# Young Australians are swapping property for shares and ETFs

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/it-was-once-unthinkable-in-australian-culture-now-young-aussies-explain-why-they-are-ditching-property-investing-for-shares-and-etfs-and-how-its-transformed-their-lifestyles/
- Published: 2026-11-04T13:51:35+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T14:07:49+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16247269/Is-investing-property-over.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Business, Markets, World

## Key points

- More young Australians are investing in ETFs instead of property.
- Nearly three million Australians now own ETFs, over twice the 2020 figure.
- High property costs are influencing how younger people invest and live.

## Summary

Some younger Australians are choosing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over buying property, challenging the long-held view that home ownership is the surest route to wealth. High prices, borrowing costs and other expenses are making property harder to access, while investing in shares can offer more flexibility to people who want to maintain their current lifestyles.

Melbourne tech worker Brielle Basmadjian, 29, rents an apartment she could afford to buy but says the costs would limit her lifestyle and travel. She previously owned a home with a partner, then sold it after they separated, and has invested in ETFs since age 20. ASX research says nearly three million Australians now own ETFs, more than twice as many as in 2020; interest in investment properties fell from 36 per cent in 2023 to 20 per cent in 2026. Among 18 to 29-year-olds, ETFs are now as popular as investment properties as a first investment.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.