Resale Profit Rate: 96% of residential property resales yielded a nominal profit in the March 2026 quarter, the highest rate since 2005.
The Australian housing market has posted a record-breaking resale performance, with the vast majority of sellers cashing in on significant gains. According to the latest data, the median nominal profit from a resale reached an all-time high of $377,000, while the median loss remained static at $45,000.
Profit Drivers and Duration
Strong resale results largely reflect value accumulated over the past several years, rather than current market conditions, according to Gerard Burg, head of research at Cotality. He noted that housing values continued to rise through most of 2025, allowing many sellers to benefit from holding properties through multiple growth cycles.
A stark contrast exists in holding periods between winners and losers. Sellers who sold at a loss had owned their properties for an average of just 4.3 years, having purchased near the market peak in late 2021 or early 2022. In contrast, profit-making properties were held for an average of 9.1 years.
City-Level Performance
City Resale Profit Rate Median Gain Brisbane 99.8% $525,190 Adelaide 99.3% $477,000 Perth 98.9% $475,000 Melbourne (units) 81% N/ABurg attributed the strong performance in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide to a combination of population growth, tight supply, and sustained demand.
Top Market
Noosa, Queensland, recorded the highest median resale gain nationwide at $729,750, driven by long-term demand and limited supply in the sought-after coastal region.
Outlook
Despite these record numbers, the market is showing signs of cooling. Cotality's national hedonic home value index showed no growth in May 2026, with declines in Sydney and Melbourne offsetting gains elsewhere. Burg cautioned that recent strong growth rates are unlikely to be sustained across all markets.