Foreign investors spend $3.7 billion on top Australian suburbs to unveil – realestate.com.au

Foreign investors are on track to cut their spending on Australian homes by more than $1.6 billion over a year, while China alone is eyeing cuts of more than $1 billion.

But interest from abroad in Australian homes is increasing, according to the country’s largest property website, realestate.com.au, which has also revealed where most international buyers are eyeing our homes.

The latest Foreign Investment Review Board data released this month shows that in the first three months of 2025, 929 home sales in Australia worth a total of $1.2 billion were approved to buyers outside the country.

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It brings the total of known sales to offshore buyers in fiscal 2025 to $3.7 billion.

China dominated the list, with more than 1,000 purchases worth a combined $1.1 billion in the period so far.

It is followed by $300 million in home sales to Taiwanese buyers and another $200 million in homes in Vietnam, the United States, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

Although there are still three months of data to be released, the value of international investment is on track to be around $1.66 billion lower than the 2024 financial year figures – with China likely to be around $1.13 billion behind the pace.

FIRB approval is required for international investors to purchase property in Australia.

The purchase of existing homes is now subject to a temporary ban introduced by the Albanian government for all except a very limited group of international buyers. Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens are still allowed to purchase.

The ban came into effect on April 1 and is not yet addressed in the data released by FIRB.

Separate data from realestate.com.au shows demand from the rest of the world is rising, with a 3.4 percent increase in home search activity in Australia, led by potential buyers in New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada.

This impressive Sydney home sold to a buyer who flew back to China shortly after the $4.68 million cash purchase

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TOP SYDNEY SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS

Source: PropTrack

Angus Moore, PropTrack’s executive manager of economics, said the general trend among the suburbs was that they were mainly inner-city and often affluent.

Mr Moore said it was worth noting that “many people can search from abroad”.

“Including returning expats and people just browsing,” Moore said.

“And these are generally the suburbs that are going to be well-known and very central.”

The data could also capture offshore investors looking to make a purchase without moving to Australia.

“People looking to buy a home from outside Australia, and we don’t know what proportion that is, will be looking for higher density new builds – not a detached home.”

Mr Moore said while it was difficult to say what was driving Australia’s offshore property purchases, family ties and exchange rates were likely to be relevant.

A view of the luxury apartments planned for 671 Chapel St, South Yarra, which saw 30 sales to international buyers early last year.

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TOP MELBOURNE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS

Source: PropTrack

The data from realestate.com.au did not capture Chinese search activity, possibly due to problems accessing the Asian powerhouse’s website, where the Internet is heavily monitored and major sites such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia are blocked.

But figures from Juwai IQI, which has Chinese Mandarin sites showing Australian homes, show Australia is the second most favored country for Chinese buyers, and has been that way for the past two years.

The lucky country has been in their top three since 2020.

Thailand was the top destination for Chinese looking abroad.

Juwai IQI co-founder and Group Managing Director Daniel Ho said their data showed a 40 percent increase in inquiries in the December quarter of 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.

“That is not to say that Chinese purchases have recovered to pre-Covid levels,” Mr Ho said.

“It just shows that there is continued and growing demand, even if it is at a lower level.”

The latest FIRB data shows which countries are spending the most on Australian homes.

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In another Sydney apartment, where a buyer requiring FIRB approval paid $2.78 million in cash in the first few months of 2026.

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He said their data showed the typical Chinese buyer looking at Australian homes had a budget of around $1 million, but 20 percent were looking at homes worth $3 million to $5 million.

“Wealthy Chinese buyers are looking for both prestigious apartments and new homes

duplexes,” Mr Ho said.

Melbourne-based project sales specialist Dominic Ziino, director at Alfa Projects, said that in addition to continued demand from China, there was also strong interest from Vietnam for new homes in the city.

“If it’s close to trams and trains, and close to universities and hospitals, that’s where FIRB buyers will come in,” Mr Ziino said.

“But it’s all less than $1.1 million, anything under that they’re looking at it.”

In the first three months of last year, the time covered by FIRB’s latest data, a new apartment complex currently under construction at 671 Chapel St, South Yarra, attracted 30 sales to offshore buyers.

Sydney-based project marketers at Plus Agency have also confirmed two sales to buyers requiring FIRB approval in the 2026 Chinese New Year period, worth a combined $7 million.

Adelaide is at the top of the shopping list for international buyers considering South Australia.

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TOP ADELAIDE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS

Source: PropTrack

Managing director Peter Li said they had paid in cash, without a mortgage, and that this was “very typical for a Chinese buyer”.

Data from realestate.com.au shows that in NSW, the suburb of Sydney topped the list, with a typical price of $940,000 for a home, and a housing market so small that it doesn’t produce an average price.

It was followed by expensive Mosman, where a typical home will cost you $5.914 million – one of the most expensive real estate markets in the state and country, according to the latest median price data from PropTrack.

Chatswood was next, with a typical house price of $3.5 million, followed by Paddington, where a house costs $3.65 million. The most affordable NSW option to make the list was Surry Hills, at $2.48 million.

In Victoria, Richmond is at the pointy end, followed by Melbourne’s CBD and South Yarra.

All three are known for their unit and apartment markets.

Brisbane City is the number one city in Queensland’s capital eyed by offshore buyers.

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TOP BRISBANE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS

Source: PropTrack

Then it’s the expensive suburb that reaches the eyes of international buyers, with Hawthorn and Toorak completing the state’s top five.

In Queensland, the bulk of international buyers are looking to Brisbane city centre, followed by Indooroopilly, where even the typical unit costs $835,000, and New Farm, where houses are a multi-million dollar affair and the average price for a unit is also seven figures.

Toowong and West End round out the list, both with high prices.

And in South Australia, the suburb of Adelaide is at the top of shopping lists for offshore house hunters and continues to offer an affordable entry point with an average unit price of $545,000.

But the remaining suburbs in the state’s top five, Glenelg, Norwood, North Adelaide and Henley Beach, all have average house prices above $1.4 million for the remaining suburbs, and typical unit costs above $600,000.

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