Should I Sell Before the Olympics?

The Short Answer

The 2032 Brisbane Olympics is the largest infrastructure event in modern Australian property history — $19+ billion of related investment. Olympic-driven property uplift is real, suburb-specific, and already partially priced into the market.

For vendors in directly affected suburbs (Woolloongabba, Albion, Hamilton, Brisbane CBD fringe), the question of "sell before or after" is genuinely strategic. The right answer depends on your suburb, your situation, and whether you need cash now or have flexibility for upside.

How Olympic Uplift Works

Olympic-driven property appreciation happens in three phases:

Phase 1: Announcement & Planning (2021-2025)

The Olympics was confirmed in July 2021. Affected suburbs began appreciating immediately as developers, investors, and capital allocators repositioned. Woolloongabba and Albion in particular saw 30-50% land-value appreciation through 2022-2024.

This phase is largely complete. The gain in first-mover premium has been captured.

Phase 2: Infrastructure Build-Out (2025-2031)

Cross River Rail (opening 2026), Olympic-venue construction, and precinct upgrades visibly transform affected suburbs. Property values continue to appreciate but at a moderating pace as the headline-uplift gets priced in.

This phase is currently underway.

Phase 3: Games & Legacy (2032-2035)

Games-time visibility creates short-term spike. Post-Games, infrastructure dividends continue to compound but at a normal-market pace.

For most affected suburbs, the curve looks like:

2020: baseline → 2024: +30-50% → 2027: +50-70% → 2030: +60-90% (peak) → 2035: +70-100% (settled)

Specific numbers vary by suburb. Woolloongabba and Hamilton are toward the higher end; suburbs further from venues see smaller absolute gains.

When Uplift Peaks

A consistent finding across host cities (Sydney 2000, Vancouver 2010, London 2012, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024): Olympic-driven property uplift peaks 6-18 months before the Games, not during or after.

Why? The market prices in expected uplift well ahead. By the time the Games arrive, the news is fully absorbed and incremental upside is exhausted.

For Brisbane 2032, this implies the uplift peak is roughly 2030-2031.

Suburb-Specific Impact

Olympic uplift is concentrated in specific suburbs:

The Tier 1-2 uplift is meaningfully Olympic-driven; Tier 4-5 reflects general Brisbane market growth that would happen regardless of the Games.

Should I Sell Before the Olympics?

The answer depends on three factors:

1. Your Cash Needs

• Need cash now (downsizing, divorce, debt, retirement funding): sell now or in next 12-24 months. Don't wait — current pricing is strong, future timing is uncertain.
• No cash needs, optionality preferred: consider holding through 2030-2031 to capture peak uplift.

2. Your Suburb Tier

• Tier 1-2 (direct Olympic impact): holding through 2030-2031 likely captures meaningful additional uplift.
• Tier 4-5 (limited Olympic impact): timing is less critical; standard market considerations apply.

3. Your Property Type

• Development-suitable land: pricing is increasingly competitive; selling 2025-2027 captures both current premium and developer interest in pre-Olympic delivery.
• Premium residential / lifestyle: holding to 2030-2031 captures Olympic visibility premium.
• Generic residential: standard market timing — Olympic effect is modest.

Hybrid Strategies

For owners who can't fully commit to either side, hybrid options exist:

Long-Settlement Contract

Sell now at locked-in price, but settle 24-36 months later. You capture today's strong pricing with locked-in price protection, and have time to plan your next move. (See How Long Settlements Increase Development Site Value.)

Put-and-Call Option

Receive a non-refundable option fee today; the developer can call the property over 24-36 months. You capture optionality on Olympic-driven appreciation while receiving cash today.

Rent-Back After Sale

Sell now at strong pricing, lease the property back from the new owner for 12-36 months. You capture today's price while retaining occupancy through the Olympic build-up.

These hybrid structures often beat both "sell now" and "hold and wait".

What ACRES Recommends

Our framework for advising vendors on Olympic timing:

1. Get a specific suburb-tier valuation — generic Brisbane forecasts are too coarse for this decision
2. Run a hybrid-structure analysis — long settlements and options often beat outright sell-now or hold-through
3. Stress-test for downside scenarios — what if interest rates spike, construction fails to deliver, or Games are scaled back?
4. Match strategy to personal circumstances — there is no universally optimal answer; the right move depends on your situation

Daniel McCormack

Managing Director, ACRES — Australian Commercial & Residential Group

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