The home at 3 Regent St, Whittington, is listed with price hopes from $680,000 to $730,000.
Home sellers could easily celebrate 2025 as the year of the buyer’s agent, according to data that reveals Geelong’s hottest suburbs.
The professional home buyers madly plying Geelong’s suburbs to link properties with interstate investors have played a significant role in rising prices since the market turned earlier this year.
Local real estate agents say they’re getting calls, texts and emails daily from buyers agents looking for an edge on properties before they hit the market, or if they have to, buy through negotiation or at an auction.
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Some local agents suggest things are getting a little out of hand, reporting some making over-the-top offers to satisfy quick deals for out-of-town clients.
It might be a great result for the sellers, but not for people buying into the hype that purchasing at the bottom of the market is a clear way to get a better return from property in regional Victoria.
Some of the fees allegedly being charged pales compared to what real estate agents would expect to earn in a commission for selling a house in Norlane, for example, with upfront fees such as $24,000 up to allegedly more than $40,000 being mentioned.
Consumer Affairs Victoria won’t confirm whether it’s investigating complaints made about potentially unlicensed buyers agents operating in Geelong, but warns they have the same legal obligations to their clients as real estate agents do.
The home at 5 Donax Rd, Corio, is listed for sale with price hopes from $600,000 to $660,000.
“Anyone who acts on behalf of buyers as a buyer’s agent or advocate to negotiate the purchase of a property must hold an estate agent’s licence or be employed by a licensed agent as an agent’s representative,” a Consumer Affairs Victoria spokesman said.
“We take reports of poor real estate agent conduct very seriously and will investigate and take action where required.”
National property valuation firm Herron Todd White upgraded Geelong from “bottom of market” to “start of recovery” on its national property clock recently, joining cities such as Melbourne and Hobart that are beginning to climb again.
Herron Todd White’s Perron King said Geelong had moved into a correction and stabilisation phase following the post-pandemic boom.
Herron Todd White’s national property clock for December 2025.
“The most affordable suburbs within Geelong’s metropolitan area have recently shown signs of recovery, indicating that the market is bottoming out and attracting buyers and investors who are constrained by high interest rates while seeking strong rental yields,” Mr King said.
He said the biggest surprise over the past 12 months was the rebound of the lowest-priced suburbs and the unit market, which began surging faster than many predicted.
That’s borne out in the region’s most in-demand suburbs according to realestate.com.au.
The data reveals Whittington, where the median house price of $570,000 has jumped nearly 12 per cent in a year according to PropTrack, is the unlikely most in-demand suburb, ahead of Norlane, Corio, Newcomb and Belmont.
GEELONG’S MOST IN-DEMAND SUBURBS
| Suburb | Type | Inquiries per listing | Median price | 12 month change |
| Whittington | Houses | 57 | $570,000 | 11.8% |
| Norlane | Houses | 52 | $470,000 | 2.2% |
| Corio | Houses | 50 | $520,000 | 7% |
| Newcomb | Houses | 45 | $590,189 | 5.1% |
| Belmont | Houses | 41 | $693,500 | .1% |
| Thomson | Houses | 40 | $540,000 | 4.9% |
| Belmont | Units | 38 | $535,000 | 1.1% |
| Breakwater | Houses | 35 | $542,500 | 5.3% |
| Grovedale | Houses | 34 | $682,000 | 2.6% |
| Hamlyn Heights | Houses | 31 | $741,000 | 6.2% |
| Clifton Springs | Units | 31 | n.a. | n.a. |
Source: realestate.com.au, PropTrack
REA Group senior economist Anne Flaherty said that, overwhelmingly, the most in demand suburbs across Australia were in more affordable pockets.
“This highlights the fact that more buyers have been priced out a growing number of established suburbs in the inner and middle rings,” she said.
Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA) president Melinda Jennison said high demand and lack of supply can make things tougher, creating FOMO (fear of missing out) as buyers fear that if they don’t act fast, in a months time, the prices will just rise further.
“The problem with that (FOMO) is that it can lead to buyers making irrational decisions that can put them at financial risk,” she said.
Consumer Affairs Victoria advises that before signing a contract with a buyer’s agent, prospective buyers should ensure it clearly states whether the agent expects to be paid on commission, or with a fixed fee.
For more information on selling a property or for advice or to make a complete about an agent, consumers can contact us on 1300 55 81 81 or via consumer.vic.gov.au/contact-us
with Samantha Healy
English (US) · 