Comps in Australian Property: 2025 Guide to Comparable Sales & Valuations

When you hear real estate professionals mention ‘comps’, they’re talking about the cornerstone of property valuation in Australia: comparable sales. In 2025, as the property market adapts to new economic realities, understanding comps has never been more essential for buyers, sellers, and investors alike.

What Are Comps, and Why Do They Matter?

‘Comps’—short for comparables—are recent property sales that share key characteristics with the home you’re valuing. They form the basis for almost every property appraisal, influencing everything from bank loan approvals to negotiation strategies.

• Location: Comps are typically in the same suburb or neighbourhood as the target property.

• Property Type & Size: Number of bedrooms, bathrooms, land area, and style (e.g., apartment vs. house) must closely match.

• Sale Date: The most relevant comps are from the past 3–6 months, especially in volatile markets.

Agents and valuers adjust for minor differences—like renovations or larger blocks—to arrive at a fair price estimate. In 2025, with Australia’s property market showing both resilience and regional variability, using up-to-date comps is critical.

2025 Trends: Comps in a Changing Market

This year, several new factors are shaping the way comps are used in Australia:

• Digital Data Expansion: More sales data is now publicly accessible via government and private portals, making it easier for buyers and sellers to research comps independently.

• AI-Assisted Valuations: Many lenders and agencies are leveraging AI tools to analyse comps, speeding up approvals but occasionally missing nuances only a local expert would catch.

• Policy Changes: In 2025, some state governments have tightened disclosure requirements, mandating that off-market and auction results are more transparently reported. This means comps are now more comprehensive and reliable than ever before.

For instance, Sydney’s Inner West saw median house prices rise by just 1.2% in the first half of 2025, but comps in the same postcode revealed pockets where renovated terraces outperformed the average by over 7%. This underscores the importance of drilling down beyond headline numbers.

How to Use Comps to Your Advantage

Whether you’re buying, selling, or refinancing, here’s how to make comps work for you:

• Do Your Homework: Access recent sales through platforms like CoreLogic, Domain, or state-based registries. Look for properties that match yours as closely as possible in size, age, and features.

• Adjust for Differences: If a comparable property has an extra bathroom or a newly renovated kitchen, factor that in—use recent local agent appraisals or cost estimates as a guide.

• Beware of Outliers: Ignore unusual sales (e.g., family transfers, distressed sales) that don’t reflect typical market value.

• Use Comps in Negotiation: Armed with accurate comps, you can make a confident offer or justify your asking price to buyers and agents.

• Ask for Professional Help: For complex properties or fast-moving markets, a qualified valuer or local agent can provide insights beyond the data.

Consider the example of a Melbourne buyer in 2025: faced with a seller asking $1.35 million for a three-bedroom house in Brunswick, the buyer reviewed five recent comps. Four of them, adjusted for minor differences, averaged $1.25 million. This gave the buyer a strong case to negotiate a lower price, saving tens of thousands of dollars.

The Bottom Line: Comps Are Your Negotiation Power

In 2025, the Australian property market is more data-rich and transparent than ever, but that also means buyers and sellers need to be savvy. Comps aren’t just a tool for agents or valuers—they’re your key to making informed decisions and maximising value, whether you’re entering the market or just keeping tabs on your investment.