Chinese investors have once again dominated Aussie property sales to offshore buyers, with more than $1bn snapped up in under a year.
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.
But offshore interest in Aussie homes is on the rise, according to the nation’s biggest real estate website realestate.com.au — which has also revealed where the most international buyers are eyeing our homes.
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.
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It brings the total of known sales to offshore buyers in the 2025 financial year to $3.7bn.
China dominated the list, with more than 1000 purchases to date in the time period worth a combined $1.1bn.
It’s followed by $300m worth of home sales to Taiwanese buyers and another $200m to those in Vietnam, the United States, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
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 — with China likely to be about $1.13bn off the pace.
FIRB approval is required for international investors to purchase properties in Australia.
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.
The ban started on April 1, which is not yet covered in data released by FIRB.
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.
This impressive Sydney home was sold to a buyer who flew back home to China shortly after the $4.68m cash purchase
TOP SYDNEY SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
| Suburb | Median House | Median Unit |
| Sydney (2000) | N/A | $940,000 |
| Mosman (2088) | $5.914m | $1.377m |
| Chatswood (2067) | $3.5m | $1.1m |
| Paddington (2021) | $3.65m | $965,000 |
| Surry Hills (2010) | $2.48m | $885,000 |
Source: PropTrack
PropTrack economics executive manager Angus Moore said the common trend among suburbs was that they were mostly inner city, and often affluent.
Mr Moore said it was worth noting that “a lot of people can be searching from overseas”.
“Including returning expatriates and people looking just to browse,” Mr Moore said.
“And these are, generally, the suburbs that are going to be well known and very central.”
The data would also capture offshore investors wanting to make a purchase without moving to Australia.
“For people looking to buy a home from outside Australia, and we don’t know what share that is, they will be looking for the higher density new builds — not a detached house.”
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.
A render showing the luxurious apartments planned for 671 Chapel St, South Yarra, where 30 sales were made early last year to international buyers.
TOP MELBOURNE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
| Suburb | Median House | Median Unit |
| Richmond (3121) | $1.38m | $582,500 |
| Melbourne (3000) | N/A | $440,000 |
| South Yarra (3141) | $2.045m | $536,500 |
| Hawthorn (3122) | $3.01m | $569,000 |
| Toorak (3142) | $5.009m | $1.174m |
Source: PropTrack
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.
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.
The lucky country has been in their top three since 2020.
Thailand was the top destination for Chinese looking abroad.
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.
“That’s not to say Chinese buying has recovered back to where it was before Covid,” Mr Ho said.
“It just demonstrates there is sustained and growing demand, even if at a lower level.”
Latest FIRB data shows which nations are spending the most on Aussie homes.
Inside another Sydney apartment where a buyer needing FIRB approval paid $2.78m cash in the first few months of 2026.
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.
“Wealthy Chinese buyers are after both prestige apartments and new houses and
duplexes,” Mr Ho said.
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.
“If it’s close to trams and trains, and close to universities and hospitals, then the FIRB buyers will get in there,” Mr Ziino said.
“But it’s all under $1.1m, anything under that they are looking at it.”
In the first three months of last year, the time covered by FIRB’s latest data, a new apartment complex that’s currently under construction at 671 Chapel St, South Yarra, attracted 30 sales to offshore buyers.
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.
Adelaide tops the shopping list for international buyers considering South Australia.
TOP ADELAIDE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
| Suburb | Median House | Median Unit |
| Adelaide (5000) | $1.02m | $545,000 |
| Glenelg (5045) | $1.665m | $625,000 |
| Norwood (5067) | $1.425m | $820,000 |
| North Adelaide (5006) | $1.62m | $752,000 |
| Henley Beach (5022) | $1.63m | $910,000 |
Source: PropTrack
General manager Peter Li said they had paid cash, with no mortgage, and that this was “very typical for a Chinese buyer”.
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’t generate a median price.
It was followed by high-priced Mosman, where a typical house will cost you $5.914m — one of the state and the nation’s priciest property markets, according to latest PropTrack median price data.
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.
In Victoria, Richmond is at the pointy end, followed by Melbourne’s CBD and South Yarra.
All three are known for their unit and apartment markets.
Brisbane City is the number one spit in the Queensland capital being eyed by offshore buyers.
TOP BRISBANE SUBURBS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
| Suburb | Median House | Median Unit |
| Brisbane City (4000) | N/A | $735,000 |
| Indooroopilly (4068) | $1.739m | $835,000 |
| New Farm (4005) | $3.4m | $1.032m |
| Toowong (4066) | $1.85m | $830,000 |
| West End (4101) | $1.89m | $900,000 |
Source: PropTrack
Then it’s high-priced suburbia that reaches international buyers’ eyes, with Hawthorn and Toorak rounding out the state’s top five.
In Queensland the highest share of international buyers are eyeing off Brisbane’s 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.
Toowong and West End round out the list, both with high-end prices.
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.
But the remaining suburbs in the state’s 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.
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