Investor couple Megan and Jeremy Craig sold part of their rental portfolio for the first time this year, joining a wave of landlords selling rental homes faster than they can be replaced.
The pair decided to sell off three of their 12 rental homes to pay off their own mortgage, nine years after they had begun their investment journey.
Investor couple Megan and Jeremy Craig sold some of their investment homes for the first time this year, during an exodus of landlords from the property market. Picture: Nigel Hallett
Before they entered the market, the two worked as forklift drivers and lived in Mr Craig’s parents’ garage.
“We were broke basically every week,” Ms Craig said. “We were surprised at the growth [our properties] had so fast.”
“One of our properties, when we first purchased it, had cows in the back paddock,” Mr Craig said. “We thought this was never going to do well … but it actually ended up being the most profitable.”
A dual-income home in Cambooya once owned by the family. The pair said they would only sell investment homes once they had doubled in value from rental profit and resale price.
The couple partnered with strategy firm Infinity Group to buy investment homes in growth markets such as Ipswich and Toowoomba. In 2026, they sold three of the dual-income houses they bought there, which allowed them to afford their new lifestyle in the Gold Coast.
But Queensland saw a drop in rooms for rent after the Craigs sold. Market research firm FoundIt found Queensland lost 3,991 rental bedrooms within the past month alone, including 1,897 from Greater Brisbane.
Regional Queensland saw the third-highest volume of withdraws from the country behind Sydney and Melbourne, losing 2,094 bedrooms in that same time.
Queensland has lost 12,929 rental bedrooms from 2024 to 2026. In May alone, 993 landlords left the market, but only 661 new investors replaced them. Picture: Nigel Hallett
An estimate of 993 Queensland landlords were said to have left the investment market that month, with only 661 new investors replacing them.
Overall, Queensland was said to have lost 12,929 rental bedrooms from 2024 to 2026.
The Craigs said they sold part of their portfolio get rid of unwanted debt, but did not plan to leave the market any time soon.
“In the past nine years we haven’t sold anything until just recently,” Mr Craig said. “Part of the strategy was always wait for the prices to double.”
The Craig family said they knew to sell when they realised they could ease the debt from their primary residence, letting them live more relaxed lives. Picture: Nigel Hallett
Infinity Group CEO Graeme Holm said his team typically advised investors to sell a property once it would allow them to significantly pay off their own home mortgage.
“Once they sell an investment for profit, a client can then decide they and their family are either comfortable being debt free on the home and leave it at that, or perhaps they decide to now take on fresh risk and buy more investments,” he said.
“Megan and Jeremy are the perfect example of a committed investor, using investment sale proceeds to fund a no debt/low debt family home.”
A dual-income home in Redbank once owned and sold by the family. Areas such as Ipswich and Toowoomba have seen massive price growth since they bought the homes years ago.
One dual-income home based in Redbank was bought by the Craigs in 2019 for $499,900, then sold in 2026 for $949,000.
“All the places that we purchased in are now growing areas, Mr Craig said, “but just seeing in the past nine years what they’ve grown into is just incredible.”
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