Northern Territory Housing Finance Trends in March Quarter 2026

The Northern Territory housing finance market showed mixed momentum in the March quarter 2026, with owner-occupier lending strengthening over the longer term even as quarterly values softened. According to the Department of Treasury and Finance, the Territory recorded a 7.7% increase in owner-occupier loans excluding refinancing in year-average terms, reaching 2,313 commitments.

Stronger annual lending momentum

The headline result for the Territory was a clear annual lift in housing finance commitments excluding refinancing. Year-average growth of 7.7% in loan numbers outperformed the national rate of 2.9%, placing the Northern Territory among the stronger jurisdictions in the country.

This growth was supported by both first home buyers and non-first home buyers, with first home buyer commitments rising 13.4% year-average and non-first home buyer commitments increasing 4.1%.

Quarterly value declined

Despite the stronger annual picture, the value of housing finance commitments excluding refinancing fell 17.4% in the March quarter 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Even so, the year-average value rose 17.6% to $1.2 billion, ahead of the national annual increase of 12.6%.

This suggests that while borrowing activity remained solid across the year, short-term lending value was more volatile in the March quarter. The Territory’s small market size means these movements can shift sharply from quarter to quarter.

First home buyer activity

First home buyer lending remained an important driver of the Territory’s housing finance market. The number of first home buyer commitments fell 20.6% in the March quarter, but still rose 13.4% in year-average terms to 958 commitments.

That annual increase is notable because it exceeded the national year-average rise of 3.2%. It indicates ongoing demand from new entrants to the housing market, even with quarterly softness.

Non-first home buyer lending

Non-first home buyer commitments excluding refinancing also posted annual growth, rising 4.1% year-average to 1,355 commitments. Quarterly activity, however, was weaker, falling 13.3% in the March quarter 2026.

This pattern points to a market that is still active, but uneven across buyer groups and reporting periods. For property professionals, lenders, and prospective buyers, the Territory continues to show underlying demand despite near-term volatility.

What the data means

For buyers, the latest figures suggest the Northern Territory housing market remains supported by solid underlying lending demand, especially over the past 12 months. For policymakers and industry stakeholders, the key takeaway is that annual trends are stronger than quarterly results, which can be distorted by volatility in a smaller market.

The release also notes that seasonally adjusted and trend measures are more useful for understanding the underlying direction of the market than raw quarterly figures alone.

Source: Lending indicators, March Quarter 2026 | Australian Bureau of Statistics