Residential development data that profiles what’s happening
informative • timely • inclusive
Brisbane is a city on the move. In 1991 the Brisbane City Council established the Urban Renewal Taskforce to plan and implement projects that improved infrastructure, encouraged private capital investment and created a strong identity for Brisbane as a lifestyle city with a vibrant inner city, riverside precincts and urban neighbourhoods.
Urban renewal projects have led to the gentrification of much of inner Brisbane following the huge resident acceptance of Expo 88. Inner city living and neighbourhood dining have become common and a “way of life”.
The Brisbane suburbs of Brisbane City, New Farm, Teneriffe, Newstead, South Brisbane, West End, Kangaroo Point and Bulimba are testimony to the success of the urban renewal programme over the past 20 or more years. Urban gentrification is spreading to all suburbs in Brisbane. The local coffee shop scene and footpath dining is now a common occurrence in almost all Brisbane suburbs.
Brisbane Development Overview
In 2012, an international study compiled by renounced real estate group Jones Lang LaSalle identified Brisbane will grow faster than any other “mature” world city over the next 8 years.
The study, A New World of Cities: Redefining the Real Estate Investment Map ranked Brisbane number one for expected gross domestic product growth from 2012 to 2020. Sixteen of the top 20 cities were in North America.
The only other Australian city to make the list, which comprises cities with a “mature property market” and a population of more than 1 million people, was eighth placed Perth.
Brisbane’s New World City transformation is well advanced with significant infrastructure investment that will transform the lives of Brisbane residents and visitors well into the future.
Brisbane is presently seeing a significant surge in major infrastructure development. There is an estimated $25 billion plus pipeline of projects.
• Brisbane Airport Parallel Runway ($1.1 billion) – Complete
• Howard Smith Wharves ($200 m) – Complete
• Brisbane International Cruise Terminal ($158 m) – Complete
• Queens Wharf Precinct ($3.6 billion) – Near completion
• Brisbane Metro ($1.2 billion) – Near completion
• Cross River Rail ($5.4 billion) – Under Construction
• Waterfront Brisbane ($2.5 billion) – Under construction
• Herston Quarter ($1.1 billion) – Under construction
• Bridges for Brisbane Programme ($550 m plus) – three planned bridges ongoing
• Victoria Park Redevelopment ($1.0 billion) – Project planning
• Griffith University CBD Campus ($1.0 billion) – Project planning
• Brisbane Live ($2.0 billion) – Project planning
• Northshore Hamilton Redevelopment (over $5.0 billion) – Ongoing
• Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games Infrastructure (Several billion) – Ongoing
Brisbane’s Key
Infrastructure Projects
Brisbane – Key Residential Facts & Figures
Estimated LGA Resident Population (30.6.2024)
1,355,640
Projected Population (30.6.2046)
1,603,148
No of Households (ABS 2021)
465,124
Household Composition
ABS Census 2021
One family households 66.6%
Multiple family households 1.6%
Group households 6.2%
Lone person households 25.6%
Occupied Private Dwellings by Dwelling Structure
ABS Census 2021
Separate house 291,311 – 62.6%
Semi-detached 52,572 – 11.3%
Apartment 118,894 – 25.6%
Caravan & Other 1,346 – 0.2%
Median Rent
31.3.2025
One bedroom unit $510
Two bedroom unit $650
Three bedroom house $650
Four bedroom house $780
Building Approvals
12 months to 28.2.25
New houses 2,815
New others 3,296
Residential Dwelling Sales
12 months to 31.12.24
Detached dwellings 14,824
(median sale price - $1,210,000)
Attached dwellings 15,786
(median sale price - $661,000)
New House & Vacant Land Sales
12 months to 31.12.24
New houses 459
(median sale price - $1,375,000)
Vacant Land 1,267
(median sale price - $665,000)
Urban Lot Registrations
12 months to 31.3.25
Standard lots 1,496
Unit & townhouse lots 2,682
Source: Brisbane Community Profiles, Queensland Government Statisticians Office, Queensland Treasury.
What is Residential Research Plus
Residential Research Plus (RR+) has been developed to better inform interested parties about the residential development market in Brisbane. RR+ has developed a series of reports that inform about contemporary market and development issues.
Keeping up to date with market information and knowing what is happening is the basis for good decision making with residential property development ventures. The market reports can range from short and concise to detailed analysis of residential development matters associated with apartments, townhouses and land subdivisions across most Brisbane suburbs.
Brisbane has seen around 1,200 new projects completed with over 33,700 subdivision lots, townhouses and apartments over the past five years or so. There are currently circa 280 projects under construction with just over 10,700 lots or dwellings and a further approximate 650 projects approved or pending approval with around 31,000 lots or dwellings. Most new projects are apartments.
The change in dwelling mix from house lots and townhouses to apartments will be profound as Brisbane’s progresses to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. Apartments comprised around 58% of all new dwellings since 2019 to the present but are likely to be over 80% of new dwellings over the next 5 to 7 years.
RR+ will attempt to identify and interrupt new residential developments and perhaps offer guidance to new opportunities.
Note: Updated on 31.3.25.
About us
Residential Research Plus (RR+) has been developed by Egan Property Solutions under its residential research brand. Egan Property Solutions is owned and directed by John Egan.
John possesses extensive experience and knowledge of Brisbane’s residential development marketplace, having been involved in marketing and selling over 110 new residential projects for more than 30 years. These projects encompass a range of developments, from inner-city high-rise apartment towers to outer Brisbane townhouses and residential subdivisions.
Residential property development is increasingly reliant on real-time practical knowledge and the ability to assess and respond to local circumstances on a suburb-to-suburb basis.
Our website, www.rrplus.com.au serves as a comprehensive resource for developers and other stakeholders interested in staying informed about Brisbane residential development. It features an extensive library of reports and summaries of residential property development matters, which are generally available at no cost. Our six Detailed Analysis reports have fees applicable.
Our signature report, the State of the Suburbs report, provides valuable insights for interested parties involved in residential development projects. It caters to a wide range of scenarios, including lot subdivisions, townhouses, apartments, and units within a single suburb, or across multiple neighbouring suburbs or the entire metropolitan area of Brisbane.
The State of the Suburbs report is a detailed summary of development applications, approvals, construction and recent completions in 133 Brisbane suburbs. Brisbane has seen nearly 1,200 new residential developments in the past five years or so, around 280 projects under construction at the present time and over 650 new projects approved or pending approval.
Our other available informative reports are
Boutique High Value Apartments – Detailed Analysis
New Apartments Supply Pipeline – Detailed Analysis
New Townhouses Supply Pipeline – Detailed Analysis
Mid Year Update – Detailed Analysis
New House Lot Subdivisions Pipeline – Detailed Analysis (Coming Soon)
For more information, please contact John Egan on 0412 456 711 or email john@eganprop.com.au