Best Suburbs for Units and Apartments in Brisbane Southside, QLD, From a 2% Deposit
Units and apartments across Brisbane Southside are doing something unusual right now: they're sitting under the $1,000,000 price cap that unlocks the government's low-deposit schemes, while house medians in almost every suburb have already cleared it. If you're buying your first home, rentvesting, or downsizing into something manageable, that gap is where your options open up.
Whether you're stretching to your first purchase on a modest deposit, using equity from a house to move into a low-maintenance unit, or adding a unit to a growing investment portfolio, the suburb you choose shapes what you can actually access. Annerley and Moorooka have the deepest unit markets on the southside. Upper Mount Gravatt and Runcorn offer strong unit growth with genuine buyer demand. Rochedale is the outlier: the only suburb in the approved set where even the unit median clears the cap.
Our team helps unit buyers across Brisbane Southside, QLD work out which deposit path suits their situation, comparing across 50+ lenders. The apartment home loan structure you choose matters as much as the suburb does.
Key takeaways
- Every unit median on the southside sits under the $1,000,000 scheme cap.
- Unit medians range from $722,500 in Macgregor to $890,000 in Sunnybank.
- Buyers can enter with as little as a 2% deposit using the Family Home Guarantee.
What are the best suburbs for units and apartments in Brisbane Southside, QLD?
The strongest unit markets on the southside sit in Annerley, Moorooka, Upper Mount Gravatt, Runcorn and Coopers Plains, with unit medians running from $722,500 in Macgregor to $890,000 in Sunnybank. Every one of those medians sits under the $1,000,000 price cap that applies to Brisbane Southside buyers under the First Home Guarantee, the Family Home Guarantee and the federal Help to Buy scheme. That means a unit purchase here is one of the few realistic paths to a government-backed low-deposit purchase in a capital-city area where house medians have almost entirely cleared the cap.
Best-value suburbs for unit buyers in Brisbane Southside
Macgregor
Macgregor suits first home buyers and investors who want a unit price point near the lower end of the southside range, with Westfield Garden City and the South East Busway corridor close by.
- Median unit price: $722,500
- 12-month unit growth: +9.47% (small sample, treat as indicative)
- Best suited for: first home buyers, investors seeking a lower entry price
Coopers Plains
Coopers Plains has posted the strongest unit growth on the southside at 22.68% over 12 months, making it the standout for buyers who want a combination of value and momentum.
- Median unit price: $846,500
- 12-month unit growth: +22.68%
- Best suited for: investors, first home buyers wanting growth
Moorooka
Moorooka combines a strong unit growth rate with a deep market, meaning more stock to choose from and more comparable sales to support a lender's valuation.
- Median unit price: $798,800
- 12-month unit growth: +25.30%
- Best suited for: investors, rentvesting buyers, first home buyers
Runcorn
Runcorn has one of the deepest unit markets on the southside and has grown 16.86% over 12 months, with a median that leaves comfortable room under the scheme cap.
- Median unit price: $790,000
- 12-month unit growth: +16.86%
- Best suited for: first home buyers, investors, downsizers
Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026).
We regularly see buyers dismiss a suburb because the house median is out of reach, without realising the unit market there is entirely different. In Moorooka and Coopers Plains especially, the unit median is well under the cap and the stock is plentiful enough that a lender's valuer has real comparables to work with. That second part matters more than most buyers expect.
Gundeep Virk · Director, Evergreen Loan Solutions · Chat to Gundeep →
Established and premium suburbs for unit buyers in Brisbane Southside
Annerley
Annerley has the deepest unit market on the southside with 121 sales over the data period, which gives lenders strong comparable evidence and buyers more negotiating room.
- Median unit price: $803,500
- 12-month unit growth: +14.79%
- Best suited for: investors, upsizers, first home buyers wanting inner-southside access
Upper Mount Gravatt
Upper Mount Gravatt has posted the strongest unit growth in the premium group at 26.61%, anchored by Westfield Garden City and good busway access into the city.
- Median unit price: $785,000
- 12-month unit growth: +26.61%
- Best suited for: investors, owner-occupiers, downsizers
Mount Gravatt
Mount Gravatt sits close to Griffith University's Nathan campus and the Sunnybank retail precinct, and its unit market has grown 12.53% over 12 months.
- Median unit price: $776,444
- 12-month unit growth: +12.53%
- Best suited for: investors near university employment, owner-occupiers, first home buyers
Sunnybank
Sunnybank carries the highest unit median in the group at $890,000, based on a small number of sales, so treat the figure as indicative rather than definitive.
- Median unit price: $890,000 (small-sample, treat as indicative)
- 12-month unit growth: +11.95% (small-sample, treat as indicative)
- Best suited for: owner-occupiers, investors with a higher price point
Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026).
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What should unit buyers consider when choosing a suburb here?
The depth of a suburb's unit market matters as much as the median price. A suburb with only a handful of unit sales each year gives a lender's valuer very few comparables to work from, which can push a valuation below the contract price and leave you covering the shortfall in cash. Annerley, Moorooka and Upper Mount Gravatt all have genuinely deep markets, which makes them lower-risk from a valuation standpoint.
Minimum internal area is worth checking early. Mainstream lenders commonly require at least 50 square metres of internal living space, and some have restrictions in high-density postcodes. A well-located 42-square-metre studio might look attractive on price but will face a narrower lender panel and a harder valuation. Getting finance assessed before signing a contract protects you here.
For investment buyers, the negative gearing rules that took effect from 1 July 2027 are worth understanding before you commit. Established units purchased after 7:30pm on 12 May 2026 will no longer allow net rental losses to be offset against your other income from that date. New units are exempt. That distinction changes the after-tax return on an established unit purchase versus a newly completed one, and it's a conversation worth having with your accountant before you settle on a suburb.
What do these medians mean for your deposit and borrowing?
Because every unit median in the approved suburb set sits under the $1,000,000 Brisbane capital-city cap, the full range of low-deposit government schemes is genuinely available here. A 5% deposit under the First Home Guarantee gets you into a unit in Macgregor, Mount Gravatt or Runcorn without paying lenders mortgage insurance. The Family Home Guarantee reduces that to a 2% deposit for eligible single parents, and it doesn't require first home buyer status.
At a 10% deposit, LMI applies on a standard loan but you've cleared the 90% LVR threshold that most lenders consider their upper limit for units. At 20%, no LMI and no scheme is required. The table below shows how the deposit paths compare at a typical southside unit price:
Deposit routes at a $800,000 unit purchase:
- › First Home Guarantee (5%):$40,000 deposit · no LMI · $1,000,000 price cap · first home buyers only · no income test
- › Family Home Guarantee (2%):$16,000 deposit · no LMI · $1,000,000 price cap · single parents or guardians · not first-home-only
- › 10% deposit, standard loan:$80,000 deposit · LMI approximately $19,500 · no price cap · open to all buyers
- › 20% deposit:$160,000 deposit · no LMI · no scheme required · full lender panel access
Rochedale is the exception: its unit median of $1,060,000 sits above the cap, so no government low-deposit scheme applies there.
Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026) and Housing Australia.
Where the unit is new or nearly new, we'd usually work out the scheme path first, then match the lender. Where it's an older established unit, we'd look at the internal area and the density of the postcode before committing to a lender, because the first decline on record narrows your options for the next application.
Gundeep Virk · Director, Evergreen Loan Solutions · Chat to Gundeep →
How does a mortgage broker help unit buyers buy in these suburbs?
Unit lending has layers that a standard home loan comparison misses. Lenders apply their own rules on minimum floor area, postcode concentration, building age, strata title versus company title, and how many units in one complex they'll fund. Two lenders on the same panel can give you completely different answers on the same property, so the lender selection has to happen before the contract does.
Step 1: Talk to us
We start by working through your deposit, your buyer type and the kind of unit you're looking at, so we know which lenders are worth approaching before you make an offer.
Step 2: Assess your position and shortlist the right lenders
We check your borrowing capacity, confirm which schemes you qualify for, and cross-reference your target suburbs and property type against each lender's unit-specific policies.
Step 3: Secure pre-approval and support your offer
We submit to the lender whose policy best suits your unit type and suburb, and manage the pre-approval so you can move quickly when the right property comes up.
Step 4: Manage the valuation and settlement
Unit valuations can come in short, especially in high-density postcodes. We work through any shortfall with the lender and stay across the file through to settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the First Home Guarantee to buy a unit in Brisbane Southside?
Yes, the First Home Guarantee applies to units in Brisbane Southside where the purchase price is under $1,000,000. Every unit median in the approved suburb set sits under that cap, so the scheme is a genuine option rather than a theoretical one.
Which Brisbane Southside suburb has the lowest unit median?
Macgregor has the lowest unit median in the approved set at $722,500, though the figure is based on a small number of sales and should be treated as indicative. Coopers Plains and Runcorn both have deeper unit markets with stronger comparable evidence.
Does the minimum internal area rule affect every unit?
Most mainstream lenders apply a 50-square-metre internal living area minimum. Units under that threshold face a narrower lender panel, which makes approval harder and refinancing less straightforward later. It's worth confirming the floor plan before signing a contract.
Is the Family Home Guarantee available for units in Brisbane Southside?
Yes, single parents and eligible single guardians can use the Family Home Guarantee with a 2% deposit on a unit priced under $1,000,000. It doesn't require first home buyer status, and the cap covers every southside unit median except Rochedale.
Does buying an established unit as an investment still allow negative gearing?
Not from 1 July 2027 for properties purchased after 12 May 2026. Net rental losses on established units bought after that Budget night date can no longer be offset against other income from that date, though new units remain exempt. Your accountant can model the after-tax difference.
Should I use a mortgage broker or go directly to a lender for a unit purchase?
A mortgage broker, every time. Unit lending involves lender-specific policies on floor area, density and strata title that vary between lenders and aren't published side by side. A broker checks those policies against your specific property before applying, which protects your credit file from a decline on the wrong lender.
Your Next Steps
Unit buyers in Brisbane Southside, QLD are in one of the more position-specific corners of the lending market, where the right suburb and the right lender are equally important. Every unit median on the southside sits under the government's $1,000,000 scheme cap, which means low-deposit pathways are genuinely available here, but lender policy on floor area, postcode concentration and building type decides which of those pathways actually works for your property.
If buying a unit across Brisbane Southside is on your horizon, the next step is simple. Get in touch with the Evergreen Loan Solutions team or call 0421 152 859. We'll work through where you stand across our 50+ lender panel.
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External Resources
Evergreen Loan Solutions, Eight Mile Plains and Brisbane Southside. This is general information only, this article does not constitute financial advice. Please consider your own circumstances and seek professional advice before making any financial decisions.
