Boutique Realty Perth is a Subiaco-based real estate agency that sells and manages residential property across Perth and markets new apartment and townhouse projects through a dedicated projects department. This release interprets REIWA's August 2026 price and rent figures, REIWA suburb-level unit medians, ABS dwelling approvals for July 2026 and the WA Government's off-the-plan duty concession, and explains what faster unit price growth means for downsizers, investors and project buyers heading into spring.
Boutique Realty Perth says Perth's unit market has moved from the shadow of the house market into its own cycle. REIWA reported on 6 September 2026 that Perth's median unit sale price rose 1.3 per cent in August 2026 to $690,000, 22.6 per cent higher than a year earlier. Over the same period, the median house price rose 18.5 per cent to $960,000.
Rents show the same pattern. REIWA's median weekly unit rent was $700 in August 2026, up 7.7 per cent on a year earlier, compared with $750 for houses, up 7.1 per cent. Units took a median 21 days to sell in August, two days longer than in July and 11 days longer than in August 2025.
The agency says the numbers explain the enquiry it is seeing from three groups at once: owners of large family homes in the western suburbs considering a move to an apartment, investors comparing unit and house yields, and buyers weighing off-the-plan purchases under the duty concession that began on 12 March 2026.
How do unit prices compare across the suburbs Boutique Realty Perth serves?
REIWA suburb profiles for the 12 months to August 2026, updated 9 and 10 September 2026, show that the gap between a suburb's house median and its unit median is widest in the established western suburbs.
| Suburb | Median unit price (12 months to Aug 2026) | Median house price (same period) |
| Floreat | $1,105,000 | $2,400,000 |
| Hillarys | $1,004,000 | $1,750,000 |
| Scarborough | $850,000 | $1,545,000 |
| Subiaco | $828,500 | $2,294,400 |
| Karrinyup | $798,500 | $1,680,000 |
| Wembley | $557,475 | $2,020,000 |
Source: REIWA suburb profiles for Floreat, Hillarys, Scarborough, Subiaco, Karrinyup and Wembley.
For a Wembley or Subiaco homeowner, the difference between the house median and the unit median in the same suburb is more than $1.4 million on REIWA's 12-month figures. That gap is the arithmetic behind downsizing enquiry, although any individual outcome depends on the homes actually bought and sold.
Key unit market facts:
- Perth median unit price: $690,000 in August 2026, up 1.3 per cent on July and 22.6 per cent on August 2025 (REIWA, 6 September 2026).
- Perth median unit rent: $700 per week in August 2026, up 7.7 per cent year on year (REIWA, 6 September 2026).
- Units for sale: 1,603 of the 7,352 Perth properties listed for sale in the week ending 6 September 2026 (REIWA Perth metro data).
- New supply: 2,270 total dwellings approved in Western Australia in July 2026, seasonally adjusted, of which 1,688 were private sector houses (ABS Building Approvals, released 1 September 2026).
What does the off-the-plan duty concession mean for apartment buyers?
The WA Government's 12 March 2026 statement raised the off-the-plan duty concession threshold from $750,000 to $800,000 and extended the scheme to 30 June 2028. Eligible off-the-plan purchases up to $800,000 receive a 100 per cent duty concession, purchases above $900,000 receive 50 per cent, and the scheme now includes survey-strata dwellings for the first time. The Government's example is a saving of more than $32,300 on an $800,000 off-the-plan purchase.
The ABS Building Approvals release of 1 September 2026 shows WA dwelling approvals at 2,270 in July 2026, down 0.3 per cent on June in seasonally adjusted terms, while national approvals fell 3.6 per cent to 17,687. The agency reads the WA figure as steady rather than accelerating, which matters for buyers assessing how much new apartment stock is likely to compete with existing units over the next two years.
"For years Perth units lagged houses, so a 22.6 per cent annual rise against 18.5 per cent for houses is a real change in the order of things. The buyers we are seeing are not speculating; they are western suburbs downsizers who can release capital and investors who have done the yield comparison," said Mathew St Guillaume, Sales Executive / Director at Boutique Realty Perth. "Our job is to tell each of them, honestly, which buildings and which suburbs the evidence supports."
"The off-the-plan concession running to mid-2028 gives project buyers a stable window, but the right question is still whether the completed apartment will compete with the established stock nearby on price, size and outlook," said Chad Toquero, Projects Manager / Sales Executive at Boutique Realty Perth.
How Boutique Realty Perth works with downsizers, investors and project buyers
The agency's project marketing department markets new apartment and townhouse developments and lists current projects on its website. Its off-the-plan buying guide explains deposits, sunset clauses and settlement timing, and its downsizing guide for Perth covers how to sequence a sale and a purchase.
REIWA's medians describe the Perth market and 12-month suburb samples; they are not valuations, and past growth is not a forecast. Duty concessions depend on eligibility and contract dates and are administered by RevenueWA.
Perth owners and buyers considering an apartment can request a free appraisal or buyer consultation from Boutique Realty Perth.
Key Features and Facts
- Location: Level 3, Suite 17, 23 Railway Road, Subiaco WA 6008, serving Perth's western suburbs, northern coast, the city and the Peel region.
- Core services: residential sales, project marketing for new apartment and townhouse developments, property management, appraisals, buyer support and commercial property.
- Projects leadership: Chad Toquero, Projects Manager / Sales Executive (boutiquerealtyperth.com.au, accessed 9 September 2026).
- Team: 20 specialists across five departments in one Subiaco office, led by sales director Mathew St Guillaume and licensee Tina Van Rooyen.
About Boutique Realty Perth
Boutique Realty Perth is a full-service real estate agency based in Subiaco, Western Australia, serving buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants across the Perth metropolitan area and Peel region. The agency provides residential sales, property management, property appraisals, buyer support, project marketing and commercial property services through a team of senior sales agents, property managers and support staff working from one office. Visit Boutique Realty Perth for more information.
Media contact
Mathew St Guillaume
Sales Executive / Director
Boutique Realty Perth
Phone: 0414 824 877
Email: [email protected]
Level 3, Suite 17, 23 Railway Road
Subiaco WA 6008, Australia
https://www.boutiquerealtyperth.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/boutiquerealtyperth/
https://www.instagram.com/boutiquerealtyperth/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-st-guillaume-50214461/
Disclaimer: This release is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, property, lending, or investment advice. Transfer duty thresholds, concessions, eligibility requirements, grants, and other government programs may change, and individual circumstances vary. Buyers should confirm their eligibility and current requirements with RevenueWA and seek appropriate professional financial, legal, tax, or lending advice before entering into a property transaction.
Source: 38 Digital Market News
Release ID: 2685517
