20/08/2026
The Brisbane property market fell 0.6% in July.
Useful context. But if you own in Hawthorne, Bulimba, Balmoral, Camp Hill or East Brisbane, it tells you surprisingly little about what your property is doing.
Latest house data:
Hawthorne - $2.41M | +4.8% | 29 days
Bulimba - $2.35M | +13.5% | 27 days
Balmoral - $2.13M | +19.8% | 28 days
Camp Hill - $2.09M | +18.6% | 29 days
East Brisbane - $1.74M | +12.3% | 25 days
These suburbs sit within a relatively small area, yet their performance has been very different.
Buyers are more considered. Finance matters more. Value matters more. There is less tolerance for the wrong price, presentation or strategy.
But demand hasn’t disappeared. It has become more selective.
Hawthorne remains the most expensive, but annual growth has slowed to 4.8%. A few minutes away, Balmoral has grown almost 20% and Camp Hill 18.6%, with both medians now around $2.1M.
For years, buyers thought about these suburbs in fairly fixed tiers. Bulimba and Hawthorne carried one level of pricing, with surrounding suburbs the next step down.
That distinction is becoming less straightforward.
A good family home in Camp Hill or Balmoral can now compete at a price point that historically pushed buyers towards Bulimba or Hawthorne.
Meanwhile, East Brisbane has recorded 12.3% growth and the shortest selling period of the group at 25 days.
Buyers aren’t buying a suburb median.
They have a budget, bedrooms they need, land, school catchments, streets and lifestyle priorities. Then they compare what that money buys across adjoining suburbs.
A buyer who misses in Hawthorne may look at Balmoral. Someone priced out of Bulimba may find considerably more house in Camp Hill.
That movement is often where pricing pressure comes from.
So the better question for sellers is:
What other properties is my buyer considering, and how does mine compare?
A median tells you what has already happened. Your result will be determined by a much smaller group of buyers making a decision about one home.
Thinking of selling? Get in touch.
Tony O’Doherty
0493 039 176