$5bn homes gone: Foreign buyers flood Aus

Foreign investors are still pouring billions into Australian housing despite Labor’s ban on overseas buyers snapping up established homes. Foreign investors are still pouring billions into Australian housing despite Labor’s ban on overseas buyers snapping up established homes, with Chinese investors leading the charge by a wide margin. Fresh Foreign Investment Review Board figures released by Treasury on Friday show approved foreign investment in residential real estate totalled $4.7 billion in 2025-26, with China alone accounting for $900 million across 785 approvals – more than the next two biggest source nations combined. Chinese buyers were the biggest foreign investors in Australian homes by both number and value, ahead of Taiwan at $500 million and Vietnam at $300 million. Indonesia and India each recorded $200 million in approved residential investment. Other notable source countries included Hong Kong, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia and South Korea, each with $100 million in approved residential real estate investment. While China remained the dominant player, the figures also show its approved investment has fallen sharply in recent years, down from $1.4 billion last year and ...