newy.com.au – Hunter-based NEX Building Group has climbed to third among Australia’s largest home builders, while Heatherbrae-based Hunter Homes increased its annual housing starts by almost 78 per cent according to thie Housing Industry Association.

NEX commenced 3,585 homes in 2025-26, moving up from fourth in the Housing Industry Association’s annual Housing 100 ranking. It also ranked first in NSW for detached house starts, with 1,726, highlighting the company’s reach beyond the Hunter.

Belmont-based Montgomery Homes also made the national top 100, placing 80th with 151 starts. The rankings measure homes commenced across each builder’s operations, rather than completed homes or construction confined to the region where a company is based.

NEX, which trades predominantly in NSW as McDonald Jones Homes and MOJO Homes, started 1,742 homes across the state. That placed it second overall in NSW, alongside its leading position in detached houses.

Nationally, detached houses accounted for 3,491 of NEX’s starts, making it Australia’s second-largest builder in that category.

Hunter Homes rose to equal 53rd nationally after commencing 245 homes, up from 138 in the previous financial year. The increase of 107 starts also helped put the Heatherbrae company in 15th place in NSW.

HIA Hunter executive director Craig Jennion attributed the local builders’ results to improving market conditions, saying new home approvals across the Hunter and Central Coast increased by 5 per cent in 2025-26.

Mr Jennion said the results gave him confidence that builders in the region could respond as demand for new homes grew.

The local rankings were part of a broader increase in activity among Australia’s largest residential builders. The top 100 commenced 70,553 homes during the financial year, up 9.4 per cent from 64,481 in 2024-25, and accounted for 35 per cent of the national new home market.

Almost two-thirds of businesses in the ranking increased their output. Detached houses remained the largest part of their work, accounting for 74 per cent of starts, with 52,058 commenced — an increase of 11 per cent.

Sumitomo Forestry Australia, whose businesses include Metricon and Henley, led the national ranking with 8,038 new home starts.