If Australia is changing how we build homes, we also need to change how we finance them

Australia’s housing debate is often focused on supply, and for good reason. Yet, with construction costs rising and buyer confidence low amidst market uncertainty, ABS data¹ shows building approvals and commencements for residential properties are falling.

To address barriers such as speed and cost of builds, the construction industry is looking for new ways to build more homes, faster. Prefabrication, modular construction and advanced manufacturing are gaining momentum as potential ways to improve productivity, address labour shortages and accelerate supply.

But there is another part of the housing journey that needs to evolve: how we finance and buy those homes.

Speaking at the AFR Property Summit, Deposit Power CEO Ryan Dinsdale joined industry leaders to explore what it will take to build more homes, faster. One major issue they covered is that the customer journey has not been adapted to support the new ways of building.

Building faster requires faster finance

Building buyer confidence is key

This is all happening at a time when confidence is already one of the biggest challenges facing the housing market.

The AFR Property Summit’s broader discussion on the housing downturn highlighted just how much confidence is influencing buyer behaviour. Australians may need homes, but many are delaying decisions because they are uncertain about prices, interest rates, government policy and what the market will look like next year.

That makes removing friction across the entire housing journey even more important.

At Deposit Power, we see the scale of that journey across the market. Over the past 12 months, Deposit Power has assisted or enabled more than $7.12 billion in property sales, including $1.2 billion in new-build sales across more than 230 unique developments.

The housing system needs to catch up

The lesson is clear: solving Australia’s housing challenge will require more than simply building differently.

We need to think about the entire journey, from land and planning through to construction, finance and settlement.

Prefab and modular construction may help us build homes faster. Advanced manufacturing may help address labour and supply constraints. Planning and infrastructure reform can unlock more land.

But if we want these innovations to genuinely increase housing supply, the finance system needs to evolve alongside them.

Australia cannot build its way out of a housing crisis by changing construction alone. We need to make it easier for people to finance, buy and ultimately move into the homes we are working so hard to build.

This is all happening at a time when confidence is already one of the biggest challenges facing the housing market.

The AFR Property Summit’s broader discussion on the housing downturn highlighted just how much confidence is influencing buyer behaviour. Australians may need homes, but many are delaying decisions because they are uncertain about prices, interest rates, government policy and what the market will look like next year.

That makes removing friction across the entire housing journey even more important.

At Deposit Power, we see the scale of that journey across the market. Over the past 12 months, Deposit Power has assisted or enabled more than $7.12 billion in property sales, including $1.2 billion in new-build sales across more than 230 unique developments.

References: ¹ABS Building Approvals, Australia, July 2026, ABS Building Activity, Australia, March 2026