Gold Coast’s Trophy Market Fires Up for Summer. But It’s Not The Beach.
Prestige demand is shifting inland, where riverfront estates and acreage compounds are setting new records.
2 min
The Gold Coast prestige property market has ignited ahead of summer, but this time the heat isn’t coming from the beachfront. Instead, high-end buyers — both local and interstate — are turning their attention inland, where sprawling acreages and riverfront estates are redefining luxury living.
The latest headline-grabbing sale is Rivers Bend in Carrara (pictured), which has changed hands for a record $26 million — the highest price achieved along Main River this year and the second-largest riverfront sale in Gold Coast history.
Set on 6,300 sqm, the estate offers a masterclass in design and amenities. The primary residence features five bedrooms, including a master suite with a Nero Marquina marble ensuite and a 1.2-tonne freestanding bath. A gym, theatre room, 700-bottle temperature-controlled wine cellar, and garaging for 12 vehicles add to the home’s appeal.
Outdoors, the riverside entertaining terrace features a commercial-grade bar and kitchen. In contrast, the 18m saltwater pool — complete with spa, swim-up bar, firepit and TV — overlooks a championship-sized tennis court and rooftop pavilion. A self-contained two-bedroom guesthouse, complete with its own pool and spa, rounds out the estate.
The sale of Rivers Bend follows that of Redwood, the Currumbin Valley acreage that was quietly sold for $28 million earlier this year. The 2.88-hectare estate, last purchased for $2.55 million in 2017, was transformed by vendor Bridget Deer, wife of Ignite Travel founder Randall Deer.
The only other sale this year to break through the $20 million threshold was a Hamptons-style riverfront home in Southport, selling for $22 million.
Designed by Bayden Goddard, the four-level, 1,805sqm residence on Macmillan Court showcases century-old red ironbark flooring, Carrara marble, and chandeliers sourced from New York and Paris.
Among its highlights are five ensuite bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen with a cold room and three ovens, a 3,000-bottle wine cellar, an Aspen-inspired games den, and a six-bar basement.
The top floor is dedicated to leisure, featuring a gym, steam room, and a rooftop bar that accommodates up to 50 guests, complemented by open-plan living spaces that flow seamlessly into a north-facing saltwater pool and spa.
The newest addition to the trophy market is The Estate in Tallai, listed by former AFL player turned tech entrepreneur Brad Moran and marketed by Kollosche. Carved into the mountainside of its 8,888 sqm site, the ultra-luxury residence makes a statement from arrival, with a circular driveway of 75,000 hand-laid cobblestones and a five-element fountain finished in 24-carat gold mosaics.
The 2,240sqm home spans three levels and features 10 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a whisky bar, poker room, 16-seat cinema, and a wellness centre complete with gym, yoga studio, sauna, steam room, and hydrotherapy pools.
Outside, a “private fun park” includes a 160m go-kart track, putting green, basketball court, and 20m gold-tiled infinity pool.
Three self-contained “Sky Residences” cater for guests. At the same time, a glass-fronted garage gallery with space for nine cars — plus a race simulator and executive office — cements The Estate as one of the Gold Coast’s most spectacular offerings.
A record-breaking $11 million sale at The Centennial Collection has set a new benchmark for luxury apartment living in Bondi Junction.
As interest rates, inflation and market sentiment fluctuate, investors are being urged to focus on data, not panic.
Australia’s housing affordability crisis is being fuelled by chronic undersupply, planning delays and rising development costs, as politicians continue to focus on the wrong solutions.
3 min
Australia’s housing crisis will not be solved by first-home buyer incentives or tax changes alone, with leading property figures warning governments must tackle supply constraints if affordability is to improve.
Speaking at the Kanebridge Quarterly Property Leadership Summit in Sydney last week, expert project marketing specialist Sam Elbanna, property investor and fund manager Paul Miron and property consultant Karla McNeice said that a lack of housing supply remained the central issue facing the market.
Elbanna, Director of CPM Realty with more than 30 years’ experience in project sales, argued that successive governments had focused too heavily on stimulating demand rather than addressing the barriers preventing new housing from being delivered.
“The misconception is that politicians think the way to solve the housing crisis is to drive demand,” he said.
“The reality is that’s not the way. This is a supply-side problem, and it needs to be solved on the supply side.”
Drawing on his experience in project sales, Elbanna said policies designed to help first-home buyers often had unintended consequences, pointing to previous grants that ultimately flowed through to higher property prices.
Instead, he said developers were facing increasing red tape, approval delays and rising costs, which were discouraging new housing supply.
“In the absence of stock, demand exceeds supply,” he said.
Miron, a Co-Founder and Fund Manager of Msquared Capital, said the housing debate had become overly focused on tax policy while overlooking broader structural issues.
He argued that affordability challenges stemmed from a combination of factors, including planning constraints, supply shortages, migration levels and interest rates.
“No-one can be 100 per cent certain on the real reason for property prices is going up,” he said.
“The reason why property prices are higher is a combination of interest rates, lack of supply, migration, vacancy rates and maybe taxes play a role.”
Miron was critical of recent federal housing policy changes, warning they could reduce the number of new homes being built and further constrain supply that was even highlighted in the budget.
He also highlighted the importance of the property sector to the broader economy, noting that residential real estate and related industries employed more than one million Australians.
McNeice, who advises developers on sales strategy and market intelligence, said understanding buyers had become increasingly important as affordability pressures intensified.
While affordability remained a major consideration, she said today’s buyers were focused on value rather than simply price.
“People are looking for value for money,” she said.
She said buyers were increasingly evaluating factors such as transport connections, walkability, nearby amenities and flexible living spaces that could accommodate changing family needs.
“What infrastructure is going on? Can I walk to the shops? Can I meet people at the local cafe?” she said.
The panel also discussed the mounting pressures facing developers, with Elbanna arguing that many projects become financially unviable from the moment a site is purchased.
“The viability of a development happens at the moment the site is bought,” he said.
He said rising construction costs, higher interest rates and overly optimistic feasibility assumptions had left some developers exposed as market conditions changed.
While acknowledging the growing number of smaller and first-time developers entering the market, Elbanna said property development required expertise across finance, construction, marketing and legal disciplines.
“It is actually a business that requires a level of expertise,” he said.
Looking ahead, the panel agreed opportunities remained in the market despite current challenges.
Miron said property should continue to be viewed as a long-term investment and cautioned against trying to time short-term market movements.
McNeice said success would increasingly depend on identifying projects that genuinely met changing buyer expectations.
Elbanna said affordable housing remained achievable, but developers needed to deliver more than just homes.
“We can provide affordable housing in this country,” he said.
“But we’ve got to wrap that affordable housing with the things that people want.”
As Australia’s housing affordability debate intensifies, the panellists agreed on one point: without a meaningful increase in housing supply, demand-side measures alone are unlikely to solve the nation’s property challenges.
Warmer minimalism, tactile materials and wellness focused layouts are redefining luxury interiors as homeowners design for comfort, connection and lasting appeal.
From Italy’s $93,000-a-night villas to a $20,000 Bowral château, a new global ranking showcases the priciest Airbnbs available in 2026.
