Australian property sellers are cashing in at unprecedented rates, with housing resale profits surging to their highest level in over two decades. According to the latest Cotality Pain and Gain report, an overwhelming 95.9% of the 102,000 property resales analysed in the December 2025 quarter recorded a profit. This marks the strongest national market outcome since 2005, propelling the median nominal gain to a staggering, record-breaking $365,000.

Despite mounting broader economic pressures, the data reveals that these remarkable windfalls are not the result of a sudden short-term market spike, but rather the reward of patient, long-term investment. Gerard Burg, Cotality’s Head of Research, noted that the strength in resale outcomes largely reflects the accumulation of value growth over recent years. Properties sold at a profit were held for a median of 9.2 years, enabling owners to easily absorb cyclical market fluctuations. Conversely, the primary risk factor for taking a financial hit—which saw a median loss of $45,000—remains short-term ownership. The median hold time for loss-making house resales was just over four years, aligning closely with buyers who purchased near the height of the COVID-era market boom.

A deep divide also persists between property types, with detached houses significantly outperforming apartments. Nationally, 98.1% of house resales were profitable, yielding an impressive median gain of $428,000. In contrast, 91.2% of unit resales were profitable, bringing in a more modest median gain of $246,500. Burg explained that this widening performance gap highlights robust ongoing demand for detached housing alongside challenging supply dynamics in the apartment sector. Heavy financial losses for units were predominantly concentrated in high-density inner-city markets across Sydney and Melbourne, where additional stock has limited price growth.

Geographically, Brisbane emerged as the undisputed capital of property profitability. A near-perfect 99.9% of resales in the Queensland capital delivered a gain, boasting a massive median profit of $500,000, underpinned by a decade of dwelling values effectively doubling. Adelaide followed closely with 99.4% of profitable resales, while Sydney and Melbourne lagged behind at 93.3% and 91.5% respectively. Outside the major cities, premium coastal lifestyle markets stole the spotlight. Sellers in Kiama on the New South Wales South Coast and Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast dominated the regions, walking away with phenomenal median gains exceeding $700,000.

Looking ahead, experts caution that the path to profitability may become considerably more challenging as we move deeper into 2026. A combination of rising interest rates, easing population growth, and a recent uptick in vendor listings in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne is expected to heavily influence housing demand. While markets like Perth continue to experience strong growth due to supply constraints, these shifting drivers mean that achieving ongoing record resale gains this year will be highly dependent on careful timing, prime locations, and the right property type