Every property cycle needs a headline.
For South East Queensland, that headline is the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Depending on who you listen to, the Olympics will either:
As usual, the truth lives somewhere in the middle — and it’s far more interesting (and useful) than the hype.
Yes — the Olympics is already putting pressure on supply and demand across South East Queensland.
But not because of the two weeks of sport in 2032.
It’s because of what happens in the decade before and after:
The Games don’t create demand out of thin air — they amplify trends that are already underway.
SEQ was already under pressure well before Brisbane won the Olympic bid.
Key drivers:
The Olympics didn’t start this fire — it poured fuel on it.
Brisbane is the epicentre of Olympic‑driven change.
What this means in practice:
Historically, infrastructure investment tends to:
Importantly, price growth is rarely confined to stadium locations. It spreads outward along transport corridors and improved precincts.
The Gold Coast already operates as both a lifestyle and investment market.
Olympic exposure adds:
This tends to benefit:
Not all stock will benefit equally — but demand pressure in prime pockets is likely to remain strong.
The Sunshine Coast often benefits indirectly.
Buyers priced out of Brisbane or the Gold Coast — or simply wanting less density — look north.
Key impacts:
This is a classic spillover market, where demand increases without the infrastructure disruption of a host city.
Northern NSW — including areas like Tweed, Byron hinterland, and the Mid North Coast — is already tightly connected to SEQ.
As SEQ prices rise, Northern NSW often experiences:
Many buyers see Northern NSW as:
Olympic‑driven demand doesn’t stop at the border.
Across SEQ and Northern NSW, the common issue isn’t demand — it’s supply.
Challenges include:
When demand grows faster than supply, prices don’t need hype to move. They move because buyers are competing for fewer options.
The Olympics should not be viewed as a guaranteed price spike.
But it should be viewed as:
Markets like Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast — and nearby Northern NSW — are likely to see continued upward pressure over time, particularly in areas with:
The biggest mistake buyers make is waiting for the Olympics to “arrive”.
By the time the opening ceremony rolls around, most of the meaningful price movement will already be history.
The smarter conversation isn’t “Will the Olympics push prices up?”
It’s:
That’s where opportunity usually lives.
— Kareema
Fully licensed Buyer’s Agent specialising in off‑the‑plan and strategic purchases across South East Queensland and Northern NSW