Sydney First-Home Buyers Surge as Affordable Suburbs Hit $1.4M Mark

First-home buyer purchases accounted for 28 percent of all Sydney sales in the June quarter, up from 24 percent in the same period last year, according to CoreLogic figures released this week.

The increase comes as the NSW median dwelling price remains anchored near $1.4 million and clearance rates hover between 65 and 72 percent, leaving limited stock in the inner ring while migration continues to support demand.

Inner West entry points

In Marrickville and Dulwich Hill, one-bedroom and studio apartments are now trading between $620,000 and $780,000, figures that fall inside the revised stamp-duty concession thresholds for buyers under the NSW First Home Buyer Grant. Local agents report that 14 contracts exchanged in the two suburbs last month involved buyers accessing the grant, most of them targeting walk-up blocks within 800 metres of Marrickville station.

Northern Beaches shift

Further north, first-home activity has edged into Dee Why and Narrabeen, where two-bedroom units priced between $950,000 and $1.05 million have drawn 11 contracts from grant-eligible buyers since April. These sales sit below the premium Northern Beaches median and reflect tighter inner-ring supply pushing some purchasers outward along the coastal corridor.

Domain data for the six months to June shows the typical first-home buyer price point in greater Sydney now sits at $785,000, down $35,000 from December 2025 levels. Auction clearance rates for properties under $900,000 have averaged 68 percent across the Inner West and Northern Beaches over the past eight weeks.

Buyers still face deposit hurdles and serviceability tests, yet the combination of modest price softening and existing grant programs has widened the window for those targeting units near transport hubs. Prospective purchasers are advised to check eligibility for the NSW First Home Buyer Grant before shortlisting properties in the $700,000 to $950,000 bracket and to monitor weekly auction results in Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Dee Why and Narrabeen for the clearest signals on entry-level movement.