Geelong has been named in Australia’s top 10 real estate buys for 2026.
A new report from Hotspotting singles out the city as among the best bets for buyers seeking long-term growth.
Greater Geelong is one of three Victorian council areas to make the list, along with the City of Casey and Latrobe City.
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Hotspotting founder Terry Ryder.
Hotspotting’s latest National Top 10 Best Buys report identifies future growth markets before the crowd arrives and before the best years of priced growth are fully priced in.
Founder Terry Ryder said it focused on long-term, lower-risk growth instead of short-term hype.
“We’re thinking about what the market can deliver over five or 10 years, not whether it has had a good recent quarter,” he said.
“We’re looking for depth of demand, consistent sales activity, tight rental conditions, diverse economies, and clear drivers such as infrastructure investment, employment growth and population shifts.”
The report pointed to health investment, like construction of the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital, as a positive sign for Geelong.
Marshall Train Station was upgraded as part of the recent line duplication between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds.
A pipeline of capital works and forecast population growth underpin Greater Geelong’s standing as one of Victoria’s most compelling regional city stories.
“Geelong is always a contender as it’s such a strong regional economy,” Mr Ryder said.
“It has transitioned over the years very successfully from the old, more smoke stack economy, making cars, etc, to a modern economy where it’s all about education and medical services and IT and those industries.
“It got the lifestyle and great connections to Melbourne and is more affordable than downtown Melbourne – its got a lot to offer so it continues to get really good demand.”
Hotspotting director Tim Graham.
Hotspotting director Tim Graham said focusing on pockets with proven owner-occupier demand, proximity to jobs and transport and amenities was the best strategy for maximising returns.
“The region already supports a large population and is forecast to grow substantially over coming decades, underpinning long run housing demand,” he said.
Other local government area’s included in the Top 10 National Buys are Inner Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Greater Hobart, Launceston, Tamworth, Parramatta and Hunter Valley.
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