The 'storm in a teacup' helping first home buyers climb the property ladder

A self-described yes man, he "knuckled down", took every job he could and at the end bought his first property at the age of 25.

It is a decision that's paid off well personally for Mr Hanson, who enjoys the regional lifestyle, but with a recent flood of investor interest in regional markets, it could also pay off financially.

Mr Hanson purchased a house in South Launceston, in northern Tasmania, about five minutes' drive from the CBD.

He said it wouldn't have happened this way anywhere else.

"There's absolutely no way I would have been able to buy in somewhere like Melbourne or Sydney," he said.

Reflecting on people moving to larger cities for career goals, that it didn't make any sense to him.

"In terms of wage growth versus house pricing, your wage has to be doubled and tripled," he said.

Moreover, Mr Hanson enjoys regional life, heading outdoors to hike and fish. He also owns a videography business, which allows him to work from anywhere.

Mr Hanson described himself as "pretty lucky" to be able to do all this while having access to modern conveniences, such as retail centres and healthcare facilities.

His decision to live regionally came down to "just getting a foot in the market."

Overall, it's a decision that's paid off well for his personal wellbeing, but it could be one that leave his pockets fuller.

Cotatlity head of research Gerard Burg said, across the board, the data company has seen strong growth in regional communities, breaking away from a trend of major-city dominance.

He said more recently, the trend has been people moving out of major cities, drawing from data from the Regional Australia Institute, which used bank transaction data to monitor where people were living.

According to the Westpac Home Ownership Report, the number of people looking to move to a regional town or city grew to three in 10.

Of those people, 34 per cent cited the cheaper cost of living as a major factor, and 33 per cent cited more affordable housing.

Mr Burg said one of the key aspects of the "tree change" was the changing nature of how people work.

"Some of these markets that are a little bit further away from a standard commuting distance are more viable," he said.

"You might tolerate a multiple-hour commute if you're coming into the city once a week."

This was the case in Western Australia, with huge growth in the regional southern areas close to Perth but too far to commute.

However, Mr Burg said the biggest factor was the lower buy-in point.

"Median values in these areas are quite a bit lower, and that's providing that opportunity, particularly for first home buyers, who are increasingly priced out of large areas of those major cities, and looking for somewhere that they can start on the property ladder," he said.

The other side of the story is the broader supply issues regional communities face.

There are fewer homes in these cities and towns. Homes also take longer to build, on average. So while the entry point is on the lower end, rents are still high, ranging from $400 to $700 depending on the home.

"Often, that sort of speaks to the tightness of rental availability in a lot of these places," Mr Burg said.

Real estate agent David Hernyk, based in Launceston, Tasmania, said he noticed an uptick in interstate investor interest in October, 2025.

Previously, investors had primarily been purchasing in South Australia and Western Australia. However, they were no longer getting competitive yields or growth on their investments, leading them to look further afield.

"They're struggling to see value and get value out of those purchases or a decent rental return, at least for their clients," he said.

"We're getting, on average, an inquiry a day at least, from a new firm."

Investors are attracted to the low buy-in cost and high rental yields. But those investors are now competing with first-home buyers for the same properties.

That matched with the low supply rates has created what Mr Hernyk called a "storm in a teacup".

In Launceston, the median value has increased by $100,000 over the past year, something he doesn't see changing.

"We're not building homes quickly enough. They're not affordable enough.

"We've seen price growth in material and labour costs, and that's not likely to change, especially with the global climate at the moment putting pressure on logistics and the transport of those building materials.

"The economist reports, the buyer's agents we're dealing with, the people that do the research, are all suggesting that we should see that sustained growth for at least the next 12 to 18 months."

While this inevitably leads to high housing prices in regional communities, it put first-home buyers in a position to build significant equity at a low buy-in cost.

"I don't have a crystal ball, but I think the message is clear, If you're looking to buy, do so now," Mr Hernyk said.

"First home owners' grants, first home builders grants, that sort of thing are saving you in costs, and you should then also see that uptake over the next 12 to 18 months to two years."