Buyers’ agent names 30 affordable suburbs for property investors across Australia
A widening gap between investor demand and housing supply below $700,000 is creating pressure in parts of the Australian market, according to a buyers’ agent who has identified 30 locations across six jurisdictions that may benefit.
Kane Dury (pictured top), principal at Discover Buyers Agency, said investor activity was returning strongly, but many buyers were looking in a price range where available stock remained limited.
“Recent data confirms exactly what we’re seeing across our client base – that frustrated investors can’t find a home that matches their criteria,” Dury said, pointing to recent analysis showing almost half of property investor enquiries in Australia were for homes priced below $700,000. However, properties in that range accounted for only about three in 10 dwellings nationally.
The March 2026 PropTrack Westpac Investor Report found investor demand had become concentrated at the affordable end of the market. It said new investor loans had risen 64% from their early-2023 low, adding to competition for lower-priced properties.
“Investors who understand where to look can still build meaningful wealth at this price point, provided they are willing to think beyond the capital city postcode,” Dury said. “The conversation about property has become so fixated on capital city medians that a huge cohort of everyday investors has been left with the impression that the door is closed, It is not closed.
“Successful long-term investors will be the ones who are strategic about where established housing fundamentals, such as population growth, tight rental supply, strong owner-occupier ratios, and multiple economic drivers, are doing the heavy lifting.”
Dury added that political debate over possible changes to tax settings should not distract investors from the core fundamentals of asset selection.
“With Treasury actively modelling changes to the CGT discount and negative gearing ahead of the May budget, some investors will sit on their hands waiting for certainty,” he said. “That’s understandable, but it misreads where the real risk lies.
“A well-selected, established property in a market with genuine economic fundamentals will outperform a poorly chosen asset under any tax regime. The tax tail should never wag the investment dog.”
Dury also pointed out that the type of property was also important, with established homes offering different risk and value characteristics from new or off-the-plan stock.
“New and off-the-plan product is almost always priced to include a developer margin, sales commission and marketing costs that come directly out of the buyer’s equity from day one,” he said.
“Established homes in established streets in established communities don’t carry that premium. They have rental history, genuine comparable sales data, and they sit in neighbourhoods where the infrastructure, like schools, hospitals, transport, and retail already exists. That is where long-term capital growth comes from.”
The buyers’ agent said investors should not treat the sub-$700,000 segment as a single market. He said strategy should reflect the investor’s age, income position, risk profile and long-term objectives.
“A location that is right for a 30-year-old PAYG investor building a first portfolio is not necessarily best for a 50-year-old trying to replace an income in retirement,” Dury said. “The $700,000 price point is the starting reference, but any investment plan must be bespoke to the investor themselves.”
He identified 30 suburbs across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory as potential sub-$700,000 investment markets. The list includes established suburbs in regional centres, outer metropolitan corridors and lifestyle locations, with common drivers including tight rental supply, strong owner-occupier levels, infrastructure spending, employment diversity and yields of up to 5.23%.
| Sub-$700,000 Investment Markets | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Suburb | Median Price |
| Queensland | Condon, Townsville | $687,000 |
| Queensland | Wulguru, Townsville | $642,000 |
| Queensland | Mount Morgan, Rockhampton | $353,000 |
| Queensland | Norville, Bundaberg | $638,000 |
| Queensland | Crow's Nest | $692,000 |
| New South Wales | Ashmont, Wagga Wagga | $505,000 |
| New South Wales | Oxley Vale, Tamworth | $603,000 |
| New South Wales | Muswellbrook | $680,000 |
| New South Wales | West Albury | $648,000 |
| New South Wales | Hamilton Valley, Albury | $659,000 |
| Victoria | Armstrong Creek, Geelong | $686,000 |
| Victoria | Newcomb, Geelong | $639,000 |
| Victoria | Broadmeadows, Melbourne | $674,000 |
| Victoria | Fraser Rise, Melbourne | $685,000 |
| Victoria | Morwell, Latrobe Valley | $441,000 |
| South Australia | Eyre, Adelaide | $641,000 |
| South Australia | Hillier, Adelaide | $639,000 |
| South Australia | Callington | $689,000 |
| South Australia | Mount Gambier | $604,000 |
| South Australia | Mannum | $620,000 |
| Western Australia | Medina, Perth | $639,000 |
| Western Australia | Armadale, Perth | $678,000 |
| Western Australia | Collie, Bunbury region | $566,000 |
| Western Australia | Beachlands, Geraldton | $579,000 |
| Western Australia | Spalding, Geraldton | $504,000 |
| Northern Territory | Alawa, Darwin | $687,000 |
| Northern Territory | Anula, Darwin | $679,000 |
| Northern Territory | Moil, Darwin | $680,000 |
| Northern Territory | Wagaman, Darwin | $633,000 |
| Northern Territory | Malak, Darwin | $631,000 |
| Source: Discover Buyers Agency | ||
“These are established communities with real economic bases, genuine rental demand and housing stock that has stood the test of time,” Dury said.
Want to be regularly updated with mortgage news and features? Get exclusive interviews, breaking news, and industry events in your inbox – subscribe to our FREE daily newsletter. You can also follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.
