What a difference a season makes! The last three months have seen the Lower North Shore property market transition from a quiet winter into a vibrant spring. Mirroring the sign of spring, the period from July to September brought a significant surge in sales and buyer interest, signalling renewed momentum in the market
Our performance this quarter directly reflects this phenomenon. We were proud to help 104 clients sell their homes, with properties spending an average of just 24.5 days on the market. This success is indicative of the strong buyer engagement our campaigns generated, as we conducted 1,235 open homes and welcomed 6,682 groups of buyers, a notable increase from the same time last year.
A highlight of our quarter, beyond our sales results, was our commitment to the community. Through our 10KADAY wellness campaign, we raised over $74,000 for Giant Steps, a Gladesville-based school for children with autism, all while navigating the busy spring market.
As the leading agency on the Lower North Shore with a 17.38% market share this past quarter (source: Ray White Data), our activity spans all property types and price points. This gives us a comprehensive, day-to-day overview of the entire real estate landscape, from residential and commercial sales and property management, to mortgage brokering, allowing us to provide in-depth advice so you can make informed decisions. Whether you’re considering selling, buying, or investing, we have a solution in place for you.
For a complete picture of the property market in the past quarter, please read the market analysis below from our directors across the business:
At a macro level, the availability of fixed rates under 5% is instilling market confidence and providing buyers with greater certainty about the future of interest rates. This shift also expands borrowing capacity for buyers who are looking to maximise their purchasing power.
This improved sentiment is encouraging new purchasers enter the market, with many using the new government scheme to secure properties under $1.5 million with as little as a 5% deposit.
However, a significant challenge is emerging for those looking to upgrade. The financial gap between apartments (around $1.2M – $1.4M) and the entry point for freestanding houses (upwards of $2.5M) has become a hurdle, forcing some buyers to rely on early inheritances.
Faced with this substantial cost, many established homeowners are choosing to stay put. We’re seeing a clear rise in homeowners accessing their equity to fund renovations, as high transaction fees make improving a current property more financially sound than moving.
At the same time, some lenders are making a strategic move to improve profitability by bypassing the broker channel and marketing directly to customers. What this means for borrowers is that they could face reduced market competition and information transparency that may lead to less favourable outcomes.
To secure the best possible deal that works with your goals, it’s important that you receive independent financial advice. Get in touch with Matt to access products from over 60 lenders.
The Mosman market saw a surge of activity in September, with our team securing an impressive 47 sales across all price points. This success highlights the importance of getting the fundamentals right. Our focus has been on stock management and aligning the pricing expectations of both buyers and sellers. This quarter has proven that a well-priced property will always generate strong buyer demand and our ability to guide clients to this optimal pricing has been instrumental to these successful outcomes.
This strategy was particularly effective in our in-room auctions, which produced several standout results that were the talk of the town.
Auction Highlights
A prime example was 28 Richmond Avenue, Cremorne, which attracted 113 groups of buyers and received over 226 email enquiries throughout the campaign. This intense interest resulted in four registered bidders competing in the auction room.
Sold under the hammer in our auction room, the majestic home at 21 Beauty Point Road, Mosman was hotly contested by four registered bidders.
As an excellent example of a campaign where everything was done right, from pricing to auction strategy, the auction for 26/40B Barry Street, Neutral Bay saw 11 bidders compete, placing over 43 bids in our auction room.
Outstanding Pre-Auction Success
Featured on Vogue Living, 7 St Elmo Street, Mosman drew international attention and was sold prior to auction.
A landmark transaction this quarter, ‘The Kurraba Penthouse’ at 402/147 Kurraba Road, Kurraba Point set a new apartment record for the Lower North Shore.
Spring delivered a strong jump in activity across Sydney’s Harbourfront suburbs and around Crows Nest precinct, with market confidence returning in force. Earlier rate cuts created a supportive backdrop, improving affordability and translating directly into a surge in buyer and vendor engagement.
This trend was clear across all metrics: listings increased, open homes were busy and competitive auctions led to significantly higher sales volumes. The prestige harbourfront markets like Kirribilli remain highly sought-after, while Crows Nest and North Sydney are benefitting from the new Metro, which is spurring price growth.
We’ve seen two key buyer groups driving this demand: Downsizers from the Upper North Shore and Mosman are competing for low-maintenance homes. On top of this, younger buyers are re-entering the market fuelled by improved borrowing capacity, which has deepened the buyer pool across all price points.
Outstanding Sales This Quarter
The coincidental sales of these two beautifully presented, adjoining townhomes at 109 Blues Point Road and 111 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point were a key highlight for our Crows Nest office this quarter.
The charming c1880s cottage at 47 Willoughby Street, Kirribilli was sold to a database buyer.
Sold in just two weeks, the prized corner apartment at 51/67 Carabella Street, Kirribilli attracted over 50 groups of buyers through its open homes.
The peaceful garden apartment at 1/56 Huntington Street, Crows Nest attracted strong local interest before selling at a competitive on-site auction.
Cammeray market transitioned from winter into spring with consistent buyer demand and healthy property turnover this quarter. A total of 41 properties (6 houses, 35 apartments) were sold this quarter. This compares to 46 sales in Q3 2024 (12 houses, 34 apartments), signifying a drop in house supply which continues to intensify competition for quality homes.
This scarcity resulted in intense competition from buyers and a direct impact on prices, with Domain reporting a median house price jump of $562,500 to reach $3.375 million. This figure was largely driven by a series of high-end sales, including a $15 million waterfront. Our team was proud to contribute to this strong performance, achieving premium results for many of our repeat clients.
Key Sales Highlights
A reflection of loyalty and confidence in the Cammeray market from our repeat clients this quarter.
Representing the strong demand for quality family homes, the campaign for 35 Alan Street, Cammeray welcomed over 100 groups of buyers before selling at a competitive in-room auction that saw 6 bidders place 55 bids.
The auction for 18 Morden Street, Cammeray was another excellent result this quarter, with four bidders competing for the property in our auction room.
The striking architecture of 22B Alan Street, Cammeray generated significant online interest, attracting over 10,000 views before the property was sold prior to auction.
Another notable pre-auction sale was 6 Edwin Street, Cammeray, which was sold under three weeks.
Our Willoughby team have delivered a fantastic quarter, achieving premium outcomes across the pocket of Willoughby, Castlecrag, Artarmon and surrounding suburbs.
A Selection of Our Outstanding Sales
Sold at a competitive on-site auction for $5,200,000, 21 Stewart Street achieved a new benchmark result for Artarmon.
The coincidental, back-to-back sales of 53 Stafford Road, Artarmon and 55 Stafford Road, Artarmon in the same week were a great highlight for our team this quarter.
The sale of 34 The Rampart highlighted the demand for prestige homes in Castlecrag.
These results reflect ongoing buyer confidence, particularly in the $3M to $6M range for quality family homes. We are also seeing how the limited supply of prestige stock (in the $6M+ bracket) is driving highly competitive campaigns and achieving top tier prices. Across all price points, there is strong demand from families who are prioritising key school catchments and the lifestyle appeal of the area.
With an established track record and proven buyer networks, our team continues to set benchmarks across the Lower North Shore, helping clients achieve exceptional outcomes, even in tightly held markets.
There continues to be a lot of activity and discussion across the Lower North Shore around the new planning reforms introduced by the NSW Government.
These changes are significant and cover a wide array of new legislation, including reforms for low and mid-rise housing near town centres, Transport Oriented Development (TODs) around transport hubs and larger State Significant Developments (SSDAs).
Our Projects and Development Team is across all the details of these new regulations and what they mean on the ground. If you have any questions about how these planning changes might affect your property, our team would be happy to help.
New Residential Developments
Our property management team observed a remarkable winter, steering away from the usual seasonal slowdown. We saw consistent activity quarter on quarter, with no decline in available stock numbers.
This momentum continued to build into September, with houses, a sector of the market that had previously been sitting longer, starting to lease much more quickly. We are seeing prospective tenants moving with greater urgency than normal, with a number of our leases being signed and commenced all in the same week.
While overall stock numbers remain low, tenant expectations are high, meaning properties must be well maintained to attract quality applicants. However, the lack of supply is clearly driving the market, with many tenants applying for multiple properties simultaneously just to secure a home.
On the legislative front, we also managed the first change to the new legislation this quarter, which involves amendments to the supporting documents owners must now provide for significant renovations. Our team will continue to closely monitor all legislative changes as they come into effect, guiding our landlords through any uncertainties.
In response to the growing demand for quality rental properties, our team is increasingly using our large tenant database to lease homes off-market. This strategy provides seamless tenancy transfers and safeguards our landlords’ investment by minimising vacancy periods.
Whether you’re a tenant hoping to gain access to properties before they hit the market, or a landlord looking to lease your investment home discreetly, please get in touch with me. I would be happy to discuss how our extensive database can help you achieve your goals.
The last quarter saw high activity from small retail businesses. We received a significant number of enquiries from food and beverage tenants who are looking to establish their businesses in preparation for the warmer months.
This has resulted in an exciting mix of new openings. Foodies can look forward to Pocket Pizza opening soon in Neutral Bay, while Vamos Strength is opening in Mosman to help sculpt those summer bodies. Brides of the North Shore will also have a new destination, with a bridal boutique set to open opposite The Oaks in Neutral Bay.
Leased to the popular eatery in the Northern Beaches, we’re pleased to welcome Pocket Pizza to our Lower North Shore community in Neutral Bay.
Vamous Strength has secured its second location in Mosman, bringing its fitness culture to the Lower North Shore.
A new bridal boutique is coming soon to Neutral Bay on Military Road.
If you have any questions about available business opportunities on Sydney’s North Shore, please reach out to Scott Stephens.
For the third consecutive September, the team at Ray White Lower North Shore Group traded office chairs for walking shoes, all in the name of supporting Giant Steps. The ’10KADAY’ campaign, a wellness initiative that uses a daily walking challenge to drive fundraising and awareness, has successfully raised $74,988 for … Read more
Mosman’s largest exclusive waterfront estate with its own private beach and coveted deep water boating facilities is for sale with agent Geoff Smith of Ray White Lower Shore Group. This rare 5,223sqm waterfront holding at Mosman represents one of the most significant residential land releases in the harbour city. With … Read more