MEDIA RELEASE
Under strict embargo
Wednesday 20 May 2015, 12:00am midnight (print) and 12:00pm midday (online)
THE BEST PICKS FOR BUYERS ARE IN REGIONAL QUEENSLAND
First home buyers looking to enter the property market could find a gem in regional Queensland,
particularly in the northern regions, according to realestate.com.au’s Buyers’ Markets 1. With low interest
rates, there’s no better time to start looking in these areas.
The following 10 Australian suburbs have the most favourable conditions for buyers 2:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Bowen (QLD)
Charters Towers (QLD)
Ayr (QLD)
Portland (VIC)
Nanango (QLD)
Agnes Water (QLD)
Roma (QLD)
Stanthorpe (QLD)
Macleay Island (QLD)
Emerald (QLD)
Over the past year, properties in regional Queensland have had the most favourable conditions for
buyers with the top three – Bowen, Charters Towers and Ayr - located in the state’s north. These areas
have longer days on market, have fewer people looking and show more affordability. Queensland’s
northern areas dominate the top ten list with Nanango, Agnes Water and Emerald coming in fifth, sixth
and tenth spots. Interestingly, the only other state to feature is Victoria with regional Portland coming in
fourth.
Tony Doyle, Principal at LJ Hooker Bowen says regional areas in Queensland are receiving plenty of
interest due to its affordability and high amount of stock available.
“There’s definitely interest in these Queensland areas from buyers considering moving here to retire or
looking for work. Bowen in particular attracts many people coming to look for work in the Port and
mines,” said Mr Doyle.
Mr Doyle adds that a lot of people are relocating from southern areas to Queensland’s north due to the
better climate.
“Areas in the north of Queensland have dry tropics and generally beautiful weather compared to our
southern counterparts. It’s definitely reflective of the surrounding beautiful beaches,” said Mr Doyle.
1
realestate.com.au internal data May 2014 – April 2015. Use of this data must be referenced to “realestate.com.au’s
Buyers’ Markets”
2
Based on the methodology, realestate.com.au’s Buyers’ Markets show favourable conditions for areas that have
properties with a longer day on market, have fewer people looking per listing and have a more affordable price point.
Along with its beautiful beaches, Bowen offers a laid back lifestyle which is consistent with many regional
areas.
“People are doing their homework and looking at the lifestyle aspects of Bowen. There are no traffic
lights in regional areas which is great as you can get to places in no time. In Bowen, there’s also a mix of
new and older properties that date back to post-war homes. The history of this town is attracting a lot of
interest too,” continued Mr Doyle.
Arthur Charlaftis, REA Group’s General Manager of Sales and Operations says that realestate.com.au’s
Buyers’ Markets offers valuable insight and helps make the property decision easier for those looking to
buy.
“realestate.com.au’s Buyers’ Markets present more affordable price points and less competition from
other buyers, making them attractive for people looking to enter the property market. realestate.com.au
has plenty of tools and information to help you decide which suburb suits your lifestyle at a price point
you want. Our Suburb Profile page includes imagery and in-depth detail about each Australian suburb
while our Sold section provides useful sold price information,” said Mr Charlaftis.
-endsFor more information, contact:
Nadine Ahfat
Public Relations Assistant
REA Group
+61 427 812 081
[email protected]
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Methodology: The data is ranked by the sum of the below variables:
Demand/Supply is calculated as the number of visits to realestate.com.au which included at least one view of a listing
in the 'buy' section for a given suburb, divided by the number of properties available in that suburb. Suburbs are
limited to those with at least 15 properties per month.
Days on Market (DOM) is calculated as the median length of time between when a property was first listed on
realestate.com.au, and when it was sold. Suburbs are limited to those with at least 60 properties sold in the last 12
months.
Price Difference is calculated by taking the median of the difference between the sold and listing prices, divided by the
median listing price for each suburb. Suburbs are limited to those with at least 60 properties sold in the last 12 months
About realestate.com.au: realestate.com.au is the leading website in Australia for residential property, attracting an
audience of more than 3 million visitors every month. It is owned and operated by ASX listed REA Group Ltd ABN 54
068 349 066. Source: Nielsen Online Ratings, Domestic Audience, November 2014 – January 2015.