Geelong has seen sales volumes surge.
A new report shines a light on the Geelong areas destined for future growth in home prices amid a huge rise in the volume of property sales.
The quarterly volume of residential sales has climbed more than 39 per cent in the past 12 months in Geelong, as real estate analysts Hotspotting reveals regional Victoria as the best market for future growth in its Autumn Price Predictor Index.
The report reveals how widespread and quickly Geelong’s property market has recovered, particularly as young homebuyers and investors return.
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It identifies 39 areas in the Geelong region where increasing sales points to future growth.
The report gives a positive rating to all but four suburbs – central Geelong, Waurn Ponds, Torquay and Jan Juc – which are shown to still be in a recovery phase.
Hotspotting identifies Curlewis, Drysdale, East Geelong, Grovedale, Lara and Ocean Grove as among the hottest areas to buy for growth.
Quarterly sales across Geelong grew from 1644 to 2310 over the past year, while Curlewis is a supercharged market, with sales rising from 16 to 43 over six quarters.
Sales in Ocean Grove jumped from 69 to 117 over seven quarters.
“Geelong always scrubs up really well in these reports. It’s a great example of why property prices rise,” Hotspotting founder Terry Ryder said.
Hotspotting founder and property analyst Terry Ryder.
“In our view it’s the underlying economy – the local economy, because real estate markets are essentially local.
“And if the local economy is diverse and strong and jobs are being created, then real estate will grow because the strength of the economy and the creation of jobs leads to demand for properties to either rent or buy.”
The Hotspotting report comes as the latest Regional Movers Index revealed Greater Geelong held on to as the nation’s second-most popular regional destination for people leaving capital cities for a new home.
But Greater Geelong’s 6.8 per cent share of net internal migration to regional Australia came as the volume of people moving to the city fell by nearly 14 per cent over the year.
“Geelong is getting a lot people moving there from Melbourne, because it’s close – people do like to stay in touch with their big city, even if they decide to leave it, because more and more people can work remotely,” Mr Ryder said.
Rising real estate markets are widespread in Geelong. Picture: Alan Barber
“Geelong’s a great place for people to go because it’s relatively affordable, it’s got lifestyle, it’s on a peninsula surrounded by water almost, it’s a good strong economy here there’s jobs being created and you can jump on train or go up the freeway, be back in the centre of Melbourne pretty quickly.”
Melbourne contributed 38 per cent of people leaving a capital city to settle in a regional area, according to the latest report from the Commonwealth Bank and Regional Australia Institute.
CBA regional and agribusiness banking executive general manager Kylie Allen said the RMI findings continue to make a case for investment in regional Australia.
“Long-term RMI trends show solid and consistent growth that we expect to continue. It’s a broadening of regional growth beyond the usual hotspots,” she said.
Ms Allen said that infrastructure, housing and services for regional communities are even more imperative as recent CommBank data shows around a quarter of first-home buyers are making that purchase in a regional location.
“First-home buyers choosing regional or remote areas can often buy a larger home at a more accessible price,” Allen said.
Hotspotting: Geelong’s best suburbs to buy
| Rising: | Bannockburn, Bell Park, Belmont (houses and units), Breakwater, Clifton Springs, Colac, Curlewis, Drysdale, East Geelong, Fyansford, Geelong (units), Geelong West, Hamlyn Heights (houses), Herne Hill, Highton (Units), Lara (houses and units), Leopold, Lovely Banks, Mount Duneed, Newcomb (houses and units), Newtown (houses and units), North Geelong, Ocean Grove (houses and units), Point Lonsdale, Portarlington, St Albans Park, Thomson, Torquay (units), Winchelsea |
| Consistent: | Anglesea, Barwon Heads, Bell Post Hill, Highton (houses) |
| Plateau: | Armstrong Creek, Charlemont, Corio, Lorne, Manifold Heights, Norlane (houses and units), Whittington (houses and units) |
| Recovery: | Geelong (houses), Jan Juc, Torquay (houses), Waurn Ponds |
Source: Hotspotting Autumn Price Predictor Index 2026
Source: Hotspotting Autumn Price Predictor Index 2026
Additional reporting Alesha Capone
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