Region records fastest economic growth in Australia, with undersupply and migration fuelling continued price gains in key prestige suburbs
Prestige property buyers on the Gold Coast stand to benefit most from the region's economic expansion, which has outpaced all Australian capital cities.
According to the Gold Coast Property Report 2026, a joint publication by COAST Buyer's Agency and Hotspotting, the region's Gross Regional Product has reached $49.4 billion — $775 million above forecast — with economic growth of 10.07% projected over the next four years, against a national rate of 7.91%. Unemployment sits at 3.5%, compared with 4.5% nationally.
Construction and health care have displaced tourism as the region's dominant economic drivers. A $91 billion infrastructure pipeline and a forecast of 25,300 new jobs are expected to sustain that momentum.
Population growth is adding more than 420 new residents per week, many relocating from higher-priced NSW coastal markets. The region's population is now projected to reach one million by 2040, six years earlier than previously forecast. Housing supply has not kept pace: approvals totalled just 4,091 in the 2025 financial year against an estimated annual requirement of around 9,250 new dwellings, while rental vacancies have fallen to 1.3%.
Joe Pullos (pictured right), principal buyer's agent at COAST Buyer's Agency, said proposed federal Budget changes — which would reduce tax concessions on investment property while preserving the capital gains tax exemption on the family home — had further sharpened demand for owner-occupied prestige stock.
"With the proposed changes making investment property less tax-effective, the family home becomes an even more attractive place to build and hold wealth," Pullos said. "For buyers with capital to deploy, putting it into a high-quality home in a tightly held suburb is an increasingly compelling strategy."
Pullos identified four suburbs as offering the strongest prospects for prestige buyers: Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach Waters, Currumbin, and Palm Beach.
Mermaid Beach recorded house price growth of 32% over 12 months to a median of $3.35 million, with five-year average annual growth of 16%. "Mermaid Beach is where the serious money goes, and the absence of any new beachfront land means the supply of these homes is fixed," the agent said.
Broadbeach Waters posted a 15% rise in median house price to $2.575 million, alongside a 46% increase in quarterly sales transactions — a metric Pullos regards as a leading indicator of further price movement. "If I had to single one out, it's Broadbeach Waters," he said. "That 46% jump in transactions tells you buyers are moving with real conviction."
Currumbin recorded median price growth of 28% to $1.8 million. "Currumbin has that authentic, laid-back beach-town feel that's become incredibly hard to find, and increasingly valuable," Pullos said. "At this price point you're still getting into a genuine prestige beachside market with real room to run."
Palm Beach registered a median of $1.93 million and five-year average annual growth of 14%. Pullos described it as the suburb with the greatest remaining growth potential among his four picks. "Palm Beach has matured into a true prestige destination, but it hasn't yet fully repriced the way Burleigh or Mermaid have," he explained. "It remains eminently affordable by comparison, which is exactly why it's got so much growth potential as the market accelerates. For my money, it's the one to watch."
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