Southport Property Market Update 1st Half 2026
Southport is the most populous suburb in the City of Gold Coast, in Queensland, with a population of 36,786 people (as of ABS Census 2021). Just north of Surfers Paradise, it is one of the major business hubs and overlooks the dazzling Broadwater and Southport Spit.
Property Trends
In Q4 2025, Southport recorded a median house price of $1,264,000 and a median unit price of $795,000. This is an annual (Q4 2024 – Q4 2025) price growth of 19.8% for houses and 15.6% for units, creating an opportunity for owners to capitalise on their investments. Comparing Q4 2024 and Q4 2025, sales increased by 5.6% (to 95 sales in Q4 2025) for houses, suggesting high demand. Unit sales declined by -12.0% (to 426 sales in Q4 2025), reflecting an undersupply. Very few new houses are planned for 2026, house buyers must act fast. Unit buyers have more options; but many house buyers may redirect their budget to units. This creates more competition in the unit market.
Project Development
Southport will see approximately $49.3M of new projects commencing construction in 2026. Despite multiple residential projects in the pipeline, there is only 5 new houses planned. This is not enough to answer demand for houses (95 sales in Q4 2025), which suggests many buyers will redirect their interest to units. Although there are 1,854 units in the 2026 pipeline, this will take time to develop. Thus, in the short-term, house and unit prices are likely to increase.
Rental Market & Growth
House rental yields in Southport were 3.4% as of December 2025, on par with Gold Coast (3.5%) but higher than Brisbane Metro (2.9%). This is paired with a stable median house rental price in the past 12 months to Q4 2025, at $800 per week, and a 1.8% increase in the number of houses rented (to 112 rentals in Q4 2025). Average days on the market has declined to a historical low of 21 days in Q4 2025. There is a resilient and highly demanded house rental market in Southport, which benefits investors.
Vacancy Rates & Property Investment
Southport recorded a vacancy rate of 0.7% in December 2025, below the Gold Coast Main average of 1.3% and Brisbane Metro’s 1.2%. Vacancy rates have decreased in the past 6 months, suggesting a tighter rental market. Furthermore, a 0.7% vacancy rate is significantly below the Real Estate Institute of Australia’s healthy benchmark of 3.0%, indicating quicker occupancy of rental homes in Southport. This creates a conducive environment for investors, even if median house and unit sale prices (thus, entry prices) have increased in the past 12 months to Q4 2025.
