Sun shining on Brisbane, regional Queensland property markets
Across Queensland, from the capital to the northern regional centres, huge infrastructure spends and population growth are fuelling continued property price increases.
There’s no doubt that Brisbane is one of the nation’s busiest property markets, having recently become only the second capital city to have a median house price above $1 million.
At the start of this year, Hotspotting did its annual analysis of the 14 major market jurisdictions across the nation – eight capital cities and six state regional markets – using a range of different metrics to rank them on their prospects for capital growth in 2025.
Our analysis ranked Brisbane number one and regional Queensland number two, and both these broad market jurisdictions are delivering as the year continues to unfold.
Our latest analysis of sales activity classifies both among the nation’s most buoyant property markets.
The Brisbane market is underpinned by a sturdy local economy, big population growth, a massive infrastructure spend and appealing lifestyle features. And it’s getting additional impetus from its status as the main host city for the 2032 Olympic Games.
Nothing supercharges real estate demand like investment in infrastructure, which generates sustained economic activity and creates many thousands of jobs, both during construction and also after projects are completed and operating.
And this is set to be the case in southeast Queensland now that the state and federal governments have finalised the funding agreement to allow preparations for the Olympic Games to proceed. Around $20 billion will be invested in sports venues and transport infrastructure.
Brisbane is also the strongest of the capital cities on price growth for units in the past 12 months. In many parts of Greater Brisbane, houses are showing solid to strong growth, but are being outperformed by units in the same area.
The Brisbane North East precinct provides a graphic example.
These are middle-ring suburbs close to Brisbane Airport, the Port of Brisbane, the Australia TradeCoast commercial precinct, which is the biggest employment zone in Greater Brisbane, and major transport routes, including the Gateway Motorway and commuter rail links.
Here’s the growth in median prices in the past 12 months for various suburbs in that part of Brisbane:
Kedron – houses 8 per cent, units 28 per cent
Northgate – houses 7 per cent, units 21 per cent
Boondall – houses 10 per cent, units 30 per cent
Nundah – houses 6 per cent, units 24 per cent
There are numerous similar examples. Brisbane property markets are thriving, but elsewhere in Queensland, some regional markets are doing even better.
Our analysis of sales activity puts regional Queensland among the nation’s most buoyant property markets for houses and units alike.
Many regional Queensland markets are busy and competitive, including those in Townsville, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton and the Gold Coast. Others, like the Sunshine Coast and the Fraser Coast, are early in new growth cycles.
The Queensland market is underpinned by a strong state economy, big population growth largely through internal migration, major infrastructure projects with multiple billions of dollars being spent and also appealing lifestyle features.
There is $9 billion being invested in upgrades to the Bruce Highway, a $17 billion project to bolster agricultural exports through infrastructure developments, and a variety of major new hospital developments either proposed or underway.
All of those, plus the affordable nature of many regional Queensland markets, mean both it and Brisbane will continue to shine through the rest of 2025 and beyond.
