Sunshine Coast Market Finally Slow, Encourages New Investors
For the first time in years, the Sunshine Coast property market is cooling. Median dwelling values now sit at $1.265 million, with houses at $1.35 million and units at $1 million, down from the peak reached earlier this year, according to the latest Cotality figures. Analysts expect the downturn to last for the rest of the year, though most are calling it a slowdown rather than a crash.
The shortage of housing is still a major issue. Listings across the Sunshine Coast are still running well below the long-term average, so there’s little chance of prices dropping sharply. What’s changed is that buyers finally have a bit of breathing room, time to compare properties, negotiate and make decisions without getting outbid within a day of the listing going up.
What Does This Mean for Buyers?
For anyone who’s been priced out over the last few years, this is one of the better opportunities the Sunshine Coast has offered in a while. Prices have eased, competition has thinned out, and there’s a genuine chance to buy in before the market finds its feet again. Analysts still expect solid growth over the next few years given the ongoing supply shortage, so this isn’t likely to last.
Is Now the Time to Build?
Queensland’s new Housing Code came into effect on 1 September 2026, streamlining a lot of the approval process for new builds. Combined with statewide zoning reform that’s opening up smaller lots and dual occupancy, there’s more room than there’s been in a long time to build a new home or a duplex, whether that’s a single new home on a smaller block or a couple of duplexes to make the most of it.
The market is genuinely short on new homes, which means demand for new home builders is strong and lead times can stretch out. Builds on the Sunshine Coast are typically taking six to twelve months once approvals are in, so getting your design locked in now means you’re not waiting behind everyone else who’s had the same idea.
If you’re weighing up whether to buy or build, getting a few quotes from new home builders Sunshine Coast is a sensible place to start. Build costs, inclusions and timelines can vary between builders, so it’s worth comparing more than one before locking in a design or a block.
