The short version? The market is good. Not artificially pumped, not holding its breath — genuinely active. Inquiries have been strong and consistent, and from what I hear through the trades who work across multiple builders, we're not alone in that. The demand is real.
Brisbane heading into the Olympics is doing what you'd expect. The suburbs are performing well, and capital gains have been — there's no other word for it — crazy. People talk about it slowing down because of budget pressures and cost of living, and I understand why they say it, but I'm not seeing the evidence of it on the ground. The demand is still there, and until supply genuinely catches up, that's unlikely to change in a hurry.
Speaking of supply — that's the real story. Land is the bottleneck. Developers aren't releasing enough of it to meet demand, and that gap between what people want and what's available is keeping prices elevated. It's a frustrating cycle, particularly for anyone trying to get their first place sorted.
For those looking at where to build or invest in the South East, the Gold Coast continues to hold its value and then some. Blocks of land in established areas are starting from around a million dollars, which puts new estates largely out of reach there — it's become more of a knockdown rebuild market, which I'll talk more about in another post. Further north, Caboolture and the One Bay area are seeing genuine growth with new estates opening up. That's worth watching if you're prepared to look beyond the inner ring.
If you're sitting on the fence about whether now is the time to build, my honest take is this: the market rewards people who get in and build. A brand new custom home in a growth corridor isn't just a place to live — it appreciates, it's low maintenance, and in Queensland's climate, it's built for the lifestyle. That's a hard combination to beat.
If you want to talk through what's possible in Brisbane South, I'm happy to have that conversation. No pressure, just a real chat. Find me at inh.com.au/BrisbaneSouth.
