PropertyBiz Brisbane Property Market Update, September 2026

by Stephen McGee, Director, National Property Buyers Brisbane

When the Reserve Bank raised the CASH rate on the 29th of September – it reached its highest point since 2011. We certainly do have an interesting time ahead in regards to the property market but I still feel it will not be to the point that the market will crash. 

What is certainly happening is buyers are having to revise their capacity for borrowing which may impact their “BUY IN” price and so resetting their property goals from their “IDEAL” property to their “AFFORDABLE” property. The “Canstar” Platform notes that an individual person on average wage will have $47,000 shaved off their budget buy price and a couple on an average dual income wage will have $95,000 shaved off their budget buy price. Of, course the exact reduction depends on their income but this certainly does impact the variables in the buyer’s property wallet.   

Price Point, Property type, Suburb & Property attributes are all factors that would have to be considered that much more now and will certainly influence a buyer’s decision of “what they buy” and “where”. These factors will also be applied by owner buyers and Investor buyers but from an investment buy perspective the other major factor has to be the Asset Selection. A property can still be an affordable property but it must still be a property with integrity in structure and must still be located in areas that the fundamentals are driven by owners. 

There is mild confidence that the Reserve Bank will keep rates as they are in November and so lead into 2027 as we are right now. What Brisbanite`s can focus on then, is the lead up to the 2032 Olympics. Typically, property values in cities that are hosting major sporting events such as the Olympics will enter the LEAD UP PHASE and given that there has been a lot of uncertainty surround the “go-ahead” of it In Brisbane and now that the EMBLEM has been publicly announced for the Brisbane Olympics this could also be the start of our LEAD UP PHASE which will inject some confidence again in the Brisbane market and slowly start recording an increase in home values.

Prices: Brisbane Property values declined for the sixth consecutive month and quite sharply in some prestige areas. This has also been evident in the auction clearance rates which has fallen well under the highs set in 2025. Buyers are aware now that they do not need to be impulsive and can consider their next move more strategically. The multi offer scenarios are not too frequent now and sales agents have a tough seller & buyer landscape ahead of them. The key through all of this changing landscape is effective communication, so sales and buyers agents who are “time served” in their respective industry area will certainly know how to navigate thru this stage.

Supply: As a consequence of the market sentiment some vendors are holding back on a sale of a property and vendors who do make the decision to sell are having to be more intune with pricing levels. This is resulting in the days on the market period extending , which in turn is messaging the buyers that they have more properties to consider in a longer time and likely with lower competition levels. The new listing supply currently remains tight and new housing development still insufficient relative to demand.

Rental Market: Brisbane vacancy rates are still very tight @ 2.1% and rental yields still offering a more moderate 3.5%. However as previously mentioned 2 editions ago, the easing of home value growth, shortfall of rental properties and upward pressure still remaining on rental values there is no doubt that gross rental yields will start to rise more. In time this will likely then create a market condition that is again favourable with investors and may see them come back in greater numbers but seeking higher priced assets but comfortable yields for them..

Forecast:

•  For Buyers: This is the breathing room you have been waiting for. While choice is up, remember that truly premium, correctly priced homes still move. You have more leverage to negotiate, but don’t let the high listing numbers fool you into thinking panic-selling is underway.
• For Sellers: Pricing strategy and presentation are now absolutely critical. The days of “set and forget” peak prices are on pause. If your property isn’t priced accurately from day one, it risks getting trapped in the stockpile and becoming stale.

WHY??

If you have been browsing real estate portals lately, you might think a massive wave of homeowners is suddenly rushing to sell. Total properties on the market are up, giving buyers more options than they’ve had in months. However, this sudden surge in choice is actually a red herring.

The truth is that fresh supply is barely keeping up with last year’s pace. What we are witnessing instead is a unique “stockpile effect” caused by a shift in buyer speed.

The Real Numbers Behind the Illusion

To understand what is actually happening on the ground in Brisbane, look at the contrast in these three key metrics compared to the same time last year:

New Listings: Up just 5.4% — Fresh supply to the market has only crept up slightly. There is no sudden stampede of new sellers.

 Home Sales: Down 27.2% — Buyer activity and transaction speeds have pulled back significantly.

 Total Listings: Up 53% — The total volume of available stock on portals has skyrocketed.

Anatomy of the “Stockpile Effect”

So, how do total listings skyrocket by 53% if new properties coming to market only grew by 5%? It comes down to simple math and Days on Market. Because sales volumes have dropped by more than a quarter (-27.2%), homes are taking longer to clear. Instead of selling in the first week or two, properties are lingering on the market, and in fact some sellers refuse to sell at an unexpected offer price from buyers. When homes take longer to sell, they roll over into the next month’s data. This creates a piling-up effect where older properties accumulate on top of the small stream of incoming listings. It looks like a flooded market, but it is actually just a slower-moving inventory queue.

This time of the market must be the most opportunistic time for buyers in Brisbane over the last 10 years to purchase a property than they have had for some time.

This time of the market must be the most opportunistic time for buyers in Brisbane over the last 10 years to purchase a property than they have had for some time.

Whilst the property market nationally is in reactive mode consider some of the factors that have been at play during the most recent times. Consider lending cash rates, National and global events prior and post 2016 and look at where it (the market) is at now. I have been a Buyers Agent for over the last 20 years and one thing I know for certain. The Next Boom Is Always Bigger Than The last….

Think about that and get in touch with me

Residential Property Market, Australia Wide

Source: COTALITY 

Monthly Data:

Extraordinarily all capital cities recorded a fall in property values last month, Darwin being the exception.

Sydney values dropped by -1.4% and Melbourne values dropped by -0.7%

Brisbane values recording a -1.5% fall

Perth values recording a -1.2% fall

Annually

Sydney values dropped by -4.6% and Melbourne values dropped by -4.7%

Brisbane values still recording a growth of 10.80%

Perth values still recording a growth of 15.60%

Median Value:

Sydney still leads the way with a median value of $1,198,596
Brisbane again runner up with a median value of $1,048,880
Melbourne $780,550

Here’s What NPB Do Best

Few people understand that you make your money when you BUY a property NOT when you sell. As the cliché goes “buy the RIGHT property, in the RIGHT suburb at the RIGHT price”.

We take a look back in time at a property purchased by Steve for a client and demonstrate how the factors of TIME and GROWTH can increase your wealth as long as you get the above fundamentals RIGHT.

THIS IS NOW…….

Just Sold Using NPB VA Services
Oct 2026: $1,266,000 
Last rental p/w: $760.00 p/w
Rental yield:6 8%+
Equity Acquired: $616,500
% Growth Per Annum: appx 11.0% p/a appx

A 4 bedroom, 2 bth, 1 x car single storey brick on a 607msq block, close to shops and rail.

A Wise Person once said:

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”

                                                                                                                                                    Isaac Asimov