Introduction

Winter in Queensland typically brings a predictable lull to the property market. As temperatures drop, Queenslanders retreat indoors, and the real estate market experiences a brief 2-4 week window where property listings outnumber genuine buyers. But 2025 is breaking all the rules.

Despite the colder weather keeping many of us huddled inside, the Queensland property market is remarkably hot this winter. Buyer demand remains strong, prices continue to climb, and competition for quality properties is fierce across Brisbane and surrounding regions.

Adding to this unusual market dynamic is the introduction of the new Form 2 seller disclosure requirements, which came into effect on August 1st. This legislative change has created some interesting ripples throughout the market, which I’ll explore in detail below.

As a buyer’s agent on the frontline, I’m witnessing firsthand how these factors are affecting real buyers and real properties. Let me share what I’m seeing and what it means for anyone navigating the Queensland property market right now.

Winter Market Anomaly: Why Queensland’s Property Market is Hot Despite the Cold

Traditionally, Queensland’s property market experiences a noticeable slowdown during the winter months. Open home attendance drops, time on market extends, and vendors often need to adjust price expectations. This winter window typically provides savvy buyers with a brief opportunity to secure properties with less competition.

However, winter 2025 has defied these seasonal expectations. According to the latest PropTrack Home Price Index for July 2025, Brisbane’s median price for all dwellings rose another 0.4% over the month to $919,000. This continues a trend of six consecutive months of growth in the Australian housing market.

Several factors are driving this unusual winter demand:

1.Limited supply of quality listings – Despite the seasonal timing, new listings remain below historical averages, creating competition for available properties.

2.Strong interstate migration – Queensland continues to attract residents from southern states, with many buyers undeterred by seasonal factors.

3.Favourable lending conditions – The recent interest rate cut has improved borrowing capacity for many buyers, injecting additional demand into the market.

4.Olympic infrastructure momentum – Ongoing preparations for the 2032 Olympics continue to boost confidence in South East Queensland’s long-term growth prospects.

The result is a winter market that feels more like a spring selling season, with multiple offers becoming common and many properties selling above asking price.

Record-Breaking Week: Queensland Buyer’s Agency Success

As a testament to the current market strength, our team just experienced our single biggest week ever with a total of $2,913,000 in real estate transactions. We successfully helped three clients purchase properties in a single weekend—our most productive period in five and a half years of operation, surpassing our previous record of $1,950,000 for a single client.

This milestone takes our total to over 100 properties purchased for clients, representing more than $65,000,000 in real estate acquisitions. And we’re just getting started in helping clients buy throughout Greater Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Moreton Bay, and the Gold and Sunshine Coast markets.

The third weekend of August proved particularly active, with multiple clients securing contracts on homes they truly wanted after weeks of searching in this competitive environment.

New Form 2 Seller Disclosure: Impact on the Market

One of the most significant changes to the Queensland property market this year has been the introduction of the new Form 2 seller disclosure requirements, which came into effect on August 1st, 2025.

Under the new legislation, sellers must now provide a comprehensive Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement and all prescribed certificates relevant to the property before a buyer signs a contract. This represents a major shift in Queensland’s property transaction process.

The Transition Period

The transition to these new requirements has created some interesting market dynamics. Many agents left compliance to the last minute, creating a backlog of properties awaiting proper documentation. As a buyer’s agent, I experienced this firsthand – it wasn’t until the third weekend of August that I began seeing Form 2 disclosures consistently available at open homes.

This documentation lag temporarily disrupted the market flow, with some properties delayed in coming to market while sellers and their agents prepared the necessary paperwork. However, by the third Saturday in August, the market appeared to have adjusted, with Form 2 disclosures readily available at most open homes.

Market Adaptation

Both buyers and sellers are still adapting to these new requirements. For sellers, there’s additional upfront work and cost in preparing the disclosure documentation. For buyers, there’s more information available earlier in the process, which can help with decision-making but also creates more paperwork to review.

Interestingly, the increased transparency doesn’t appear to be cooling the market. If anything, having more information upfront seems to be giving buyers greater confidence to make stronger offers, particularly when they can see there are no hidden issues with the property.

Recent Sales: Case Studies from the Frontline

Nothing illustrates market conditions better than actual sales results. Let me share two recent examples from my own experience that demonstrate just how hot the current market is.

Case Study 1: Top-End Price Expectations

Recently, I identified a property for clients that I believed would sell in the range of $1,050,000 to $1,100,000. I advised my clients accordingly, hoping we might secure it closer to the $1,050,000 mark.

Despite my clients secretly hoping I might be wrong (understandably wanting to pay less), the property sold for exactly $1,100,000 – right at the top end of my predicted range. We did not offer on or buy the home as it was outside my client’s budget. This outcome reflects the strong demand and competitive nature of the current market, where properties are consistently achieving premium prices and often exceeding buyer budgets.

Case Study 2: The “Insane” Sale

Even more telling is a recent sale just down the road from my own home. This property – a modest 3-bedroom home with a small fourth bedroom or second living room, 2 bathrooms, and single car garage on a 321 square metre block – sold for an astonishing $965,000.

What makes this sale particularly remarkable are the terms: cash purchase with no building and pest inspection clause and waived cooling-off period. These are terms I typically recommend when making a lower offer to stand out, not when paying a premium price!

The selling agent (whom I know personally) and I both agreed this property should have achieved around $865,000 to $885,000 with standard contract terms. The $80,000-$100,000 premium and removal of buyer protections demonstrate just how competitive the market has become.

Price Implications

These sales have significant implications for the broader market. Using the second example as a benchmark, my own 5-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 2-living area, 2-car garage two-storey home on 441 square metres would now be valued around $1,250,000 to $1,300,000 – a figure that even I, as someone who loves my home, would consider excessive.

These examples aren’t outliers; they represent a consistent pattern I’m observing across Brisbane’s middle and inner-ring suburbs.

Market Forecast: 10-15% Growth for Properties Under $2M

Based on current trends and recent sales evidence, my earlier prediction of 10-15% price growth for properties under $2 million in 2025 is looking increasingly likely to become reality. The move between now and the end of the year could be 5% to 10%, which would be extraordinary to witness again. We haven’t seen growth of 20-30% in one year since the boom of 2021 and 2022.

I must emphasize that past performance is no guarantee of future results. In fact, I sincerely hope I’m wrong about these projections, as there are many first home buyers who could be pushed further out or priced out of the market altogether if these growth rates materialize.

This forecast aligns with major bank predictions, with NAB forecasting potential growth of 5.4% for Brisbane house prices in 2025 and Westpac’s forecast sitting slightly higher. However, the on-the-ground evidence I’m seeing suggests these institutional forecasts may be conservative.

Supporting Factors

Several factors support continued strong price growth:

1. Persistent supply-demand imbalance – New housing construction remains insufficient to meet population growth, particularly in desirable areas.

2. Strong employment figures – Queensland’s unemployment rate remains low, supporting housing demand and affordability.

3. Infrastructure investment – Ongoing and planned infrastructure projects continue to enhance liveability and connectivity across South East Queensland.

4. Olympic preparation – The 2032 Olympics continue to drive confidence in the region’s long-term prospects.

Potential Constraints

Despite these positive indicators, several factors could moderate growth:

1. Affordability ceiling – As prices rise, more buyers will be priced out of certain markets, potentially slowing growth.

2. Interest rate uncertainty – While rates have recently decreased, future movements remain uncertain.

3. Construction pipeline – New developments currently under construction will eventually add to supply, potentially easing price pressures in some segments.

Echoes of 2021: Market Comparison

The current market conditions bear striking similarities to the August-December 2021 period, which many will remember as an extraordinarily competitive time in Queensland real estate.

Key Similarities

Both periods share:

1. Strong price growth momentum – Consistent month-on-month price increases across most market segments.

2. Competitive buyer conditions – Multiple offers, minimal negotiation room, and properties selling above asking price.

3. Shortened days on market – Quality properties selling within days rather than weeks.

4. Condition waivers – Buyers increasingly willing to waive building and pest inspections or finance clauses to secure properties.

Key Differences

However, there are important differences:

1. Interest rate environment – Unlike 2021’s record-low rates, we’re now in a higher (though recently cut) rate environment.

2. Seller disclosure requirements – The new Form 2 requirements provide buyers with more upfront information than was available in 2021.

3. Market experience – Many buyers and sellers now have experience from the 2021 boom, potentially leading to more informed decision-making.

Lessons from 2021

For those who remember the 2021 market, the key lesson was that waiting on the sidelines often meant watching prices move further out of reach. Buyers who hesitated frequently found themselves priced out of their preferred suburbs within months.

Buyer Strategy in a Hot Market

Navigating the current market requires strategy, preparation, and often professional guidance. Here are my recommendations for buyers in today’s conditions:

Be Financially Prepared

1. Secure pre-approval – Having finance ready allows you to act quickly and confidently.

2. Budget buffer – Allow for the possibility of paying 5-10% above your initial budget for the right property.

3. Understand your borrowing capacity – Know exactly what you can afford, including buffer for potential interest rate changes.

Decision-Making Process

1. Know your non-negotiables – Be clear about which property features are essential versus desirable.

2. Decisive action – Be prepared to make decisions quickly when the right property appears.

3. Due diligence efficiency – Have a team ready to conduct rapid but thorough inspections and contract reviews.

Consider Professional Representation

In competitive markets, having a buyer’s agent can provide significant advantages:

1. Market access – Including off-market and pre-market opportunities not available to the general public.

2. Negotiation expertise – Professional negotiation often secures better terms and conditions.

3. Emotional buffer – Objective advice prevents emotional overpayment while ensuring opportunities aren’t missed.

4. Time efficiency – Professional property search saves valuable time in a fast-moving market.

Conclusion: What This Means for Buyers and Sellers

The Queensland property market in winter 2025 presents both challenges and opportunities. For sellers, conditions are exceptionally favourable, with strong demand and limited competition from other listings driving premium prices.

For buyers, the market requires preparation, patience, and strategic thinking. The combination of seasonal anomalies, new disclosure requirements, and strong price growth creates a complex environment to navigate.

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2025, I anticipate continued strong conditions with the potential for 10-15% annual growth in properties under $2 million. The market shows no signs of significant cooling in the near term, particularly as we approach the traditionally active spring selling season.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the current market conditions or concerned about making the right property decisions, remember that professional guidance can make all the difference. As someone who navigated the similarly challenging 2021 market with clients, I understand what it takes to succeed in these conditions.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for a confidential discussion about your property goals and how professional buyer representation might help you achieve them in today’s competitive market.

[Author’s note: This market update reflects conditions in South East Queensland as of August 2025. Market conditions can change rapidly, and individual property performance may vary.]