Gold Coast Property Market 2026: Prices, Rents and Will Prices Drop?
The Gold Coast property market reached new highs in early 2026: the REIQ’s median house price for the Gold Coast was $1.38 million in the March 2026 quarter, up 3.76% in three months, and the unit median rose 4.47% to $935,000.[1] Since May, values across regional Queensland have eased, falling 2.5% over the three months to September, although they were still 6.3% higher than a year earlier.[2]
This guide sets out where the Gold Coast stands in late 2026, using named and dated sources: prices, rents by postcode, vacancy and population, and what the data says about whether prices will keep falling. It describes the data; it does not forecast prices or recommend an investment. It follows the same format as our guides to the Ipswich market, the Moreton Bay market and the Sunshine Coast market.
Key takeaways
- The Gold Coast median house price was $1.38 million in the March 2026 quarter, on REIQ figures.[1]
- Regional Queensland values, which include the Gold Coast, have eased since a May 2026 peak but remain higher than a year ago.
- The Gold Coast rental vacancy rate rose to 1.5%, its highest since the onset of the pandemic, though still tight.[3]
- House rents rose over the year in almost every postcode we checked.
- The Gold Coast is Australia’s second-largest council area, and still growing.
The Gold Coast property market at a glance
| Indicator | Latest reading | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1.38 million, up 3.76% in the quarter | REIQ, March 2026 quarter[1] |
| Median unit price | $935,000, up 4.47% in the quarter | REIQ, March 2026 quarter[1] |
| Sales in the quarter | 1,835 houses and 1,449 units, second only to Brisbane | REIQ, March 2026 quarter[1] |
| Regional Queensland dwelling values | Down 0.9% in September and 2.5% over three months; up 6.3% over the year | Cotality, to 30 September 2026[2] |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.5%, up 0.4 points on the previous quarter | REIQ, June 2026 quarter[3] |
| Population | 691,230, second-largest council area in Australia | QGSO, 30 June 2025[4] |
The REIQ reports quarterly median sale prices for each council area; Cotality reports index values, and its regional Queensland figures cover the state outside Greater Brisbane, including the Gold Coast. Compare like with like, and check the period each figure covers.
House and unit prices
In the March 2026 quarter the REIQ recorded a Gold Coast median house price of $1.38 million, up 3.76%, compared with $1.46 million for the Brisbane council area and $1.29 million for the Sunshine Coast.[1] The unit median rose 4.47% to $935,000.[1]
Units are a large part of the Gold Coast market. In the December 2025 quarter its unit median of $889,500 was second only to Noosa’s among the markets the REIQ highlighted, ahead of the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.[5] The Gold Coast also recorded 1,449 unit sales in the March 2026 quarter, second only to Brisbane.[1]
Sales volumes were already slowing before the market turned. Gold Coast house sales fell from 2,015 in the December 2025 quarter to 1,835 in the March 2026 quarter.[5][1]
No one can say for certain, and we do not forecast prices. What the data shows is that the run-up has paused. In the June 2026 quarter the REIQ’s statewide median house price slipped 0.91% to $983,000, and its chief executive described a market “taking a breath” after years of rapid gains.[6]
Cotality’s figures to 30 September 2026 show the easing continuing. Regional Queensland dwelling values fell 0.9% in September and 2.5% over three months, and were 2.8% below their May 2026 peak, though still 6.3% higher over 12 months and 52.0% higher over five years.[2] Across the capitals, homes were taking a median of 39 days to sell, up from 23 a year earlier, and listings had built up as sales slowed.[2]
The Gold Coast rental market is also loosening a little. Its vacancy rate rose to 1.5% in the June 2026 quarter, the highest since the onset of the pandemic.[3] For a buyer, that means more time and more room to negotiate than a year ago. If you want a signal of where things go next, watch selling times, listings and the gap between asking and sale prices in the suburb you want.
Even after the rise, the REIQ still classes the Gold Coast’s 1.5% vacancy rate as tight; it treats anything from 0% to 2.5% that way.[3] The Residential Tenancies Authority publishes median rents from new bonds. For houses, the July to September 2026 quarter compares with the same quarter a year earlier as follows:[7]
| Postcode (main suburbs)[7] | 3-bedroom house, Jul–Sep 2026 | A year earlier | 4-bedroom house, Jul–Sep 2026 | A year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4209 (Coomera, Pimpama) | $740 | $690 | $830 | $780 |
| 4215 (Southport, Labrador) | $830 | $760 | $1,175 | $970 |
| 4211 (Nerang) | $850 | $800 | $995 | $900 |
| 4214 (Ashmore, Arundel) | $850 | $800 | $995 | $930 |
| 4216 (Runaway Bay, Paradise Point) | $862.50 | $802.50 | $1,200 | $1,125 |
| 4212 (Helensvale, Hope Island) | $950 | $865 | $1,250 | $1,180 |
| 4227 (Varsity Lakes) | $950 | $900 | $1,200 | $1,100 |
| 4226 (Robina) | $1,000 | $875 | $1,200 | $1,100 |
| 4217 (Surfers Paradise, Main Beach) | $1,100 | $1,100 | $1,437.50 | $1,400 |
| 4220 (Burleigh Heads, Miami) | $1,100 | $1,025 | $1,450 | $1,425 |
| 4218 (Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach) | $1,200 | $1,050 | $1,570 | $1,480 |
| 4221 (Palm Beach, Elanora) | $1,250 | $990 | $1,550 | $1,450 |
Weekly medians from new bonds lodged, per the RTA quick finder.[7] Every figure in the table was higher than a year earlier except 3-bedroom houses in postcode 4217, which were unchanged. The northern growth area around Coomera and Pimpama had by far the most bonds lodged and the lowest rents in the table; the southern beaches had the highest. Some postcodes have only a few dozen bonds a quarter, so compare the same quarter year on year, as the RTA suggests.
The Gold Coast had 691,230 residents at 30 June 2025, making it the second-largest council area in both Queensland and Australia, after Brisbane. It added 11,944 people in the year to June 2025, after adding 15,157 the year before.[4] That growth underpins demand for both homes and rentals, particularly in the northern growth corridor.
Transport and other projects shape where that demand goes. Our guide to the top 15 Gold Coast infrastructure projects covers them.
Whether the Gold Coast suits you as an investor depends on the property and your circumstances, not the city as a whole. These are the questions the data raises:
- Rent against price. Compare the rent for that type of home in that postcode, from the RTA data, with the price you would pay.[7]
- Vacancy trend. The Gold Coast vacancy rate is still tight but rising, so check how long similar rentals take to lease.[3]
- Holding costs. For units, ask for the body corporate levies and the sinking fund balance; for any investment, check land tax with your accountant.
- Price evidence. In a slower market, sales from earlier in the year may overstate value. Use the latest comparable sales, or a valuation; see our guide to property valuations.
- The full cost. Add transfer duty and fees with our property purchase calculator.
The Gold Coast is a long strip of very different markets. The RTA rent data shows how wide the range is,[7] from the northern growth suburbs to the southern beaches:
- The northern growth corridor. Newer estates around Coomera, Pimpama and Upper Coomera, with the lowest rents in the table.
- Helensvale, Hope Island and the northern Broadwater. Canal and golf-course communities and established family suburbs.
- Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. The central coast, where apartments make up much of the market.
- Robina and Varsity Lakes. Family suburbs around the Robina town centre.
- The southern beaches. Burleigh Heads, Miami, Palm Beach and Coolangatta, with the highest house rents in the table.
- The hinterland. Nerang, Mudgeeraba and the acreage areas to the west.
IPS works only for buyers, never sellers, across the Gold Coast and South East Queensland: the search, including off-market property, inspections, negotiation and auction bidding, through to settlement. See our local Gold Coast buyer’s agent page for how we work, and our guide to the contract of sale in QLD for the terms we negotiate.
In a cooler coastal market, negotiation backed by recent sales evidence matters as much as speed. On the Sunshine Coast, for example, a Mount Coolum auction paused at $1.251 million while negotiations continued, and our clients secured the townhouse for $1.28 million.
The Gold Coast median house price reached $1.38 million in early 2026 and units $935,000.[1] Values across regional Queensland have since eased from their May peak but remain above a year ago,[2] rents are still rising in most postcodes, and vacancy has edged up to 1.5%.[3] For buyers, that means more choice and more room to negotiate, provided each home is priced on its own recent sales.
This article is general information only, current at October 2026. It is not financial or investment advice, does not forecast prices, and does not consider your circumstances. Market figures change each month; check the latest data and get advice before you buy.
If you are looking to buy on the Gold Coast, book a time with Tim Allen.
- REIQ — Queensland property prices keep climbing as headwinds gather (March 2026 quarter data, 28 May 2026)
- Cotality — Home Value Index, October 2026 (data to 30 September 2026)
- REIQ — State of flux in Queensland’s rental market (June 2026 quarter vacancy rates, 30 July 2026)
- Queensland Government Statistician’s Office — Population growth, regional Queensland, 2024–25 (ABS data released 31 March 2026)
- REIQ — Queensland property prices pushed up by persistent supply pressures (December 2025 quarter data, 31 March 2026)
- REIQ — Queensland property market takes a breath after years of rapid growth (June 2026 quarter data, 31 August 2026)
- Residential Tenancies Authority — Median rents quick finder (Jul–Sep 2026 and Jul–Sep 2025, houses, read 30 October 2026)
What is the median house price on the Gold Coast?
The REIQ’s median house sale price for the Gold Coast was $1.38 million in the March 2026 quarter, up 3.76% in three months. The unit median was $935,000. Prices vary widely, from the northern growth suburbs to the southern beaches, so check recent sales in the suburb and street you are considering.
Will Gold Coast house prices drop in 2026?
We do not forecast prices, but the data shows a pause. Cotality’s regional Queensland values, which include the Gold Coast, fell 2.5% over the three months to September 2026 and were 2.8% below their May peak, though still 6.3% higher than a year earlier. The Gold Coast vacancy rate has also risen to 1.5%.
What is the rental vacancy rate on the Gold Coast?
The REIQ recorded a vacancy rate of 1.5% for the Gold Coast in the June 2026 quarter, up 0.4 points on the previous quarter and the highest since the onset of the pandemic. The REIQ still classes anything from 0% to 2.5% as a tight rental market.
How much is rent for a house on the Gold Coast?
Residential Tenancies Authority data for July to September 2026 shows median rents for new leases on 3-bedroom houses from $740 a week in the Coomera and Pimpama postcode to $1,250 in Palm Beach and Elanora, and on 4-bedroom houses from $830 to $1,570 in Broadbeach and Mermaid Beach.
Is the Gold Coast cheaper than Brisbane?
Slightly, for houses overall. On the REIQ’s March 2026 quarter figures, the Gold Coast median house price was $1.38 million, compared with $1.46 million for the Brisbane council area and $1.29 million for the Sunshine Coast. Both cities cover a wide range of suburbs, so compare specific suburbs rather than whole cities.
How many people live on the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast had 691,230 residents at 30 June 2025, making it the second-largest council area in Queensland and Australia after Brisbane. It added 11,944 people in the year to June 2025, according to the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office.