When leading Sunshine Coast agent Tristan Brown cracked the $1million price point for a Nambour property recently, it was more than an achievement of dollar signs in his eyes. It was clear indication that his long-held belief in the town that lies just 100 kilometres north of Brisbane and around 15 to 20 minutes to the nearest beach.
Mr Brown, who has worked in key agencies on the Sunshine Coast, has memories of Nambour from the mid to late 80s when it was a ‘must do’ visit on any trip to the Sunshine Coast. It seemed a ‘forgotten town’ to him when he lived and began his real estate sales career in Nambour many years later.
He has long-been concerned about the apparent lack of enthusiasm for the Nambour market as compared with other similar locations on the Coast.
“I always though Nambour deserved better so am now pleased to see prominent business and community figures including Peter Boyce, Mark Bray and Andrew Pitcher stepping up to promote the town and highlight its residential and commercial worth. I wanted be part of that.
“There are pockets of Nambour that nobody hears about because they are not getting the exposure they should and that really needs to change.”
He cited activity like the $86million upgrade of the hospital, the potential rail duplication and the formation of the Reimagine Nambour association as a vote of confidence; and he says, while an exciting entertainment precinct is still finding its feet, the infrastructure is in place.
“One of the biggest changes I’ve observed in the last two years is the influx of young professional couples and families choosing Nambour. With that comes a change in demographics and business are responding through better, broader product and service offerings.
“We are also seeing higher quality builds. This in turn gets everyone excited and fuels a renewed energy.”
With a belief that Nambour’s potential as a great real estate market is yet untapped, Mr Brown was happy that it was his agency, RE/MAX Property Sales, that achieved the first ever $1 million-plus residential sale.
“It was a landmark achievement for Nambour and signifies this town’s resurgence on the Sunshine Coast”
The 9 Pearl Parade property sold for just short of $1.2 million.
He said buyers vying to secure the home were a mix of locals (from Nambour and other areas on Sunshine Coast), Australian capitals (Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne) and New Zealand.
“Looking at the spread of the potential buyers for this and other properties, the prices they are willing to pay and the value they are seeing, suggests $1mil-plus is going to be the new normal.”
With that sale, RE/MAX had set the last three suburb records, all occurring in a six-week period. 7 St James Court, Nambour Heights, sold for $915,000 and 13 Grimes Terrace, Burnside for $930,000. At least two exceeded seller expectations by $50k to $60k.
MR Brown is now expecting a similar pattern in two properties coming on to the market, with one looking for offers over $899k and the other over $940k.
“This town and its surrounds have tremendous opportunities for property owners, investors and residents,” Mr Brown said, “and on the back of the current real estate market explosion across southeast Queensland we are seeing more and more buyers appreciate the value that lies within the tight knit community of Nambour.
“I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to purchase a high-performing established agency here in February this year, and this great team is growing further in number and reputation through our successes. I am excited to be immersed in this awakening market as Nambour makes people sit up and take notice, and act quickly.”
RE/MAX Property Sales is at 50 Lowe Street, Nambour. View remaxpropertysales.com.au.
Tristan’s tips:
If you are in the Nambour market for an entry-level three-bedroom home, try to expand your budget up to $600k.
There’s good value in the $700k to $800k bracket. Look, for example, at 15 Grimes Terrace and 2 Windsor Valley Drive in Burnside.
Media contact:
Lyn Cox, RE/MAX Australia public relations – M. +61 418 793 096
About RE/MAX: From a single office that opened in 1973 in Denver, Colorado, RE/MAX® has grown into a global real estate network with over 135,000 agents in more than 115 countries and territories. Its entrepreneurial culture affords its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence.