After a year of double-digit growth, record sales, and persistent buyer demand, the question on most people’s minds is simple: what happens next?
Based on the trends we tracked through 2025, here’s what buyers and sellers can reasonably expect in Kingscliff and Cabarita over the first quarter of 2026.
Where Prices Finished 2025
Kingscliff houses reached a median of $2,015,000 – up 10.4% for the year. Cabarita pushed slightly higher at $2,045,000 with 13.6% annual growth.
The unit markets told different stories. Kingscliff units grew modestly at 1.9%, while Cabarita apartments surged 30.7%. That Cabarita figure reflects specific supply constraints and the impact of premium developments hitting settlement, rather than broad-based apartment growth.
These aren’t speculative gains. Properties sold in 66-68 days on average – less than half the 155-day regional benchmark. When stock moves that quickly, prices reflect genuine competition rather than inflated expectations.
Stock Levels Remain Tight
The supply picture hasn’t changed. Active listings in both suburbs sat well below five-year averages throughout 2025, and nothing suggests a flood of new stock in early 2026.
Construction costs and development timelines continue limiting new supply. The projects currently underway – SOLIS, PIPER, Marine & Pearl, Kai Kingscliff – will add quality stock when they complete, but not enough to fundamentally shift the supply-demand balance.
For buyers, this means continued competition for well-positioned properties. For sellers, it means the scarcity that supported 2025 prices remains in place.
Interstate Demand Isn’t Slowing
Throughout 2025, interstate buyers accounted for roughly two-thirds of enquiries across both suburbs. Sydney and Melbourne downsizers, remote workers, investors seeking coastal yields – these buyer groups drove competition and supported prices at levels local demand alone couldn’t sustain.
That pattern shows no sign of reversing. The factors drawing interstate buyers – lifestyle appeal, relative value compared to capital city markets, improved infrastructure, Gold Coast Airport accessibility – remain in place. If anything, potential interest rate cuts in 2026 could bring more buyers into the market who’ve been waiting on the sidelines.
What Early 2026 Looks Like
January and February typically see the lowest stock levels of the year, combined with the highest search traffic on property portals. Motivated sellers list. Buyers who missed out in 2025 return with fresh urgency. Competition concentrates on whatever comes to market.
This creates specific conditions worth understanding:
For buyers: Less choice, but also less competition from casual lookers. The sellers listing in January are motivated – holiday sales, relocations, decisions made over Christmas. Properties may move quickly, so preparation matters. Get finance sorted before you start inspecting seriously.
For sellers: Fewer competing listings means more attention on your property. Buyer pools include people who’ve been searching for months and are ready to act. If you’re considering selling in the first half of 2026, listing early puts you in front of this concentrated demand before stock levels lift in autumn.
Price Expectations
Predicting exact price movements is a mug’s game, but the conditions that supported 2025 growth haven’t disappeared.
Stock remains constrained. Interstate demand continues. Interest rates appear to have peaked, with potential cuts ahead. Infrastructure investment – the hospital, school upgrades, transport improvements – keeps reinforcing the region’s appeal.
None of this guarantees continued double-digit growth. Markets don’t move in straight lines. But the fundamentals that made Kingscliff and Cabarita outperform broader regional markets through 2025 remain intact heading into 2026.
Buyers hoping for significant price drops will likely be disappointed. Sellers expecting another 10%+ year should temper expectations. Somewhere in between – continued demand meeting limited supply, with prices holding firm or growing modestly – seems the most reasonable outlook.
The Practical Takeaway
If you’re buying, act when you find the right property rather than waiting for conditions that may not arrive. The competition for quality stock isn’t going away.
If you’re selling, the market remains favourable. Well-priced properties in good locations continue to attract genuine interest and move within reasonable timeframes.
If you’re watching from the sidelines, the data suggests waiting won’t dramatically change your position. The factors driving this market are structural, not cyclical. They’ll take years to shift, not months.
Early 2026 offers opportunity for buyers and sellers who are prepared to act. The question isn’t whether the market will cooperate – it’s whether you’re ready when the right property or the right buyer appears.
