️ Highlights:
1. New investor loan commitments in Australia have risen by 11.6% from February to July 2023, with Queensland experiencing the highest growth of 31% during this period.
2. Queensland is particularly popular among buyers looking for investment properties, with its new loan value almost three times the national level.
3. Half of the suburbs with the most email enquiries from investors in August were located in Queensland, including Surfers Paradise, South Port, and Brisbane City.
4. Surfers Paradise was the most popular suburb among investors in August, receiving more enquiries than Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney combined.
5. One of the driving factors attracting investors to Queensland is the lower median sale prices for houses and units compared to the national median prices.
In recent times, the Australian real estate market has witnessed a surge in investor loans, with a notable inclination towards one state — Queensland.
According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there has been a national increase of 11.6% in the value of new investor loan commitments from February to July 2023.
Queensland: A Magnet for Investors
While most states have seen growth in new investor loans during this period, Queensland stands out with a remarkable 31% increase in new loan value since February, nearly tripling the national average. This spike underscores Queensland’s burgeoning popularity among property investors.
A deeper dive into the suburb-level investor data reveals a consistent trend. In August, half of the suburbs receiving the most email inquiries from investors were located in Queensland, with Surfers Paradise and South Port in the Gold Coast region, and Brisbane City topping the list. These areas garnered more interest than Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney combined, highlighting the unprecedented investor attention in Queensland’s real estate market.
Driving Factors
So, what is fueling this investor rush to Queensland? A myriad of factors come into play:
- Affordable Median Sale Prices: Queensland continues to offer house and unit median sale prices that are below the national average, standing at $670,000 and $506,000 respectively, compared to the national figures of $735,000 for houses and $565,000 for units.
- Robust Growth in Weekly Advertised Rent: The state recorded the second-highest annual growth in weekly advertised rent among all states, witnessing a 13% increase since September 2022.
- High Rental Yield: Investors are drawn to the high rental yield in Queensland, which, at 4.8%, exceeds the national median of 4.2%.
Market Revival Post-Pandemic
The recent trends in investor loans hint at a possible re-entry of many investors into the market, following a hiatus during the pandemic and throughout 2022. This resurgence is anticipated to bring a welcome relief to the tight rental market, fostering a more vibrant and dynamic real estate landscape in the coming times.