Australians still believe in the dream of owning their own home, but new research suggests many now fear the property market is putting that dream beyond reach.

A new survey by Money magazine has found Australians describing the property market in stark terms, including “broken”, “unfair”, “overpriced” and “out of reach”.

When asked about the state of housing, 46 per cent said Australia needed to increase the percentage of home ownership, while 41 per cent believed the housing market was unequal. Despite those concerns, six in 10 respondents still said buying was a better option than renting, although three in 10 believed both had become equally challenging.

More than four in 10 said mortgage or rental payments were causing financial stress, while almost half of renters nominated rising rents as their biggest challenge.

A stark generational divide

The survey also exposed a sharp difference between generations.

Among respondents aged under 35, 58 per cent believed the housing market was unequal and the same proportion wanted to see home ownership increased.

More concerning was what they saw ahead. Some 42 per cent of under-35s said their greatest housing fear over the next decade was never being able to buy a home.

For Australians aged over 55, that figure was just 7 per cent.

Older Australians were also much more likely to view property as an investment opportunity, with 31 per cent of respondents aged 55 and over holding that view, compared with just 11 per cent of under-35s.

Money Managing Editor Vanessa Walker said the results showed the aspiration of home ownership had not disappeared.

“What stood out wasn’t just the numbers, it was the language Australians used,” she said.

“Time and again people described the market as unfair, unattainable and out of reach.”

For older Australians, the divide may be particularly confronting. While relatively few over-55s fear they will never own a home themselves, many are watching their children and grandchildren confront a vastly different property market.

The Money Property Survey received 615 responses and was conducted between June 11 and July 12, 2026.

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