The Austin Edit - The Affordability Shift: Why Brisbane's Unit Market Is Having Its Moment
For the first time in a long time, units are outpacing houses in Brisbane's growth story. Values in the unit market climbed 16.9% across 2025, compared to 14% for detached houses, and that gap is widening as buyers who want inner-city living do the sums and realise the detached house they had in mind is simply out of reach. In suburbs like Paddington, Red Hill, and Bardon, where land is scarce and character is non-negotiable, this shift is particularly pronounced. Buyers who once held out for a Queenslander with a backyard are now looking seriously at well-positioned apartments and townhouses, and they're competing hard for them.
What this means practically is that the pool of buyers for Inner West units has grown significantly, and it hasn't been met with a matching surge in supply. Vacancy rates across Brisbane sit at around 0.9%, and listings remain well below the five-year average. For owner-occupiers or investors sitting on a unit in this area, the market conditions are arguably as favourable as they have been in years. Properties that might once have taken weeks to find the right buyer are now attracting serious, pre-qualified buyers quickly, particularly in the sub-$1 million range where demand is most concentrated.
If you own a unit or apartment in the Inner West and you've been wondering whether now is the right time, the honest answer is that the current conditions are worth a conversation at minimum. Knowing what your property is worth costs nothing, and in a market moving at this pace, being informed is the best position to be in.
Thinking about selling? We offer obligation-free appraisals across Paddington, Red Hill, Bardon, Toowong, Auchenflower and beyond. Get in touch with Felicity on 0412 804 129 or Glynis on 0403 333 013 and find out what your property is worth today.