The HIA-COLORBOND Steel Housing 100 report shows Australia’s leading home builders recorded their highest output in four years, with 70,553 new housing starts in 2025/26—a 9.4% increase over the prior year. These firms contributed 35% of all residential starts nationally, though performance varied significantly across different segments.
Sumitomo Forestry Australia topped the rankings with 8,038 starts, an increase from its 2024/25 total. The company operates under brands such as Henley, Wisdom, and Scott Park Group. In 2024, it agreed to buy Metricon, which was then Australia’s biggest home builder with a focus in Melbourne. Perth-based ABN Group held the second spot with 3,764 starts, while Sydney’s NEX Building Group advanced to third place. NEX Building Group, which is the parent company of McDonald Jones Homes and Brighton Homes, recorded 3,585 starts.
Detached housing experienced the strongest growth, with starts rising 11% to 52,058. Semi-detached and townhouse developments also grew, increasing 14% to 7,397 starts. In contrast, multi-unit construction remained nearly flat, with just a 1% rise to 11,098 starts. Parkview Constructions led the multi-unit category with 2,735 starts, followed by Meriton Apartments with 2,324.
Homecorp Constructions moved up 18 positions to 13th place, while Hutchies jumped from 14th to 8th. The company also secured third place in multi-unit development. This shift highlights a broader trend: builders specializing in detached housing outperformed high-density developers, whose market share contracted as demand for standalone homes recovered.
Tim Reardon, chief economist at the Housing Industry Association, observed that while builders adjusted to improved market conditions, recent policy changes, including interest rate adjustments and shifts in property tax settings, have already dampened sales activity. The report warns that conditions heading into 2027 will be tougher, with recent interest rate adjustments and property tax shifts slowing sales through mid-2026. This lag is expected to weigh on overall commencement volumes in the coming 12 months despite ongoing underlying housing demand.
Apartment developers, once the industry leaders, now occupy lower positions in the rankings as detached housing builders gained stronger sales momentum. HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon said that the largest apartment developers drifted down the overall list as detached home builders capitalised on a strong sales pipeline generated through late 2025 and early 2026.
The report also reveals that the top builders’ market share grew to 35% of all residential starts. However, the uneven growth across housing types suggests that future performance will depend on how effectively the industry adapts to economic pressures and shifting consumer preferences.
