Housing resale profits have hit their highest levels in 20 years, with Brisbane leading the nation’s cities to deliver a median profit of $500,000.
The results from the December quarter produced the strongest gains since 2005, with Brisbane way ahead of Australia’s median gain record of $365,000, according to Cotality’s Pain & Gain report.
Cotality Head of Research Gerard Burg said the strength in resale outcomes reflected the accumulation of growth over two decades, rather than a sudden surge in market conditions.
“Resale profitability remains very high, but these gains have been built over time,” Mr Burg said.
“Most sellers have held their property for close to a decade, so the results we’re seeing now are a product of sustained value growth rather than short-term market movements.”
Of the 102,000 resales analysed in the report, 95.9 percent recorded a profit, while the median loss edged higher to $45,000.
Loss-making houses were held for a much shorter period, with a median of just over four years.
“Shorter ownership periods remain the key risk factor for losses, particularly for those who purchased closer to recent market peaks,” Mr Burg said.
Nationally, 98.1 percent of house resales recorded a profit, compared with 91.2 percent of units. Median gains were also significantly higher for houses at $428,000, versus $246,500 for units.
Mr Burg noted losses were most heavily concentrated in the unit sector, particularly across parts of Sydney and Melbourne, where increased supply has weighed on values.
Brisbane recorded the strongest profitability of any capital city in the December quarter, with 99.9 percent of resales delivering a gain – ahead of Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Hobart, the ACT, and lastly Melbourne.
Outside of the capital cities, coastal lifestyle markets dominated, with Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, and Kiama on the NSW South Coast the top performing regions, recording median gains of more than $700,000.
“Markets that have seen a combination of strong buyer demand and limited supply over an extended period are the areas that delivered the highest resale gains at the end of 2025,” Mr Burg said.
“That includes both lifestyle locations and cities like Brisbane and Perth, where housing values have risen rapidly in recent years on strong population growth and limited new supply.”
