New apartment sales on the Gold Coast surged 47 per cent in the March quarter, according to the latest Gold Coast Essentials report from urban research consultancy Urbis - rising from 222 sales in the December quarter to 326, even as 14 new projects launched into the market over the same period - the highest level of new project activity recorded since Urbis began monitoring the Gold Coast's new apartment sector.
Yet the influx of stock did little to ease market pressure.
At the end of March, just 1,534 new apartments remained available for sale across the Gold Coast, only a modest increase on the previous quarter and equivalent to approximately 14 months of supply at current sales rates.
Urbis director Lynda Campbell said the March quarter figures demonstrated the Gold Coast apartment market remained remarkably resilient despite broader economic uncertainty.
"The strength of sales activity during the quarter highlights the depth of demand that continues to underpin the Gold Coast apartment market," Campbell said.
"What's particularly noteworthy is that sales increased by 47 per cent on the back of a substantial increase in new supply entering the market. Under normal circumstances, the launch of 14 projects would be expected to materially increase available stock, but demand has largely absorbed that new supply.
"The second quarter data does not factor in the federal budget and what appears to be a subsequent slowdown in the apartment and housing sector across Australia, so second quarter data may paint a different picture.”
Campbell said ongoing population growth, interstate migration and constrained housing supply continued to support market fundamentals.
"The Gold Coast remains one of Australia's strongest lifestyle and investment destinations. While buyers remain conscious of interest rates and cost-of-living pressures, the underlying drivers of demand have not diminished," she said.
"The fact that there is only around 14 months of supply available across the entire new apartment market suggests supply remains relatively tight, particularly given the city's continued population growth."
The best-selling project in the quarter was Florence being developed by Homecorp (76 sales), followed by The Landmark Central Tower's 38 sales, and Changfa selling 29 apartments in its Corallo in Palm Beach.
The Gold Coast Central Precinct continued to dominate market activity, recording the highest number of sales while maintaining the largest supply of new apartments. Despite holding 934 apartments for sale at the end of March, available stock has fallen significantly from 1,422 apartments at the beginning of 2025.
Meanwhile, the Southern Beaches Precinct recorded its highest level of available stock since 2019, with 465 apartments remaining for sale following a wave of new project launches. However, based on current sales rates, that supply is expected to last only around 10 months.
North Shore and Coastal Fringe precincts continued to experience limited supply and remain heavily dependent on future project launches.
The buyer profile also reflects the changing nature of the Gold Coast apartment market.
Owner occupiers accounted for 37 per cent of purchases during the quarter, with the balance split relatively evenly between local investors and interstate buyers. Five years ago, more than 60 per cent of buyers were owner occupiers.
"Five years ago, owner occupiers dominated apartment purchases. Today we are seeing a much broader mix of buyers, including local investors and interstate purchasers, reflecting both the quality and diversity of product now being delivered across the city," Campbell said.
Premium product continued to underpin market activity, with 76 per cent of all sales occurring above $1 million.
The weighted average sale price reached $2.228 million during the quarter, slightly below the record $2.559 million achieved in the December quarter, while the Southern Beaches Precinct recorded a weighted average sale price above $3 million for the second consecutive quarter.
Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments remained the market's most sought-after configuration, accounting for 62 per cent of all sales, up from 53 per cent in the previous quarter.
"Premium apartments continue to perform strongly, with more than three-quarters of all sales above $1 million, demonstrating that buyers remain willing to commit to quality projects in the right locations despite broader economic headwinds," Campbell said.
The quarter's strongest-performing projects were concentrated across the Gold Coast Central and Southern Beaches precincts, reflecting continued buyer preference for well-located apartment developments close to lifestyle amenities, employment hubs and transport connections. The Top 10 selling projects accounted for a substantial proportion of total market activity during the quarter (78%), highlighting the market's continued preference for quality product delivered by experienced developers.
Campbell said the combination of strong demand and relatively constrained supply continued to support the market's outlook.
"While we're seeing more projects launched, the reality is that new stock is still being absorbed remarkably quickly," she said.
"The Gold Coast remains undersupplied relative to demand, and until significantly more housing can be delivered, the market fundamentals remain exceptionally strong."
