Introducing Opteon's Prestige Property Insights Series
We've been talking about the prestige market with clients, lenders and advisors for years. Now we're putting it all on record. Introducing Opteon's Prestige Property Insights Series five episodes, five conversations, and a genuine look at what's driving Australia's luxury property market in 2026.
The prestige property market is one of the most closely watched and least well understood segments of Australian real estate. Transactions are less frequent, the drivers of value are more nuanced, and the gap between a best-in-class asset and a compromised one can be worth millions. Yet the commentary available tends to either oversimplify or miss the mark entirely.
Over five episodes, Opteon's Gabriel Carreno and George Garagounis, break down what's actually happening at the top end of the market, drawing on real transactions, real methodology and real market experience.
This isn't a glossy market wrap. It's an honest, grounded conversation about what's driving prestige property values in Australia right now and where things are headed.
What's in the Series
Each episode tackles a distinct angle on the prestige market. Here's what's coming:
| Ep 1 | Market Overview | Where Does the Prestige Market Stand?
Gabriel and George take stock of conditions across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth, cover some of the biggest transactions of the year, and unpack what the Federal Budget's policy settings mean for high-end property values. That's this episode watch it above. |
| Ep 2 | Compromised vs. Uncompromised | What Really Drives Value?
Not all prestige properties are equal. Gabriel breaks down what makes an asset 'compromised' at the top end, why the gap between best-in-class and secondary properties is wider than ever, and how a waterfront view can be worth more than a full renovation. |
| Ep 3 | Buyer & Vendor Behaviours | What's Happening on the Ground?
Gabriel sits down with one of Sydney's most prominent prestige real estate agents to get an unfiltered read on buyer behaviour, vendor motivation, price alignment and the negotiation dynamics playing out in the current market. |
| Ep 4 | Valuer & Lender Partnership | How Does Finance Shape Prestige Transactions?
Gabriel is joined by the co-founder of a specialist lending business to explore the critical relationship between valuers and lenders in prestige property. What lenders look for, where the customer experience can be improved, and how the industry is evolving. |
| Ep 5 | Market Outlook & Series Close | What's Next for the Prestige Market?
Gabriel and George close out the series with a forward-looking view: the risks, the tailwinds, practical advice for vendors and buyers navigating current conditions, and why independent valuation advice matters more than ever in an uncertain market. |
Episode 1 Highlights: The State of the Market
In our first episode, we focus on the big picture, where Australia's prestige market sits right now, what's driving conditions, and how the key capital cities are performing.
$83.5m |
$30m |
$57m |
$124m |
|
Rose Bay waterfront Sydney's top 2026 sale |
Burleigh Heads penthouse New Qld apartment record |
Vaucluse harbourfront Highest house sale nationally |
Coonac, Toorak Vic's contested record |
The headline? The market has come off the boil. Extended selling periods and more selective buyers are the defining characteristics across most capital cities right now. The factors driving this are well understood, a softer economy, persistently high inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and the overhang from higher interest rates but the effect is playing out differently depending on the city and the asset.
Sydney is showing a divergence, with activity picking up in non-traditional prestige locations like Drummoyne, Connells Point and Cronulla, while the headline transactions at the very top remain extraordinary. Melbourne remains cautious and selective, with Toorak under more pressure than lifestyle-driven pockets like Middle Park. Brisbane and the Gold Coast continue to benefit from the infrastructure investment associated with the 2032 Olympics, while Perth, though slower than its recent peak, remains underpinned by strong fundamentals.
On the Budget, the prestige market is more insulated than the broader market, largely because it's driven by high-net-worth owner-occupiers rather than investors. With primary residences remaining CGT-exempt, prestige property continues to function as a genuine store of wealth for this buyer group.
Best-in-class properties continue to outperform. Secondary offerings are facing greater scrutiny and taking longer to find a buyer. That polarisation is the defining theme of this market right now.
Watch Episode 1 above for the full breakdown, including the specific transactions shaping each market and George's read on how the Budget's policy settings are likely to play out at the top end.
New episodes every two weeks
The Opteon Prestige Property Insights Series releases a new episode every two weeks. Subscribe below to receive each one directly in your inbox as it drops.
About the Authors
Gabriel Carreno is Director – Residential Prestige NSW at Opteon, specialising in high-value residential valuations across Sydney and key prestige markets nationally.
George Garagounis is State Director – NSW/VIC/ACT at Opteon, with broad oversight of residential and prestige valuation services across the eastern seaboard.
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Episode 2 | Compromised vs. Uncompromised