Brisbane housing beautiful one day, perfect the next
Dwelling values continue to climb as Queensland capital shows it is one of the country's fastest growing markets.
IT may be home of the AFL and NRL premiers but Brisbane is also fast becoming a destination of choice for home owners.
A recent report by property analysts Cotality shows Brisbane’s housing market maintained its robust upward trajectory in March, with dwelling values rising by 1.8 per cent over the month.
“This follows a solid 1.7 per cent gain in February, signalling the Queensland capital remains one of Australia’s most resilient and fast-growing markets,” Cotality research director Tim Lawless said.
On a quarterly basis, the market surged by 5.1 per cent, adding almost $54,000 to the median dwelling value.
Growth continues to be driven by the more affordable segments of the market.
“While premium properties are still recording healthy gains, the lower quartile is significantly outperforming the broader market,” Lawless said.
“The median house value in Brisbane has now surpassed the $1.2 million mark, while the median unit value has climbed to $865,000, reflecting the sustained pressure on residential inventory.”
Despite the strong growth, Brisbane is not immune to the national headwinds of record-low affordability and tightening credit conditions.
“With serviceability buffers requiring new borrowers to demonstrate an ability to repay loans at around nine per cent, demand is increasingly concentrating in the lower price brackets where debt levels are more manageable,” Lawless said.
The 6.4 per cent jump in lower-quartile values compared to the 3.9 per cent rise in the upper quartile illustrates this “flight to affordability”.
“The primary factor underpinning Brisbane’s price resilience is a chronic shortage of housing stock,” he said.
Advertised listing levels remain more than 20 per cent below the five-year average, ensuring that sellers maintain the upper hand in negotiations despite broader economic uncertainty.
Looking ahead, Brisbane is expected to remain a top-performing capital city through 2026.
A resilient labor market and strong internal migration provide a solid floor for values.
“However, buyers and sellers should remain cautious as the market becomes more sensitive to interest rate fluctuations and cost-of-living shocks,” Lawless said.
“While broad-based gains are expected to continue, they may be increasingly limited to segments where serviceability remains achievable for a shrinking pool of buyers.”
