Property Market Update for Brisbane – April 2026
There’s no shortage of headlines about Brisbane’s property market right now – and, as is often the case, the truth lies somewhere between optimism and caution. After 93 years of operating in Brisbane’s inner southside, we’ve seen every kind of market imaginable.
Here’s our honest read on where things sit today.
The big picture
Brisbane’s property fundamentals remain solid. Population growth is continuing, the rental vacancy rate is tracking below one per cent, and interstate and overseas migration is keeping demand for housing well ahead of supply. These aren’t short-term blips on the radar, but rather long-term structural drivers that don’t switch off overnight.
That said, 2026 has started with some headwinds worth acknowledging. The February and March interest rate increases of 0.25 per cent each, after months of rate-cut predictions, have introduced a small layer of caution among real estate stakeholders. Ongoing global uncertainty, particularly around the Middle East conflict and its flow-on effects for energy prices, has also made some buyers and sellers a little more hesitant than they were six months ago.
With the cash rate now sitting at 4.1 per cent and several major lenders flagging the possibility of further increases, it would be naïve to pretend our city’s market is immune. But “caution” and “collapse” are very different things, and right now, we’re firmly in the former.
The inner southside story
Here’s where local knowledge really earns its keep.
The suburbs we mostly service – Annerley, Moorooka, Salisbury, Rocklea, Yeronga, Fairfield, Tarragindi, Greenslopes, and Holland Park – don’t all move in lockstep, and a broad property market headline rarely tells the full story. The nuances of location, price point and property type will drive prices and activity differently.
The most active segment right now is attached housing priced under $1 million. Demand has been strong, driven in part by first-home buyer incentives that are prompting renters to make the leap to ownership. Units and townhouses, particularly older stock in well-located pockets close to transport and services, have seen some extraordinary results. We’ve watched prices for some properties double over the past two to three years, and our pre-market campaigns continue to generate genuine competition among buyers.
Detached housing is a slightly different conversation. Brisbane is no longer Australia’s most affordable east-coast capital, and finding a house under $1.2 million anywhere in our area is increasingly rare. Buyers are still there, but they’re more considered than they were when every listing attracted a queue of offers. Sellers who come to market with realistic, well-researched price expectations are achieving solid results. Those who come in too ambitiously risk sitting on the market for longer than they should.
On the development side, we’re seeing a healthy appetite among buyers for sites, from small splitter blocks to larger-scale projects. This purchaser group has largely absorbed higher construction costs into their thinking and is taking a longer-term view on value, which is the right approach given where Brisbane is headed.
Renters and landlords
The rental market remains very tight. While the pace of rent growth has eased from its peak, vacancy rates below one per cent mean competition for good rental properties is still fierce. If you’re a landlord, your investment is in strong hands. If you’re a tenant, having a well-presented application and working with an agency that communicates clearly makes all the difference, and that’s something we pride ourselves on.
Is now a good time to sell?
Our honest view? For the right property, now is a prime time to sell.
The window of peak buyer activity may narrow if global uncertainty persists and the RBA lifts rates again. Listing now, while buyer pools are still active and motivated, gives sellers a better chance of achieving a strong result than waiting for conditions that may or may not improve.
We’re also seeing good results through our Quiet Listings network. These off-market campaigns connect motivated sellers with a ready pool of registered buyers before a property ever hits the major portals. If you’re thinking about selling, talk to us about the prospect of achieving a premium price without the expensive marketing costs that come with listing on the big portals.
Four generations. Ninety-three years. The same location.
We’ve been looking after Brisbane real estate long enough to know that every market cycle eventually turns. Right now, the southside in particular remains one of the most promising pockets in Queensland, and we’re here to help you make the most of it, whatever your property situation looks like.
Then and now: the original Matthews & Son office alongside the current Matthews Real Estate office.