New DAS data reveals changing market conditions across Australia's rural property sector
National rural property values softened in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a period of market recalibration following several years of strong growth across many agricultural regions.
New data from DAS (Digital Agriculture Services) shows the national median price per hectare declined by 7.4 per cent during the quarter, highlighting the increasingly dynamic nature of Australia's farmland market and reinforcing the need for timely, reliable property intelligence.
The findings are drawn from the DAS Australian Rural Property Sales Dashboard, which analyses settled rural property transactions across Australia and provides near real-time visibility into market activity, pricing trends and regional performance.
Despite the national decline, market conditions varied significantly between regions, with some agricultural areas continuing to record strong price growth while others experienced softer conditions. The results point to a more selective market, where local factors, production potential, infrastructure access and long-term investment confidence are playing an increasingly important role in determining value.
Sarah Gorman, Co-founder of DAS, said the latest results demonstrate the importance of understanding rural property markets at a regional level rather than relying on broad national averages.
"Australian farmland remains one of the country's most important asset classes, but we're seeing greater variation in performance between regions," she said.
"Buyers, lenders and investors need access to timely market intelligence to understand where value is being created, where demand is strengthening and how conditions are evolving across different agricultural sectors."
Gorman said the growing availability of high-quality data is changing how rural property decisions are made.
"Historically, rural property analysis relied heavily on local knowledge and delayed reporting. Today, data science and AI allow us to provide a much clearer picture of market activity as it happens."
"The Rural Property Sales Dashboard helps organisations move beyond static reports and gain direct access to transaction trends, sales activity and price movements across Australia's farmland market."
The DAS Australian Rural Property Sales Dashboard is used by financial institutions, government agencies, investors and agribusinesses to support lending, valuation, investment and strategic planning decisions.
DAS enriches and standardises rural property sales data from across Australia, transforming fragmented jurisdictional datasets into a nationally consistent benchmark with parcel-level accuracy. The platform is updated monthly, providing users with one of the most comprehensive views of the Australian rural property market available.
DAS is an agri-fintech company transforming how financial institutions, governments and enterprises locate, finance, insure and invest in rural assets and portfolios. Its Rural Intelligence Platform™ serves more than 100 clients, integrating intelligence on land use, productivity, sustainability, risk and natural capital to support better decision-making across agriculture and regional economies.
To enquire about DAS Rural Property Data, get in touch with our team.