September 2026 | Brisbane Properties Market Update
While property markets across Australia are adjusting to higher interest rates, tighter borrowing conditions and more cautious buyer sentiment, the Gold Coast’s new apartment sector is continuing to show surprising resilience.
New research from Urbis shows 644 new apartments were sold across the Gold Coast during the first half of 2026, compared with 576 sales during the corresponding period in 2025 — an increase of approximately 12 per cent year-on-year.
The consistency of those sales is perhaps even more telling.
There were 326 new apartment sales in the March quarter, followed by another 318 in the June quarter, suggesting demand has remained relatively steady rather than being driven by one unusually strong month or project launch.
At the same time, Urbis is now monitoring a record 97 new apartment projects across the Gold Coast, highlighting the scale of development activity and developers’ continued confidence in the region.
Gold Coast attracting a larger share of Queensland buyers
The strength isn’t limited to brand-new apartments.
InfoTrack’s June-quarter data showed that although Queensland unit transaction volumes fell 37.8 per cent, the Gold Coast captured six of the state’s top 10 suburbs for unit sales.
In fact, the first five positions were all Gold Coast suburbs: Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Robina, Main Beach and Southport.
That suggests buyer demand hasn’t disappeared as the broader market has cooled. Instead, purchasers appear to be becoming more selective and concentrating their activity in locations where they see strong lifestyle, rental and long-term fundamentals.
Prices and rents have also remained strong
JLL reported that Gold Coast residential sale prices were still showing 11.3 per cent annual growth as at the June quarter of 2026, while median apartment rents had reached approximately $785 per week, up 4.7 per cent year-on-year.
The new-build market is increasingly concentrated at the premium end.
According to the latest Urbis data, the weighted average sale price for new Gold Coast apartments increased to approximately $2.634 million in the June quarter, up from $2.228 million during Q1.
This reflects not only price growth but also the increasing number of larger, higher-end developments being targeted at owner-occupiers, downsizers and affluent interstate purchasers.
Why has the Gold Coast been so resilient?
Several factors continue to support the market:
- Lifestyle migration: The Gold Coast continues to attract purchasers from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and interstate markets looking for a coastal lifestyle.
- Population growth: South East Queensland remains one of Australia’s strongest population-growth corridors, providing a growing underlying requirement for housing.
- Rental demand: Apartment rents remain high, helping support investor demand and improving the relative attractiveness of units compared with significantly more expensive detached houses.
- Affordability relative to houses: As Gold Coast house values have risen dramatically, apartments provide an alternative entry point for both owner-occupiers and investors.
- Owner-occupier demand: Downsizers and lifestyle buyers are increasingly seeking larger, well-appointed apartments close to beaches, dining, retail and transport.
- Limited development feasibility: Despite the record number of projects being monitored, not every approved project will ultimately be delivered. High construction and finance costs continue to constrain new supply.
That last point is particularly important.
The Property Council of Australia and Urbis reported that only 2,431 new apartments and townhouses were registered on the Gold Coast during 2025, down 6.3 per cent from the previous year and below housing targets contained in the South East Queensland Regional Plan.
Around 60 per cent of apartments scheduled for completion during 2028 and 2029 were assessed as being at moderate or high risk of delay or withdrawal.
In other words, having 97 projects in the market does not necessarily mean 97 projects will be built.
The market is becoming more selective
It is important not to interpret the strong apartment-sales figures as meaning every part of the Gold Coast market is booming.
More recent data shows the broader Gold Coast property market has begun to cool following the extraordinary gains recorded since 2020. PropTrack recorded a modest 0.3 per cent decline in the city’s median dwelling price during the June quarter, with performance varying significantly between suburbs and property types.
There are also signs of increasing listings and price sensitivity in parts of the market.
What we’re seeing is therefore less of a universal Gold Coast boom and more of a two-speed market.
Well-located apartments, quality developments and properties offering genuine lifestyle appeal are continuing to attract buyers, while properties perceived as overpriced or compromised are taking longer to sell.
What does this mean for Gold Coast property owners?
For owners considering selling, the current environment reinforces the importance of pricing, presentation and positioning.
There are still buyers in the market — and substantial capital looking for quality property — but purchasers have considerably more information and choice than they did during the post-COVID boom.
Properties that are accurately priced and marketed effectively can still achieve strong results, particularly in highly desirable Gold Coast locations.
For investors, the combination of strong rents, population growth and constrained long-term housing supply continues to provide fundamental support. However, buyers should carefully consider body corporate costs, building quality, rental returns and the individual supply pipeline within each suburb rather than assuming every apartment will perform equally.
Brisbane Properties view
The most significant takeaway from the first half of 2026 is that Gold Coast apartment demand has remained remarkably resilient despite a much more difficult national property environment.
With 644 new apartment sales in six months, strong rents and a record number of developments being monitored, buyers and developers clearly continue to see long-term value in the Gold Coast.
However, this is no longer a market where everything rises together.
Quality, location, scarcity and realistic pricing are becoming increasingly important — and that is likely to define the next stage of the Gold Coast property cycle.
Thinking of buying, selling or investing in South East Queensland? Contact Brisbane Properties for current market advice and an assessment of your property.
