookings have been made by southern state holidaymakers, who are seeking a winter getaway.

“With international borders currently closed, Darwin fits the bill perfectly for tourists. However, holiday accommodation will be tight.”

Darwin has a vacancy of 2%, the city’s best in seven years, while the number of vacant properties available for rent is about 50% lower than June 2019, according to data from Raine & Horne Darwin.

Given this major supply shortage, Mr Grantham expects some severe price pressure on Darwin’s already competitive average rental yield of 5.8% for the remainder of 2020.  

The possibility that construction work on Charles Darwin University’s CBD Campus will begin as early as July will also add to the pressure on Darwin’s tight rental market.

“This construction project will require interstate tradespeople, who will be seeking permanent rentals,” added Mr Grantham.

Mr Grantham advised that, based on personal experience, most interstate buyers generally holiday in Darwin before migrating permanently.

“With the surge in first-time visitors and based on the city’s real estate history, plenty of these tourists will make a permanent shift to Darwin.

“The ‘try before you buy’ approach will work well again for the property market as tourists will land in Darwin in the dry season, which is a beautiful time of year with average days of 32°Celsius and no humidity.

“For those vendors considering a sale, be prepared for an influx of interstate purchasers between now and September,” Mr Grantham advised. 

The border is scheduled to reopen on July 17 of this year.