Off the plan now sells on certainty
Buying off the plan has always asked for a leap of faith. A buyer signs today, hands over a deposit that, as The Urban Developer noted this month, can run to $100,000 or more held in trust for two years or longer, and waits for a home that does not yet exist.
In 2026 that leap feels longer, and nobody can say with confidence how long or how deep the current lull will be. That uncertainty is the defining challenge for the 20 businesses in the Off the Plan category of the 2026 Proptech Map, and it is why this corner of the map is so competitive.
Buyers are hesitating, but the right projects still sell
The clearest signal comes from the new home market. The Housing Industry Association's New Home Sales report, released on 15 September, found new home sales fell 10% in August, the fourth consecutive monthly decline, with sales in the three months to August down 19.3 % on the previous quarter.
HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon called it "a tangible and significant deterioration in market conditions".
Land is telling the same story. Oliver Hume's Land Index and Residential Outlook, published on 1 September, found only two of the five major capital city land markets now operating above long-term trend, down from four in December 2025.
In Victoria, RPM Group's Q2 2026 Greenfield Market Report counted 4,048 lot sales, down 24% year-on-year.
For apartments, the pressure shows up in presales. Australian Property Review reported in August that projects which cleared their presale hurdles in three to five months a year or so ago are now taking seven to nine months, or stalling at 40% to 50% sold, while most construction lenders want 60% to 75% sold before funding a build.
Then there is valuation risk. Cotality's Pain and Gain report for the June quarter found 90.5% of unit resales made a profit, against 97.8% of houses. In Melbourne, one in five unit resales sold at a loss.
Buyers know that if a valuation at completion falls short of the contract price, they must find the difference in cash. Yet the market has not stopped. It has become selective. Coronation Property reported $50 million in sales within two hours at the September launch of Archer and Albert in Chatswood, according to news.com.au.
Finbar Group told the ASX this month it had started construction on its Romeo development in Applecross with 103 of 155 lots sold.
Government settings are also tilting towards new stock. Under Federal Budget measures announced on 12 May, negative gearing is limited to new builds for properties bought after budget night.
The 20 proptechs turning hesitation into sales
When buyers need more convincing, every step from site to settlement counts. Our community covers all of it.
Helping buyers see what does not exist yet: DisplaySweet, IMMERSIV and SensOreal turn plans into interactive 3D models, virtual tours and touchscreen sales experiences, so a buyer can walk through an apartment, check the view and compare finishes before the first slab is poured.
Running tighter sales campaigns: Arcanite, Brightfox, Project RE, Property Shell, SaleFish, RigelTech and Teamlink give developers, project marketers and agents one place to manage stock, leads, contracts and deal status, often in real time across multiple agencies. LEAD Nurture applies AI to find and nurture the buyers most likely to commit. When presales take nine months, a lost lead is a lost month.
Putting new homes in front of buyers: iBuildNew and OpenLot help buyers compare house and land packages, estates and floorplans with full pricing, while Land Now connects land developers directly with home builders. AirHomes focuses on brand new property sales.
Getting the numbers right before launch: Aprao brings development appraisals and financial modelling into one platform, and Development Ready speeds up site search and due diligence. With lenders asking for up to 75% presold, a project priced poorly at launch may never start.
The project marketing specialists: Oliver Hume, which says it has more than 70 years in residential development, together with LINK and HOME789, brings research, strategy and sales execution to developers who need an experienced partner.
In the “off the plan” sector, technology works best in the hands of people who know how to sell. Over the next year, buyers will reward certainty: trusted developers, clear information, realistic pricing and a sales experience that answers questions before they are asked.
Bottom line: Off the plan will always be about selling the future. With new home sales down four months running and presales taking twice as long, the developers who win will be those who make that future feel certain. The 20 businesses on this map give our industry better tools than ever to do it.
Is your business in the Off the Plan category, or should it be? If your company is missing from the map, sits in the wrong category or needs its details updated, tell us at members@proptechaustralia.com.au.
Off the Plan is one of 14 categories in the staged release of the 2026 Proptech Map. Each is released publicly as a static slide, but Proptech Australia members can explore the full interactive map online, every company across all 14 categories, to find partners and spot gaps first.
For more information on becoming a member, go to https://www.proptechaustralia.com.au/signup. Or email our Membership Services Specialist, Patricia Louise, at members@proptechaustralia.com.au.
