<\/p>\n
Chinese investors have once again dominated Aussie property sales to offshore buyers, with more than $1bn snapped up in under a year.<\/p>\n
Foreign investors are on track for a more than $1.6bn cut to their spending on Aussie homes in the span of a year, with China set for a more than $1bn budget clip alone.<\/p>\n
But offshore interest in Aussie homes is on the rise, according to the nation\u2019s biggest real estate website realestate.com.au \u2014 which has also revealed where the most international buyers are eyeing our homes.<\/p>\n
The latest Foreign Investment Review Board data released this month revealed there were 929 Aussie home sales worth a combined $1.2bn approved to buyers outside of the country in the first three months of 2025.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Chinese buyers dominate foreign-owned property, new data reveals<\/a><\/p>\n China-made homes assembled in Melbourne in a first for the city<\/a><\/p>\n Block judge Marty Fox\u2019s Dubai plans fuel Celebrity Block rumours<\/a><\/p>\n It brings the total of known sales to offshore buyers in the 2025 financial year to $3.7bn.<\/p>\n China dominated the list, with more than 1000 purchases to date in the time period worth a combined $1.1bn.<\/p>\n It\u2019s followed by $300m worth of home sales to Taiwanese buyers and another $200m to those in Vietnam, the United States, Indonesia and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n While there is another three months of data still to be released, the value of international investment is on track to come up about $1.66bn dollars short of the figures recorded in the 2024 financial year \u2014 with China likely to be about $1.13bn off the pace.<\/p>\n FIRB approval is required for international investors to purchase properties in Australia.<\/p>\n The purchase of established homes is now subject to a temporary ban implemented by the Albanese government for all but a very limited group of international buyers. Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens are still allowed to purchase.<\/p>\n The ban started on April 1, which is not yet covered in data released by FIRB.<\/p>\n Separate data from realestate.com.au shows that demand is rising from the rest of the world, with a 3.4 per cent increase in search activity for Aussie homes spearheaded by prospective buyers in New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada.<\/p>\n This impressive Sydney home was sold to a buyer who flew back home to China shortly after the $4.68m cash purchase<\/p>\n TOP SYDNEY SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS<\/p>\n Suburb Sydney (2000) Mosman (2088) Chatswood (2067) Paddington (2021) Surry Hills (2010) Source: PropTrack<\/p>\n PropTrack economics executive manager Angus Moore said the common trend among suburbs was that they were mostly inner city, and often affluent.<\/p>\n Mr Moore said it was worth noting that \u201ca lot of people can be searching from overseas\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIncluding returning expatriates and people looking just to browse,\u201d Mr Moore said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd these are, generally, the suburbs that are going to be well known and very central.\u201d<\/p>\n The data would also capture offshore investors wanting to make a purchase without moving to Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cFor people looking to buy a home from outside Australia, and we don\u2019t know what share that is, they will be looking for the higher density new builds \u2014 not a detached house.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Moore said while it was hard to say what drove offshore property purchases in Australia, but that family connections and exchange rates would likely be relevant.<\/p>\n A render showing the luxurious apartments planned for 671 Chapel St, South Yarra, where 30 sales were made early last year to international buyers.<\/p>\n TOP MELBOURNE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS<\/p>\n Suburb Richmond (3121) Melbourne (3000) South Yarra (3141) Hawthorn (3122) Toorak (3142) Source: PropTrack<\/p>\n The realestate.com.au data did not capture China search activity, potentially due to issues with access to the website in the Asian superpower where the internet is heavily controlled and major sites including Google, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia are blocked.<\/p>\n But figures from Juwai IQI, which has Mandarin language sites based within China showcasing Aussie homes, shows Australia is the second most-favoured country for Chinese buyers and has been for the past two years.<\/p>\n The lucky country has been in their top three since 2020.<\/p>\n Thailand was the top destination for Chinese looking abroad.<\/p>\n Juwai IQI Co-Founder and Group Managing Director Daniel Ho said their data showed a 40 per cent increase in inquiries in the December quarter of 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not to say Chinese buying has recovered back to where it was before Covid,\u201d Mr Ho said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just demonstrates there is sustained and growing demand, even if at a lower level.\u201d<\/p>\n Latest FIRB data shows which nations are spending the most on Aussie homes.<\/p>\n Inside another Sydney apartment where a buyer needing FIRB approval paid $2.78m cash in the first few months of 2026.<\/p>\n He said their data showed the typical China-based buyer looking at Aussie homes had a budget of about $1m, but 20 per cent were looking at homes worth $3m-$5m.<\/p>\n \u201cWealthy Chinese buyers are after both prestige apartments and new houses and<\/p>\n duplexes,\u201d Mr Ho said.<\/p>\n Melbourne based project sales specialist Dominic Ziino, director at Alfa projects, said in addition to ongoing demand from China there was heavy interest from Vietnam in new homes around the city.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s close to trams and trains, and close to universities and hospitals, then the FIRB buyers will get in there,\u201d Mr Ziino said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s all under $1.1m, anything under that they are looking at it.\u201d<\/p>\n In the first three months of last year, the time covered by FIRB\u2019s latest data, a new apartment complex that\u2019s currently under construction at 671 Chapel St, South Yarra, attracted 30 sales to offshore buyers.<\/p>\n Sydney-based project marketers at Plus Agency have also confirmed two sales to buyers needing FIRB approval in the Chinese New Year period of 2026 worth a combined $7m.<\/p>\n Adelaide tops the shopping list for international buyers considering South Australia.<\/p>\n TOP ADELAIDE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS<\/p>\n Suburb Adelaide (5000) Glenelg (5045) Norwood (5067) North Adelaide (5006) Henley Beach (5022) Source: PropTrack<\/p>\n General manager Peter Li said they had paid cash, with no mortgage, and that this was \u201cvery typical for a Chinese buyer\u201d.<\/p>\n The realestate.com.au data shows that in NSW, the suburb of Sydney was top of the list, with a $940,000 typical price for a unit, and a house market so small it doesn\u2019t generate a median price.<\/p>\n It was followed by high-priced Mosman, where a typical house will cost you $5.914m \u2014 one of the state and the nation\u2019s priciest property markets, according to latest PropTrack median price data.<\/p>\n Chatswood was next, with a $3.5m typical house price, followed by Paddington, where a house will set you back $3.65m. The most affordable NSW option to make the list was Surry Hills, at $2.48m.<\/p>\n In Victoria, Richmond is at the pointy end, followed by Melbourne\u2019s CBD and South Yarra.<\/p>\n All three are known for their unit and apartment markets.<\/p>\n Brisbane City is the number one spit in the Queensland capital being eyed by offshore buyers.<\/p>\n TOP BRISBANE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS<\/p>\n Suburb Brisbane City (4000) Indooroopilly (4068) New Farm (4005) Toowong (4066) West End (4101) Source: PropTrack<\/p>\n Then it\u2019s high-priced suburbia that reaches international buyers\u2019 eyes, with Hawthorn and Toorak rounding out the state\u2019s top five.<\/p>\n In Queensland the highest share of international buyers are eyeing off Brisbane\u2019s city centre, followed by Indooroopilly, where even the typical unit costs $835,000, and New Farm where houses are a multimillion-dollar affair and the median price for a unit is also seven figures.<\/p>\n Toowong and West End round out the list, both with high-end prices.<\/p>\n And, in South Australia, the suburb of Adelaide is at the top of shopping lists for offshore home hunters and does still offer an affordable entry point with a $545,000 median unit price.<\/p>\n But the remaining suburbs in the state\u2019s top five, Glenelg, Norwood, North Adelaide and Henley Beach, all have median prices for houses above $1.4m for the remaining suburbs, and typical unit costs above $600,000.<\/p>\n Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here <\/a>to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.<\/p>\n MORE: Common mistakes prompting Aussie burglaries revealed<\/a><\/p>\n This Hemsworths-backed Jurassic Park tech might solve housing crisis<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nMedian House
\nMedian Unit<\/p>\n
\nN\/A
\n$940,000<\/p>\n
\n$5.914m
\n$1.377m<\/p>\n
\n$3.5m
\n$1.1m<\/p>\n
\n$3.65m
\n$965,000<\/p>\n
\n$2.48m
\n$885,000<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nMedian House
\nMedian Unit<\/p>\n
\n$1.38m
\n$582,500<\/p>\n
\nN\/A
\n$440,000<\/p>\n
\n$2.045m
\n$536,500<\/p>\n
\n$3.01m
\n$569,000<\/p>\n
\n$5.009m
\n$1.174m<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nMedian House
\nMedian Unit<\/p>\n
\n$1.02m
\n$545,000<\/p>\n
\n$1.665m
\n$625,000<\/p>\n
\n$1.425m
\n$820,000<\/p>\n
\n$1.62m
\n$752,000<\/p>\n
\n$1.63m
\n$910,000<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nMedian House
\nMedian Unit<\/p>\n
\nN\/A
\n$735,000<\/p>\n
\n$1.739m
\n$835,000<\/p>\n
\n$3.4m
\n$1.032m<\/p>\n
\n$1.85m
\n$830,000<\/p>\n
\n$1.89m
\n$900,000<\/p>\n