The city’s thriving inner east – including Woolloongabba and Dutton Park – and Albion, Paddington, Hamilton and Kelvin Grove are some of the hot spots expected to boom off the back of major infrastructure spending ahead of the games, with Greater Brisbane set to soar past the million-dollar median house price mark soon, experts say.
New data from PRD revealed Brisbane’s median house price could collectively rise to $1.2 million by 2032, with Hamilton – which will accommodate the athlete’s village – predicted to leap from its $1.65 million house price average to just under $4 million after the Olympics.
Tennyson, which currently boasts a median house price of just under $1 million, could rise to just over $2 million and Woolloongabba – where many Olympic events will be held at the Gabba – could also soar from its current median of $1.086 million to just over $2 million, the PRD report said.
Ray White’s national chief economist, Nerida Conisbee, said while the Olympics would likely serve as an insurance policy to keep the real estate sector’s cogs spinning, the city was already charging towards a sizzling decade of property growth – partially thanks to COVID-19.
Many inner suburbs, she said, were now poised to sprint past the $1 million median house price milestone in coming months as long as interstate migration continued and the state could maintain its already low coronavirus case numbers.
“The other thing that is great about Brisbane is, while it’s getting more expensive, it’s still relatively cheap, so even though we’re starting to see some movement in pricing it’s still good and it’s still offering a cheaper alternative to other cities,” Ms Conisbee said.
“As for the Olympics, it puts Brisbane on the global stage so I guess one of the things that will help Brisbane over the coming years is simply maintaining that high level of migration … but at this stage, I don’t see it softening.”
While house prices in some suburbs within the city’s golden inner ring had already jumped by more than 30 per cent over the past year, Ms Conisbee said even blue-chip pockets such as New Farm were considered a steal compared to their Sydney counterparts. This, coupled with the lifestyle on offer in Queensland, had driven a record number of migrants from NSW and Victoria.
The Domain House Price Report for the June quarter recently revealed New Farm houses were sitting at just under $2 million.
“I think definitely the inner suburbs are worth looking at and the premium suburbs are the ones to watch … you can’t live in the best suburb of Sydney for $2 million so that’s where Brisbane is looking really good at the moment,” Ms Conisbee said.
Thanks to the proposed conversion of Albion Park dog track into a stadium, the team also tipped the inner-northern suburb to soar, alongside Portside and Hamilton which, aside from being the home of the athlete’s village, also has the new cruise terminal.
Finally, Herston, Kelvin Grove and Paddington are expected to reap the benefits of the games, thanks to Brisbane Live being the likely hub for entertainment in 2032.