Last week’s interest rate hike wasn’t unexpected, but it does raise the question of whether SA’s mini-housing boom is finally running out of steam. And while there are mixed views on how quickly rate increases will deflate buyer exuberance and house-price growth, it’s probably safe to say that volumes and price growth are unlikely to match last year’s highs.

Rate cuts to near-50-year lows in 2020, coupled with pandemic-induced shifts in how people live and work, caused a spike in housing sales and price growth...