The Gold Coast has long been Australia’s go-to for beachside living, but 2025 is shaping up as the year it truly cements its luxury property credentials. From headline-grabbing beachfront mansions to trophy penthouses and inner-city riverfront homes, Gold Coast suburbs are rewriting the rules on prestige real estate.
At COAST Buyer’s Agency, we’ve watched these shifts closely – we observe the market, watch prices, we strategise, and we buy well for our clients. Here are our thoughts on why Gold Coast’s luxury suburbs are breaking records, and what that means for buyers and investors.
1. The big picture: luxury on the rise
Surging medians and headline sales
The Gold Coast’s median house price has climbed past $1.13 million, reflecting strong demand and constrained supply.
The entry point for luxury homes in premium suburbs on the Gold Coast is now around $2.6 million, placing the Coast ahead of Melbourne, second only to Sydney.
In one of 2025’s most eye-catching deals, a beachfront property at Jefferson Lane and Fourth Avenue, Palm Beach, sold for approximately $40 million – a new Queensland residential sale price record.
Mermaid Beach also featured in the top Gold Coast deals of the year, with sales on Hedges Avenue reaching over $20 million.
Why luxury is accelerating
A few key forces are underpinning this surge:
- Lifestyle migration: High-net-worth individuals, both interstate and international, continue to seek out the Gold Coast as a premium lifestyle destination.
- Limited beachfront and waterfront supply: Premium land is finite, which means trophy homes and beachfront blocks carry a scarcity premium, pushing up price ceilings.
- Redevelopment and trophy home rollouts: Investors are tearing down older homes and erecting high-end estates, creating a pipeline of marquee luxury stock that resets suburb price floors.
- Strong auction performance and market confidence: Higher auction clearance rates and bidding competition are helping underpin upward momentum.
2515 Cressbrook Drive, Hope Island, QLD 4212
2. Suburbs smashing records in 2025
Below, we profile some of the top-performing Gold Coast suburbs where luxury sales have gone next level. Each suburb is doing something different, but all are rewriting market expectations.
Palm Beach
Palm Beach delivered the biggest headline of the year: that $40 million beachfront sale at Jefferson Lane.
In July 2025, an off-the-plan penthouse in Palm Beach sold for $9.1 million, setting a new unit record in the suburb.
These deals confirm Palm Beach is no longer just a relaxed coastal retreat, it’s firmly in luxury territory, appealing to ultra-premium buyers who are willing to pay for exclusivity, direct beach access, and privacy.
Mermaid Beach
Mermaid Beach continues to be a powerhouse in prestige sales. The Hedges Avenue holiday home that sold for $17 million is one of the Gold Coast’s top deals of FY 2025.
Mermaid Beach’s “millionaire’s row” addresses remain highly prized in both resale and redevelopment markets. Even smaller original homes are commanding attention: sales of older “love shack” properties have demonstrated that land value alone can drive strong competition.
Broadbeach Waters
While not always grabbing the headlines like beachfront estates do, Broadbeach Waters has quietly stepped up. The suburb has seen unit price growth and downsizer demand driving up values, and listings in this canal-front location are increasingly delivering premium results.
COAST has observed strong interest in this area from luxury buyers seeking low-maintenance yet high-lifestyle living, positioning it as a strategic choice for buyers who want prestige without the maintenance headaches of sprawling mansions.
Burleigh Heads & Burleigh Waters
Burleigh has long been recognised as luxury lifestyle territory, but in 2025 it has become more than just aspirational—it’s transactional. High-end homes and boutique apartments in Burleigh are fetching strong premiums, buoyed by hinterland views, village-style charm, and a world-class dining and surfing culture.
A number of modern homes in Burleigh Waters have been repositioned as premium family retreats, seeing upward price realignments. COAST clients are increasingly targeting this area as a blend of coastal luxury and lifestyle flexibility.
Hope Island/Sanctuary Cove
The gated estates of Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove maintain their allure for prestige buyers who prioritise golf course frontage, marina access, and secure community living. While market volume here is lower than beachfront suburbs, sale prices remain strong and selective, with buyers paying top dollar for lifestyle, privacy, and amenity.
We’ve noticed increased buyer willingness to chase luxury canal-front estates and trophy parcels, particularly where there is scope to redevelop or renovate to modern luxury standards.
Currumbin and Tallebudgera Valley
These suburbs are redefining hinterland luxury. Southerly from the busy centre, Currumbin and Tallebudgera Valley are appealing to buyers seeking acreage and privacy without giving up coastal proximity.
In 2025, several riverfront and valley-edge properties fetched luxury-level prices, with buyers drawn to the combination of natural seclusion, scenic outlooks, and potential for high-end architectural builds.
We see these areas as strategic for lifestyle buyers who are less focused on beachfront glamour and more on space, design freedom, and future capital growth.
498 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Valley, QLD 4223
3. What’s fueling these record-breaking trends?
Understanding the “why” behind Gold Coast luxury performance is essential, especially for buyers who want to anticipate what might come next.
- Scarcity of premium real estate – Whether it’s beachfront land, canal-front blocks, or premium hinterland acreage, supply is tight. This scarcity pushes competition and drives prices upward.
- Lifestyle-driven migration – Affluent buyers from Sydney, Melbourne, and overseas are chasing beach, climate, and lifestyle advantages. The Gold Coast is increasingly being viewed not just as a holiday destination, but as a full-time luxury living precinct.
- Redevelopment and capital improvements – Older homes on premium land are being replaced with trophy builds. Buyers are paying for both land and design, pushing suburb price floors higher.
- Investment appeal and resale confidence – High auction clearance rates and buyer confidence suggest that luxury property remains a sound investment, helping justify elevated price points for prestige homes.
- Off-market and strategic buying – Many luxury deals are happening quietly, off-market or via strategic pre-auction offers. Access to these opportunities often determines whether a buyer can secure a property before prices escalate further.
4. COAST’s take: how to approach luxury buying in this market
From our vantage point at COAST Buyer’s Agency, buying luxury real estate on the Gold Coast in 2025 demands a well-considered strategy. Here are key considerations for buyers and investors:
- Recognise value in context, not headline price
- Not all high-price sales set long-term benchmarks. In luxury zones, it’s essential to assess whether a property will retain value, or better yet, appreciate, over time. We look beyond the sticker price to land quality, orientation, build potential, and resale appeal.
- Look for “hidden gems” near headline-grabbing suburbs
- Being next to a multi-million-dollar sale isn’t always a disadvantage; it can be a strong signal. Buyers who identify undervalued or up-and-coming parcels close to trophy homes can reposition and benefit from spillover growth.
- Embrace off-market and pre-auction opportunities
- Some of the Gold Coast’s biggest deals happen quietly. Buyers who wait for public auctions or listings may miss out. COAST’s expertise in pre-auction offers, relationship-based negotiation, and local intelligence can uncover opportunities before they are advertised.
- Plan for build and renovation potential
- Many luxury buyers on the Gold Coast are paying not just for the existing home, but for the land and future build opportunities. When assessing a high-priced property, we evaluate its potential for high-end redevelopment because that often underpins long-term value.
- Factor in holding costs and market timing
- High-end property carries not only acquisition costs, but also maintenance, rates, insurance, and potential redevelopment costs. Understanding these holding costs, and planning exit strategies, is critical, especially if market conditions change. Timing is everything — a buyer needs to understand whether they are buying for lifestyle, capital growth, or resale value.
5. The road ahead: what luxury buyers should watch
As we move deeper into 2025, we’re tracking several trends that are likely to influence luxury market performance on the Gold Coast:
- More mega-deals outside traditional beachfronts: As beachfront land becomes scarcer and more expensive, buyers may increasingly look to hinterland or riverfront luxury as alternatives.
- Rising competition for canal-front and valley estates: With acreage and hinterland luxury surging, and waterfront scarcity, competition in these areas is likely to push up prices further.
- The evolving role of infrastructure and amenity: Projects like the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 and improved motorway access will continue to reshape which suburbs are seen as high-value luxury zones. Buyers may increasingly prioritise connectivity, schools, and amenity proximity over raw beachfront prestige.
- Potential cooling for less well-located luxury assets: While top-end beachfront estates may remain resilient, luxury properties that are poorly oriented, dated, or lack build/redevelopment potential could lag if price growth slows.
- Sustainability, design quality and lifestyle features as value drivers: Luxury buyers are increasingly prioritising design, sustainability, and lifestyle fit. Trophy homes that incorporate wellness, sustainability, and design innovation are rising in desirability, and those elements can influence resale value.
- International interest and currency factors: The strength of the Australian dollar, visa policy changes, and global wealth flows will continue to shape international demand for Gold Coast luxury homes.
Looking to secure prestige real estate on the Gold Coast?
2025 is proving to be a milestone year for Gold Coast luxury real estate. Palm Beach’s $40 million sale has rewritten the state’s record books, Mermaid Beach continues to deliver headline deals, and luxury buyers are increasingly spilling into hinterland and canal-front precincts. The traditional coastal suburbs are no longer the only places generating premium values; lifestyle, liveability, and land scarcity are reshaping the luxury map.
For buyers, the prestige market today offers opportunity, but also demands sophistication, insight, and timing. Knowing which suburbs will flourish, which properties will hold or grow in value, and how to access off-market or strategic deals is now essential.
If you’re considering a trophy Gold Coast purchase, now is the time to engage a buyer’s agent who knows the unique market. Contact COAST Buyer’s Agency for a free consultation today.
