Australian homeowners and investors are cashing in on some of the strongest resale profits in years, with new figures from Domain revealing that the vast majority of properties sold in the first half of 2025 changed hands for more than their previous purchase price.
The Domain Profit and Loss Report shows 97 per cent of house resales and 88 per cent of unit resales delivered a profit nationally; the highest proportion for houses in almost two decades and for units in three years.
The report points to a combination of rising prices and longer ownership periods as key drivers of these gains, with most sellers holding properties for around nine years for houses and eight for units before reselling.
Houses: Brisbane and Perth Outperform
Houses remained the most reliable asset for profit-making sales, with Brisbane and Perth leading the nation at more than 99 per cent of resales achieving a profit.
They were followed by Sydney at 97.9 per cent and Adelaide at 97.3 per cent.
Perth posted the largest annual jump in median resale profits, up 22 per cent year-on-year, closely followed by Adelaide at nearly 20 per cent.
While Sydney’s annual growth was softer, its median resale profit of $700,500 was the highest nationally, reflecting the city’s premium property prices.
Not all capitals saw gains. Darwin (-25.8 per cent) and Melbourne (-3.1 per cent) recorded declines in annual house resale profits, while Canberra remained steady. Even so, less than four per cent of houses nationally sold at a loss, with the median loss around $55,000.
Units: Regional Sellers Outshine Capitals
Unit resale performance varied more widely.
Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth each saw more than 97 per cent of units sell for a profit, with Perth’s median resale profit surging 55.5 per cent, Brisbane up 40.4 per cent and Adelaide rising 37.4 per cent over the year.
By contrast, Melbourne and Darwin lagged, with only 73 per cent and 53.4 per cent of unit sales making a profit respectively.
In a notable shift, Brisbane and Adelaide unit sellers are now enjoying the highest median resale profits, both exceeding $250,000 – even higher than Sydney, where gains are smaller relative to purchase prices.
Regional unit markets also outperformed capital cities overall, with 95.7 per cent of regional unit resales profitable compared to 85.6 per cent in the capitals.
Domain Senior Economist Joel Bowman said the housing market’s resilience remains “impressive” and is likely to continue through the rest of the year.
“Most sellers are making solid gains, in large part because they’re holding onto their properties longer, building significant equity over time,” Mr Bowman said.
“With ongoing undersupply and renewed price momentum already emerging, the outlook for profit-making resales remains positive across most regions throughout 2025.”
