Monthly report · Far North Queensland
Cairns Property Market Report: November 2026
Cairns properties took a median 57 days to sell in November 2026, and the overall median asking price held steady, down 0.1% on about 30 days earlier (Spachus).
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Is the Cairns property market going up or down?
In November 2026 the Cairns market held steady: asking prices were flat on a month earlier and Spachus still rated the market “neutral”.
- The overall median asking price was steady, down 0.1% on about 30 days earlier. (Spachus, Cairns Property Market, November 2026)
- Spachus rated the Cairns market “neutral” in November 2026. (Spachus, Cairns Property Market, November 2026)
- The median asking price for Cairns houses was $829,000 in November 2026. (Spachus, Cairns Property Market, November 2026)
- The three-month median price trend was 8% below its January 2026 peak of $770,000. (Spachus, Cairns Property Market, November 2026)
- The market slowed after the 12 May 2026 Federal Budget, but well-priced properties are selling faster. (The Buyers Co., Cairns real estate update, Q3 2026)
- Postcode 4870 had about 570 listings in Q3 2026, against a longer-term level of about 1,000. (The Buyers Co., Cairns real estate update, Q3 2026) Fewer homes for sale than usual supports prices.
What changed this month, and why?
The Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.85% on 3 November 2026, on a 6–3 vote of its Monetary Policy Board. (Reserve Bank of Australia, Monetary Policy Decision, 3 November 2026)
“With the latest interest rate rise, we’ll wait to see the effects as we head towards the end of the year. Usually a rate rise has a bit of a delayed effect. Sometimes it happens immediately, but we’ll be watching for the flow-on effect in the market here in Cairns, how it changes things up a little, and what the effects are.”
Tony Williamson, November 2026
For sellers, that means pricing on what buyers are paying now rather than on the January peak, and watching how buyer numbers hold up over the next few months.
Tony’s published view is that Cairns was undervalued for years and grew quickly after COVID, with interstate investors now buying on rental yield, often through buyer’s agents. (Elite Agent, “Buying with a calculator”, February 2026)
“Cairns has been discovered.”
Tony Williamson, Elite Agent, “Buying with a calculator”, February 2026
How long does it take to sell a house in Cairns?
Cairns properties took a median 57 days to sell in November 2026. (Spachus, Cairns Property Market, November 2026) Days on market are close to last month (57 against 56), so pricing well from the start still matters most. (The Buyers Co., Cairns real estate update, Q3 2026) Days on market in detail →
What’s happening in Cairns this month?
- Mount Peter: public comment on the plan for around 18,500 homes closed on 28 October 2026. EDQ will review submissions and expects to finalise the scheme in January 2027. (EDQ Your Say, Mount Peter PDA)
- Cairns Hospital: a CPB Contractors and Hansen Yuncken joint venture is delivering stage 1, with the rooftop helipad due in 2027 and other site works starting before the end of 2026. (Inside State Government, 15 September 2026)
- Marine Precinct: Ports North has moved the common user facility from expressions of interest to the first request-for-proposal stage. (Ports North)
What is the Cairns rental market doing?
The Cairns region’s rental vacancy rate was below 1% in Q3 2026. (The Buyers Co., Cairns real estate update, Q3 2026) The median weekly rent on new leases for a three-bedroom house in the Cairns Regional Council area was $660 in the June quarter 2026. (Residential Tenancies Authority bond data (Cairns Regional Council area, via APRIQ), June quarter 2026) A two-bedroom unit rented for a median $510 a week in the June quarter 2026. (Residential Tenancies Authority bond data (Cairns Regional Council area, via APRIQ), June quarter 2026) The rental market in detail →
Investors: what should you watch?
A new restriction on SMSF borrowing for residential property applies from 10 August 2026; properties under about $750,000 may be most exposed. (The Buyers Co., Cairns real estate update, Q3 2026) If you own or are buying in that range, expect fewer SMSF buyers.
Low vacancy keeps rents firm, while insurance costs in the north remain a factor in net yields. Is Cairns a good place to invest? →
Watch this month’s update
Published 3 November 2026. Figures are checked against each source on the day of publishing. Previous report: October 2026 →
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Common questions
Where do the figures in this report come from?
Each figure is taken from a named public source, shown next to it with the month it applies to. The sources are Spachus and The Buyers Co., plus official Queensland Government and Cairns Regional Council releases.
How often is the Cairns property market report updated?
Every month, in the first week. Each month’s report keeps its own page in the report archive, so you can compare months.
Where can I see Cairns house prices by suburb?
Median prices by suburb are on cairnshouseprices.com.au.
Who writes the commentary?
Tony Williamson, a Cairns real estate agent and auctioneer with REMAX Powerhouse, who has sold Cairns property since the late 1980s. About Tony.