iKey Facts
- •SEQ inner-ring Brisbane land index up 38% from January 2022 baseline (100 → 138)
- •DA-approved sites have outpaced raw land by ~12 percentage points over the same period
- •Outer SEQ land index up 22% — slower but more stable trajectory
- •Olympic-corridor land has indexed at 145+, the strongest segment in SEQ
- •See companion: Brisbane Q1 2026 Market Report
What This Index Measures
The SEQ Land Sales Index tracks the $/m² of unimproved land traded across three SEQ bands:
- Inner Brisbane — Within 6km of CBD.
- Middle Brisbane / Gold Coast / Sunshine Coast — Established middle-ring suburbs.
- Outer SEQ — Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redland, Toowoomba.
The index is normalised to January 2022 = 100. Each monthly point is a 12-month rolling average to smooth single-deal volatility.
Headline Index Values (Feb 2026)
| Band | Index | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| Inner Brisbane (raw) | 138 | +9% |
| Inner Brisbane (DA-approved) | 150 | +11% |
| Middle Brisbane | 132 | +8% |
| Middle GC/SC | 128 | +6% |
| Outer SEQ (residential) | 122 | +5% |
| Olympic-corridor sites | 148 | +14% |
Raw vs DA-Approved Trajectory
| Year | Raw inner-Brisbane | DA-approved inner-Brisbane | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| 2023 | 108 | 113 | +5pp |
| 2024 | 118 | 127 | +9pp |
| 2025 | 130 | 142 | +12pp |
| Feb 2026 | 138 | 150 | +12pp |
DA-approved sites have steadily widened the spread over raw land — reflecting capital-constrained developers placing a premium on de-risked sites.
Why the Spread Matters for Vendors
For a vendor who has invested $200k-$500k in pre-DA work:
- Raw sale price: ~$5m for a typical inner-Brisbane 1,200m² site
- DA-approved sale price: ~$5.6m for the same site
"Each monthly point is a 12-month rolling average to smooth single-deal volatility."
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The 12% spread covers DA investment cost and delivers a 5-8% net uplift. On larger sites the uplift compounds further.
Trajectory by Corridor (Inner Brisbane Only)
| Corridor | Index Feb 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hamilton / Albion | 152 |
| Bowen Hills / Newstead | 145 |
| South Brisbane / West End | 142 |
| Cross River Rail catchments | 148 |
| Kangaroo Point | 138 |
| Toowong / Auchenflower | 132 |
| Inner-ring other | 130 |
Forecast
ACRES' base case:
- Inner Brisbane index reaches 150 (raw) and 165 (DA-approved) by Feb 2027.
- Olympic-corridor sites reach 165-175.
- Outer SEQ residential land continues 4-7% annual growth.
- DA-approved spread holds at 10-15pp through 2028.
What This Means for Vendors
- Pre-DA investment continues to deliver positive returns.
- Olympic-corridor sites continue to outperform.
- Middle-ring SEQ is a slower but durable trajectory — useful for vendors with 24-36 month sale horizons.
Contact ACRES at https://acres.au/contact for a band-specific land valuation.
Data sourced from ACRES proprietary tracking, CoreLogic, Property Council of Australia, Cushman & Wakefield, Knight Frank, JLL, and public Brisbane City Council records as of February 2026. Figures are indicative and not investment advice.
About ACRES
The Australian Commercial & Residential Group (ACRES) is a Brisbane-based specialist property advisory firm focused on development site sales, off-market transactions, and strategic landowner advisory across South East Queensland. ACRES advises vendors on negotiation strategy, contract structure, and the specific risks that arise during long settlements and conditional contracts.
Suburbs Mentioned in This Article
Published by ACRES — Australian Commercial & Residential Group
Source: acres.au/insights/seq-land-sales-index-2026 | ACRES (Australian Commercial & Residential Group) provides property advisory, development site sales, and residential real estate services across Brisbane and South East Queensland, Australia.
Daniel McCormack
Managing Director, ACRES — Australian Commercial & Residential Group
