Projected declines in residential property prices will not dissuade investors from proceeding with their plans, with 44 per cent expecting to purchase a home over the next 12 months, new research has found.

According to the Property Investment Professionals of Australia’s (PIPA) 2020 Investor Sentiment report – which involved a survey of approximately 1,100 property investors in August – investors remain relatively optimistic despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

While down from 82 per cent in 2019, approximately 57 per cent of respondents said now is a good time to invest in residential property.

Approximately 77 per cent of respondents said projected falls in dwelling values of up to 15 per cent would not thwart their investment plans, with 44 per cent expecting to purchase a property in the next six to 12 months.

“While there is no doubt that 2020 has been one of the toughest in living memory for everyone around the globe, property investors have remained resilient in the face of the unprecedented uncertainty that we are all experiencing,” PIPA chairman Peter Koulizos observed.

Moreover, 71 per cent of investors said they’re less likely to sell an investment property due to uncertainty caused by the pandemic, which Mr Koulizos claimed would “help to underpin property prices”.

Investors exploring alternative locations