Room Rents Have Been Rising

At Deagon, average rent rose from $400 to $446 per room per week in the first 12 months. At Bald Hills it rose from $416 to $470 between first letting in August 2025 and July 2026, lifting the gross yield on cost from 8.6% to 9.7%.

Five rooms magnify every increase: $54 more per room is about $14,000 more a year. Brisbane’s very tight rental market, covered in our Brisbane investment research, is a big part of that.

Judge It on Net, Not Gross

In Co-Living the owner usually pays utilities, internet, cleaning and higher management fees. Deagon’s outgoings came to $24,648 a year, which took a 10.63% gross yield down to an 8.33% net yield. That is still strong, but it is the right number to compare with a standard house.

Finance Needs a Specialist

Not every lender takes rooming houses, and those that do treat room-by-room income differently. On a $1,295,000 Queensland house and land example ($695,000 land, $600,000 build):

• Staged construction drawdowns cut first-year interest from about $64,500 to $38,630.
• Dropping from 70% to 65% LVR lowered the post-build rate from 8.19% to 7.69%, saving about $776 a month.
• Conditional approval took 3 working days, with settlement about 5 weeks after submission.

Rates are variable and indicative as at September 2026, subject to lender approval. Not credit advice.

Why South East Queensland Has Attracted So Many Residents

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a significant movement of people from New South Wales and Victoria into Queensland.

Remote working arrangements, lifestyle preferences and the ability to maintain employment while living outside traditional capital-city employment centres all contributed to this migration.

Although many employers have since increased office attendance requirements, flexible working arrangements remain relevant. For some professionals, travelling to a Sydney or Melbourne head office periodically while residing in South East Queensland is still practical.

This has helped sustain the region’s appeal beyond the initial pandemic migration surge.

Population growth is particularly important to property investors because it creates demand for accommodation, rental housing, infrastructure and supporting services. We look at this in more detail in Brisbane’s property market in 2026 and, nationally, in Australia’s population growth and property investment.

Why New Housing Is Proving Difficult to Deliver

Construction costs and builder capacity

The supply challenge is not simply a matter of identifying available land.

Residential construction requires builders with the financial capacity, workforce and operational resources to deliver projects.

In South East Queensland, the pool of larger builders capable of undertaking multiple substantial projects has been described as relatively limited.

Even where demand exists, builders can only deliver a finite number of projects simultaneously. This creates a bottleneck between development approvals and completed housing.

Construction costs also affect the feasibility of new projects. When land, labour, materials, finance and compliance costs increase, developers must achieve higher selling prices or rental returns to justify construction.

Projects that cannot meet these feasibility requirements may be delayed, redesigned or abandoned.

The shortage of affordable apartment supply

Apartment construction illustrates this challenge particularly clearly.

New apartment developments in locations such as Brisbane’s inner city and the Gold Coast have increasingly focused on higher-value products.

Recent industry commentary has put construction and selling economics above approximately $22,000 per square metre in some higher-end apartment projects.

While these developments may be commercially feasible, they serve a narrower section of the buyer market.

The larger pool of households seeking more affordable accommodation may have fewer suitable new apartment options.

This creates a disconnect between the type of housing the market needs and the type of housing that developers can economically deliver.

Brisbane is no longer Australia’s best-kept property secret.

Over the past few years, Queensland’s capital has transformed into one of Australia’s strongest-performing property markets, attracting interstate migrants, overseas arrivals, businesses and investors seeking affordability, lifestyle and long-term growth. Our clients who followed the insights we shared with them, and made informed investment decisions are all prospering in a healthy way.

Yet despite the impressive gains already experienced, many industry experts believe Brisbane’s growth story is far from over, as do we at properT network.

Why you may ask?

A rapidly expanding population, billions of dollars in infrastructure investment, a diversifying economy and an ongoing shortage of quality housing are combining to create strong long-term fundamentals for residential property. Oh, and the upcoming 2032 Olympic Games, which have tended to lift the cities that host them: a once-in-a-generation property investment opportunity.

While no investment is ever guaranteed, history has shown that investors who recognise strong market fundamentals early, often place themselves in the best position to benefit over time. And time does compound returns on investment in a financially healthy way.

The question isn’t whether Brisbane will continue to grow.

The real question is whether investors who delay their decisions today will find themselves paying considerably more for the same opportunities tomorrow.

Industry experts say yes.

Housing Supply Continues To Fall Behind Demand

While demand continues to grow, housing supply is struggling to keep pace. The gap between supply and demand unfortunately for residents continues to widen. We cover this in more detail in our Brisbane housing supply analysis.

Australia continues to experience shortages of skilled trades, increasing construction costs, planning delays and ongoing supply chain challenges that have slowed the delivery of new housing. This phenomenon is worsening.

Although governments have introduced ambitious housing targets, building enough homes to accommodate future population growth remains a significant challenge. And that is where the investment opportunity lies.

When demand consistently exceeds supply, history shows that both property prices and rental values generally experience upward pressure. That is exactly what an investor is looking for.

This imbalance has already contributed to extremely low vacancy rates across many Brisbane suburbs, creating favourable conditions for quality investment properties. Urbis puts Brisbane’s rental vacancy rate at just 0.7% to 1.0%, well below the 3% generally seen as a balanced market.

For investors focused on long-term wealth creation, understanding the relationship between supply and demand is critical.

Billions Of Dollars In Infrastructure Are Transforming Brisbane

Infrastructure has always played an important role in supporting property values.

Major transport projects improve accessibility, reduce travel times and increase the desirability of surrounding suburbs.

Brisbane is currently undergoing one of the largest infrastructure programs in its history, with Urbis counting a $116.8 billion pipeline of projects.

Projects including Cross River Rail, Brisbane Metro, Brisbane Airport expansion, Port of Brisbane upgrades and extensive road improvements are reshaping how people move throughout the city.

In addition, billions of dollars are being invested in sporting facilities, entertainment precincts, urban renewal projects and public infrastructure ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Understand the positive implications here.

These investments don’t simply create construction jobs.

They help transform entire precincts, improve liveability and support long-term economic growth well beyond the Games themselves.

Not Every Brisbane Property Will Be An Investment-Grade Asset

Perhaps the biggest mistake investors make is assuming that every property within a strong market will deliver outstanding results.

The reality is very different.

Successful investing isn’t simply about buying property in Brisbane.

It’s about buying the right property in the right location at the right time.

Some suburbs will significantly outperform others.

Some properties will experience stronger rental demand.

Others will benefit more from infrastructure investment, population growth and owner-occupier appeal.

At properT network, we believe investors should focus on investment-grade property rather than simply investment property.

That means carefully assessing factors such as land value, scarcity, transport links, employment hubs, school catchments, infrastructure investment, future supply constraints and long-term owner-occupier demand.

Selecting the right property from the outset can make a substantial difference to long-term financial outcomes. For most investors, that means a new build: read why in Existing Homes vs New Builds.

Final Thoughts

Brisbane continues to offer many of the characteristics long-term property investors seek: strong population growth, a diversified and expanding economy, unprecedented infrastructure investment and an ongoing shortage of quality housing.

These are structural drivers that support long-term housing demand rather than short-term market cycles.

However, successful investing has never been about following headlines or chasing the latest hotspot.

It requires careful research, strategic planning and selecting investment-grade properties that align with your financial objectives.

At properT network, we help investors make informed property decisions based on independent research, market analysis and nearly two decades of property investment advisory experience.

Our focus has always been simple—to help our clients purchase quality investment properties that have the potential to deliver sustainable long-term growth while supporting their broader wealth creation goals.

If you’re considering investing in Brisbane or anywhere throughout South East Queensland, now may be an ideal time to review your strategy and explore the opportunities available before affordability moves further beyond the reach of many investors.

The best investment decisions are rarely driven by emotion—they’re driven by knowledge, planning and acting when the right opportunity presents itself.

Compare locations and new stock in our Queensland property matrix, or book a strategy call with Stephen Lazar.

More on Brisbane and Across the properT network

• South East Queensland property market: what investors need to know (properT network)
• Australia’s housing shortage is driving prices and rents (properT network)
• Negative gearing changes 2027: the cash flow problem (properT network)
• Co-living investment in Brisbane and SEQ (Co-Living)

General information only, current at the date of publication. Market conditions change; please speak with us before acting on any figures in this article.

Brisbane’s Growth Story Isn’t Over

After one of the strongest property booms in Australia’s history, many investors are asking the same question:

Has Brisbane already had its run, or is there still significant opportunity?

While Brisbane has experienced extraordinary capital growth over recent years, the underlying drivers that created that growth remain firmly in place :

• Population growth continues to outpace housing supply.

• Infrastructure investment remains at record levels.

• Rental vacancies remain historically tight.

• The lead-up to the 2032 Olympic Games continues to attract both public and private investment across South East Queensland.

The result is a market that may be transitioning from rapid price appreciation into a more sustainable phase of long-term growth rather than entering a downturn. Forecasts from several analysts still expect Brisbane to outperform many other Australian capital cities in 2026, although growth is likely to moderate compared with the exceptional gains of recent years.

Supply Remains The Biggest Challenge

Australia continues to struggle to build enough homes.

Labour shortages.

Construction cost inflation.

Planning delays.

These factors, amongst others, continue restricting new housing supply.

While governments have ambitious housing targets, actual construction activity continues to lag behind demand, keeping pressure on both prices and rental markets.

For investors, this supply imbalance remains one of the strongest long-term fundamentals.

Infrastructure Is Changing The City

Billions of dollars are continuing to reshape Brisbane.

Major projects include:

• Cross River Rail
• Brisbane Metro
• Olympic infrastructure
• Bruce Highway upgrades
• Coomera Connector
• Inland Rail connections
• Hospital expansions
• University precinct investment

Infrastructure doesn’t automatically increase property values, it also creates both short term and long term employment opportunities – jobs attract population growth, population growth places upward pressure on supply.

Meaning when combined with population growth and housing shortages, it creates stronger long-term investment fundamentals.

Why New Investment Properties Are Becoming Increasingly Attractive

One of the biggest changes occurring across Australia is the increasing focus on newly constructed investment properties.

For investors this can potentially provide:

• Higher depreciation benefits
• Lower maintenance costs
• Better tenant appeal
• Improved energy efficiency
• Stronger rental returns
• Builder warranties
• Reduced holding costs during the early ownership years

Selecting the right builder, location and floorplan remains critical.

Not all new developments are investment grade.

Risks Investors Should Consider

No market grows forever.

Investors should remain aware of:

• Interest rate movements
• Lending policy changes
• Government taxation reforms
• Oversupply in isolated apartment precincts
• Poor quality developments
• Builder financial stability
• Location, demand and supply
• Not all property is equal nor worthy of your Investment Dollars … how do you know which are ?

Successful investing is less about predicting markets and more about selecting quality assets capable of performing across multiple market cycles. It is also about matching the ‘best fit’ investment property to your purpose, the reason why you are investing, your budget and the intended outcome you are seeking from this investment vehicle.

Final Thoughts

Brisbane’s extraordinary growth over recent years has changed the market, but it hasn’t removed the underlying fundamentals that continue to support long-term investment.

While future price growth is likely to be more measured than the rapid gains seen previously, investors who focus on quality assets in the right locations should continue to benefit from Queensland’s strong economic outlook, population growth and ongoing housing undersupply.

As always, successful property investing is not about timing the market—it’s about securing the right investment-grade property and holding it long enough for the fundamentals to work in your favour.

Sunshine Coast | Ipswich | Logan | Townsville | Toowoomba | SEQ

Read next: Brisbane Property Market 2026: Why Investors May Be Running Out of Time.

Why the Ipswich Property Market Matters to Investors in 2026

Strategic Location and Economic Role

Ipswich sits at the junction of five major highways, positioning it as a logistics and transport hub within South East Queensland. Direct commuter rail connections to Brisbane, combined with proximity to Brisbane Airport, the Port of Brisbane, and access corridors to the Gold Coast, underpin its role as the Western Economic corridor of Greater Brisbane.

Regional planning documents consistently identify Ipswich as a critical pressure valve for South East Queensland’s population growth, supporting decentralisation while maintaining strong employment and transport connectivity. Industry analysts widely view this positioning as a structural advantage, here to grow and stay.

Population Growth: The Primary Demand Driver

Ipswich is one of the fastest‑growing local government areas in Australia. Census data and council estimates show a clear acceleration :

• 2016 population: ~200,000
• 2021 population: ~230,000
• Early 2026 estimate: ~270,000+ to planned expected growth of 534,000 residents

Recent migration figures indicate annual net population increases of approximately 8,000–10,000 residents, with particularly strong inflows through 2024 and 2025. Industry forecasters expect this trajectory to continue, driven by affordability constraints in Brisbane and sustained employment growth across the western corridor.

Rental Market Conditions

Ipswich’s rental market has tightened significantly over the past five years. Vacancy rates that once sat in a healthy balanced range have fallen to critically low levels, frequently hovering around or below 1%.

These conditions have driven substantial rental growth, with median rents increasing sharply since 2021. Most housing analysts attribute this to a combination of population inflows, limited new rental supply, and slower‑than‑required dwelling completions.

Until construction activity materially increases, vacancy rates are expected to remain tight, supporting rental conditions across much of the city. Further impacted by planned population growth compounded by insufficient supply of new dwellings.

Where the Market Is Heading: Planning and Policy Shift

Ipswich’s future performance will be heavily shaped by planning decisions compounded by ongoing market momentum.

The Ipswich City Plan 2025, effective from July 2025, represents a fundamental reset of how the city intends to grow. At its core is a target of approximately 100,000 new dwellings over the next 20 years—more than doubling the existing housing stock by the mid‑2040s.

This equates to a required delivery rate of roughly 5,000 new homes per year, significantly above recent construction averages. Industry analysts note that this gap between required and actual delivery is one of the city’s biggest risks—and on the flip side major opportunity for investors.

The Residential Activation Fund has committed $73.6m to critical infrastructure in Ipswich, to specifically ‘unlock’ land. That is 26,100 new lots for development and well short of the 100,000 new dwelling target.

Supply Risk and Investment Outcomes

Markets characterised by large, repeatable construction pipelines—particularly greenfield estates—often experience moderated capital growth over time due to ongoing competition from newly released stock. As similar dwellings continue to be delivered, resale prices can face downward pressure from developer incentives, staged land releases, and continual buyer choice.

By contrast, industry analysts expect the rising cost of land, the outward expansion of new housing corridors, and escalating construction costs to increasingly support stronger capital growth and rental outcomes for well-located, newly built dwellings closer to established infrastructure. These assets benefit from relative scarcity, superior amenity access, and lower substitution risk compared to fringe developments.

Similarly, established suburbs with flood-safe land, strong transport connectivity, and limited redevelopment capacity tend to retain greater pricing power over the long term, as demand competes for a more constrained and less replicable housing supply.

Consistent with broader industry research, long-term investment performance is driven less by city-wide averages and more by micro-level supply dynamics, planning constraints, infrastructure access, and local amenity—factors that ultimately determine scarcity and pricing resilience.

Why Ipswich Remains an Opportunity for Investors

The what to invest in, your purpose for your investment, your investment strategy and budget will determine in what and what in Ipswich you will invest.

For property investors Ipswich’s long‑term fundamentals remain strong underpinned by : sustained population growth, expanding infrastructure, improving amenity, and ongoing affordability advantages.

The next decade will reward investors who understand planning controls, zoning changes, infrastructure sequencing, and supply pipelines at a granular level. Ipswich is no longer a single market – it is many markets within one city.

Successful outcomes will belong to those who approach it with precision, data, and a clear understanding of what to avoid and to identify or shown where growth can be absorbed.

Read more on City of Ipswich Planning Scheme to grow to 534,000 residents by 2046 here

Toowoomba property investment in 2026

Toowoomba has moved from a quiet regional option to one of Queensland’s busiest markets. The Darling Downs hub combines a diversified economy, a large health and education sector, freight and agriculture, and a fast-rising population of people moving out of the capitals.

The price story over the past year has been strong. REIQ data for the June quarter 2026 puts the Toowoomba house median at about $850,000, up around 20% over 12 months, with units at about $650,000. In the March quarter, Toowoomba houses sold in a median of 14 days, the fastest in the state. The REIQ’s local zone chair now describes conditions as a more balanced market, which suggests the steepest part of the run may be behind it.

Key factors driving the market

• Migration from the capitals. The CBA Regional Movers Index for the March quarter 2026 ranked Toowoomba first among all council areas in Australia, with net moves from capital cities up 236% on a year earlier.
• Health and jobs. John Holland signed the main works contract for the new Toowoomba Hospital on 27 May 2026, a facility of at least 538 beds.
• Freight and aviation. A wide-body aircraft paint facility at Wellcamp Airport is forecast to create 750+ jobs and open in 2028, and the federal government’s National Intermodal bought a 170 ha site at Charlton for a regional freight hub linked to Inland Rail.
• Land supply. OpenLot recorded a median land price of $502,000 in April 2026, with lots from about $300,000 and house-and-land from about $730,000.

What to watch

Toowoomba’s growth has been fast, and fast markets can stall. Inland Rail’s Border to Gowrie section is still in approvals and design, so the timing of that benefit is uncertain. Rates are also higher: the Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 4.60% in September 2026. Investors should test rent, land size and builder quality project by project rather than relying on the city-wide trend.

Our latest builder and developer stock lists (July–October 2026) include 33 new listings in Toowoomba, priced from $376k to $1.11m with a median of $544k. These are indicative figures across many projects, not a single offer. Current suburbs, land and build prices and rents are on our Toowoomba property investment page.

For the longer view of the city, read Why invest in Toowoomba? and Stephen’s original article Why investing in Toowoomba makes strategic sense on properT network.

Related reading

Sources: Hot Property quoting REIQ June quarter 2026; REIQ March quarter 2026; Cotality HVI report (data to 31 Aug 2026); Elite Agent on the CBA Regional Movers Index; Queensland Government: New Toowoomba Hospital; Queensland Government: Wellcamp paint facility; Real Estate Source on the Charlton site; Inland Rail, Border to Gowrie; OpenLot Toowoomba; PRD Toowoomba update; CommBank on the RBA September 2026 decision.

We also checked Hotspotting for a 2026 Toowoomba view and found no new public commentary at the time of writing.

Brisbane’s market turns after a long run

Brisbane was Australia’s strongest capital through 2024 and 2025. In 2026 the picture changed. Cotality’s figures show Brisbane values peaked in May, then fell; in September 2026 they dropped 1.5% in a month, the steepest fall of any capital. Nationally, values have fallen for six months in a row and are 5.2% below their March peak.

Two things drove the turn: affordability after years of growth, and higher rates. The Reserve Bank raised the cash rate to 4.60% in late September 2026, its fourth increase of the year. Cotality’s research director suggested a 10–15% national fall from peak is a reasonable expectation.

House prices in Brisbane

The Brisbane median house value was $1,180,552 in August 2026, up 10.3% over the year. In September 2024, when this article first ran, it was $973,534.

The rental market in Brisbane

Rents are still rising. SQM Research reported a Brisbane vacancy rate of 0.9% in July 2026 and a combined asking rent of about $756 a week, up 8.3% over 12 months. Cotality’s gross yields for Brisbane were 3.3% for houses and 4.1% for units in August 2026. Vacancy measures differ between providers, so it pays to check the suburb rather than the city average.

Summary

Brisbane’s long-term drivers, population growth, undersupply and the 2032 pipeline, are still in place, but the short-term market is softer than at any point since 2022. Terry Ryder of Hotspotting said at the start of 2026 that Brisbane was part of the next phase of growth; that view predates the mid-year downturn. For investors with a long time frame, a falling market can mean less competition and more negotiating room, but cash flow at a 4.60% cash rate needs careful testing.

Our latest builder and developer stock lists (July–October 2026) include 59 new listings in Brisbane, priced from $685k to $4.35m with a median of $1.41m. These are indicative figures across many projects, not a single offer. Current suburbs, land and build prices and rents are on our Brisbane property investment page.

For more, see our Brisbane property market outlook 2026 and Brisbane housing supply crisis 2026.

Sources: Real Estate Business, Brisbane update August 2026; API Magazine; Cotality Home Value Index, September 2026; ABC News, 1 Oct 2026; SQM Research vacancy rates, July 2026; Cotality HVI report (data to 31 Aug 2026); CommBank on the RBA September 2026 decision; QGSO population growth, Dec 2025; Master Builders Queensland; Austadiums; Terry Ryder in API Magazine, Jan 2026.