South East Queensland's top five apartment developments for investors in 2024
South East Queensland has been one of the most heavily invested in regions since over the last four years since the onset of COVID-19.
The appetite has come from both southern state dwellers and locals who have jumped into the property market off the back of exponential growth in population caused primarily by the lockdowns across Sydney and Melbourne.
The region is expected to continue to grow given the Brisbane 2032 Summer Olympics and the government infrastructure pipeline that comes with it. The government is expected to spent upwards of $7 billion on venues alone, as well as billions of dollars on better connecting Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast to the north and the Gold Coast to the south
Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast have been particularly popular with investors so far in 2024. We've rounded up the most popular projects
Project: JURA Noosa
Location: 26 Headland Drive, Noosaville QLD 4566
Developer: Capital Prudential
Fund manager and developer Capital Prudential has found a sweet spot in Noosaville, the hub of the Sunshine Coast just two kilometres from Noosaville's Gympie Terrace activity centre and six kilometres to the popular Hastings Street on the beachfront.
JURA comprises 38 two-bedroom single-level apartments and dual-level townhomes designed by Blackwood Architecture, offering one of just a handful of new developments the area has seen in recent years and is likely to see going forward. The scarcity of new developments in Noosa has seen investors show significant interest.
Its central location and excellent connectivity are a highlight for JURA, which is located 15 minutes from the Bruce Highway and only a 30-minute drive to the Sunshine Coast Airport.
The townhouses are also located ideally just off Eumundi Road opposite the Noosa Leisure Centre and Noosa Library, while also offering future JURA residents easy access to the Noosa River and just six kilometres from Hastings Street.
JURA provides practical amenities, such as exclusive residence carports, a lock-up garage for townhomes, and ample visitor parking, while also having low body corporate fees compared to similar properties in the Noosa region.
Project: Ruby Ruby
Location: 12 Crombie Street, Milton QLD 4064
Developer: Kokoda Property
Ruby Ruby has once again secured a spot in Urban.com.au's top enquiries for residential developments in Brisbane.
The Urban community has identified Ruby Ruby's primary strengths as a solid investment and a high potential for capital growth. This positive reception is attributed to a combination of appealing factors, including diverse amenities, a variety of floor plan designs, and a great location.
National apartment developer Kokoda Property was very strategic in their acquisition of the site for Ruby Ruby.
“Brisbane is rapidly transforming into a new world city; its culture, business centre, technology, and lifestyle is evolving with over $40 billion of infrastructure investment planned, so naturally there is a shift occurring with demand now skewed towards sophistication and luxury residential design," Kokoda Property Founder and Managing Director, Mark Stevens said.
Ruby Ruby is ideally located just behind the Milton Train Station, a three-minute train to Roma Street Station. The site has also quickly garnered attention for its quirky cafe and brewery scene attracting young professionals.
The Cottee Parker-designed development will rise 21 levels from 12-18 Crombie Street and will comprise 144 apartments and several luxury penthouses, ranging from 65 sqm to 155 sqm. Prices for Ruby Ruby start at $654,000.
Stevens said the team has also carefully considered the inclusion of extra, premium amenities.
Ruby Ruby will feature a wellness rooftop with a wet-edge swimming pool that spans the full width of the building. Completing the fitness component of the rooftop is a health and wellness space with a gym, infrared sauna, spa, plunge pool and yoga studio.
Kokoda is also catering for the working-from-home trend with several meeting rooms on the ground level, while the podium will be home to a private dining and lounge area, a cinema room, and a billiards room.
Project: Victoria & Albert
Location: 20 Albert Avenue, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Developer: Iris Capital
Iris Capital's flagship Broadbeach development, Victoria & Albert, has seen a surge in buyer demand over 2023, seeing a diverse buyer profile according to Colliers sales agent Paul Putsay but most especially "attracting a delightful clientele of fly-ins and fly-outs in the Albert tower, while there's been an uptake from hybrid investors and occupiers in the Victoria building."
Investor interest has persisted this year, buoyed by the strength of the Gold Coast’s employment market and the massive investment in infrastructure across the city.
V&A will bring over 400 apartments to the central Broadbeach area, on the site of the former Niecon Plaza.
One notable factor contributing to the development's popularity is the presence of a $200 million commercial retail and fresh food precinct, located underneath the residential towers.
This has particularly resonated with buyers from Melbourne and Sydney, who appreciate the convenience and vibrancy offered by this vibrant commercial hub.
Residents will also have access to the Podium Club facilities located on the fourth level, including a 25-metre lap pool with an outdoor dining and barbecue area, a spa and steam room, a Zen garden, a yoga deck, a boutique resident's lounge, and a kid's club area with a playground.
Topping off the iconic residential offering is the Residents Sky Lounge on the top level of the Victoria tower. It includes luxury dining, lounge, wellness, and work zones that are perfectly designed to embrace the spectacular views of the surrounding coastline.
Project: UNIQ
Location: 2-4 Waterford Court, Bundall QLD 4217
Developer: Devlink Group
Devlink Group's UNIQ townhouses will be a rare addition to Bundall and are set to benefit from the $370 million redevelopment of the Gold Coast Turf Club just across the Nerang River.
The 22 townhouses will each front the river and have three bedrooms and a self-contained multi-purpose room. They start from $1,395,000.
The latest ABS data shows less than 20 per cent of the dwellings in Bundall are townhouses, which is a rare opportunity to invest in an exclusive and high-demand property.
A townhouse opportunity doesn't come along often, and an opportunity to buy brand new, especially in a suburb more well-known for large family homes, only presents itself every few years.
The location is also one of the most standout factors of UNIQ.
Devlink Group Head of Marketing, James Ball, said the project is an opportunity to deliver an incredible addition to the area at a time when the Sunlight Lifestyle Precinct is set to transform Bundall into one of the most in-demand locations on the entire Gold Coast.
Situated on a prime site on Waterford Court, a small cul-de-sac street with just a handful of homes that front the river, UNIQ takes up an unrepeatable spot within a few minutes walk from the Gold Coast Turf Club.
The waterfront properties will also feature private plunge pools, while the broader development will have access to a communal swimming pool and barbecue facilities.
Project: Pearl Main Beach
Location: 3550-3552 Main Beach Parade, Main Beach QLD 4217
Developer: Raptis
The Main Beach market demographics point to a steady and large portion of owner-occupiers and downsizers, making the suburb an enviable location for budding investors.
This is all thanks to the convenience of living close to the Marina Mirage, which has an array of boutique shopping and waterfront dining experiences.
"Main Beach is a suburb that has everything", Raptis Joint Managing Director Evan Raptis told Urban.
"It has a shopping and dining prescient, close to the beach, 5-star hotels, theme parks and Broadwater boat access all within the one suburb. Nowhere else on the Gold Coast can offer that."
Apartments at developer Raptis' Pearl on Main Beach Parade were snapped up largely by owner-occupiers, both locals who are looking to downsize and interstate couples.
Rising 30 floors, Pearl is a collection of 80 apartments, including a luxury two-level penthouse, with just three-bedroom apartments left.
Pearl also features state-of-the-art, resident-exclusive amenities like a rooftop swimming pool with 180-degree views of the Gold Coast coastline, a gym overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a barbecue and alfresco area, and a private dining suite.
