According to realestate.com.au, a Brisbane selling agent has told a Carina couple their three-bedroom townhouse could have fetched $150,000 more just a few months ago, pointing to how sharply buyer conditions have turned in Queensland's capital. Carlos and Daniela Natale bought the Minnippi Quarter townhouse off the plan in 2019, before Brisbane prices surged through the pandemic. They're now selling to upgrade, but doing so cautiously, without the cushion of a rising market behind them.
A $150,000 Price Gap in a Softening Brisbane Market
Selling agent Remy Durieux, of Remys, told realestate.com.au the Carina townhouse would have commanded $150,000 more just months earlier. Durieux went further, estimating that activity in the first-home buyer market for properties priced up to $1.5 million had contracted by 15 to 25 per cent. He described buyers routinely telling him they like a property but want to "wait and see" before committing.
Related reading: REAStats Australian property market intelligence.
The Natales' own circumstances reinforce the point: Carlos, a commercial finance broker, told the publication his household's discretionary spending is "way, way down," and the couple have no holidays planned as higher rates and a new baby reshape their budget.
For sellers sitting on properties bought in the 2023-2024 window or earlier, this is a cautionary data point rather than a reason to panic. Durieux noted that owners who bought before 2023 or 2024 generally retain enough equity to upgrade, and that the price gap between townhouses and detached houses has narrowed — a trend that actually favours upsizers chasing more space for the same, or a smaller, premium.
Why the Natales' Decision Reflects Broader Borrower Caution
The Natales made a deliberate choice to sell before buying, rather than take on bridging finance — a structure Carlos Natale said "was viable in a rising market" but isn't attractive now. When capital growth can no longer be relied upon to absorb the carrying cost of holding two properties simultaneously, households are reverting to the more conservative sell-first sequencing, even at the cost of temporary housing uncertainty.
Context: How This Fits the Broader Finance Cycle
Readers wanting the full mechanics of that cycle, and how upgraders should time moves within it, can review The Australian Property Cycle Explained.
The commercial finance angle is also worth noting given Carlos Natale's profession. Buyers and investors assessing alternatives to stretched residential markets may find Commercial Property Investment in Australia — A Beginner's Guide a useful primer on how yield and lease structures differ from the residential upgrader calculus playing out in Carina.
What It Means for Buyers, Sellers and Investors
Agent Remy Durieux described the first-home buyer market for properties priced up to $1.5 million as having contracted by 15 to 25 per cent. But buyers need genuine savings and serviceability margin to act — not just lower list prices. Understanding how lenders assess deposits and borrowing capacity through LVR and LMI Explained remains essential groundwork before making an offer in this kind of market.
Those exploring professional buying support through a downturn may also want to review What is a Buyer's Agent? before committing to an upsize in current conditions.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy. Content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or property investment advice.
