Eastern Suburbs - South | Units
Eastern Suburbs — South.
SA2 Investor Rankings
Eastern Suburbs - South SA3 — Market Narrative
Economic Read
Eastern Suburbs - South has regained momentum. Median unit prices have risen from $809k in 2016 to $1,275,000 — an annualised pace of 5.5% p.a. that sits just below the pre-COVID compound trend of 6.0% p.a. The growth gap is a modest -3.0% ($40k), meaning this market is trading close to its implied baseline — not stretched, not depressed. Crucially, the 12-month move of +9.3% signals that momentum has returned after a softer 2023–24, closing most of the prior gap in a single annual cycle.
The investment proposition is a blend of capital growth and neighbourhood transformation. At a gross 3.6% yield, income is thin — this remains a Sydney blue-chip allocation — but the $880 weekly median rent has lifted 3.5% year-on-year. Days on market sit at just 22 and inventory at a very tight 2 months, the tightest reading in this sample and a strong signal of competitive buyer demand relative to available stock.
Affordability is unambiguously stretched — buy affordability of 9.2 years and rent affordability of 33.2% sit materially above Sydney medians. Fully-owned dwellings are just 29.9% of stock, which means turnover is higher here than in most Eastern Suburbs enclaves. For investors, the South offers genuine buy-hold upside: it sits cheaper than the North, has a younger tenant profile, and benefits from continuing coastal-lifestyle demand across Randwick, Coogee, and Maroubra.
Composite Risk Profile (5 stars = lowest risk / best)
Lifestyle Profile
Constituent Suburbs (13)
Rental Vacancy Trend
SVI & Vacancy Rate 13-month trajectory
Median Weekly Rent SA3 · Mar 2025 → Mar 2026
Vacancy Read
The rental market in Eastern Suburbs - South remains landlord-favourable, though the edge has narrowed slightly. The Suburbtrends Vacancy Index has moved from 100 in March 2025 to 97 in March 2026 — a 3.0-point drop, keeping the SA3 below baseline and among the tighter unit rental markets in Greater Sydney.
The headline vacancy rate has moved from 2.5% to 2.9%. Readings below 3% typically indicate a landlord-favourable market — tenants face constrained choice, and rent-setting leverage sits with owners. At 2.9%, this SA3 sits right at the cusp, with vacant stock of 35 of 1206 listed rentals — a deep inventory base in absolute terms, but absorbed quickly given underlying demand.
Median weekly rents have advanced from $850 to $880 — a 3.5% year-on-year lift. The pace is steadier and less punchy than some other Sydney unit markets, but it's been consistently delivered, supported by student demand from nearby UNSW, professional tenants, and the area's broad demographic mix.
For investors, the combination of cusp-of-landlord-favourable vacancy, ongoing rent growth, and deep-but-well-absorbed stock points to a stable, high-functioning rental market. Holding-cost risk is low and tenant demand is reliable. The trade-off — as with the broader Eastern Suburbs — remains entry yield: at 3.6%, the investment case rests on capital growth, equity strategies, or long-horizon lifestyle positioning rather than cashflow.
Prepared with
Mark Amos
Mark Amos is a highly respected and experienced Buyer's Agent with more than 20 years of experience in the property industry, with a reputation for helping clients secure exceptional properties and investment opportunities in some of Sydney's most competitive and tightly-held markets. Many of his clients have secured properties below market value, creating accelerated equity growth and the perfect family home.
Before becoming a Buyer's Agent, Mark worked as a Selling Agent — insight from the vendor's side that underpins a strong network across Sydney's real estate industry and consistent access to off-market and pre-market properties. At FOUNDIT, Mark works closely with each client to understand lifestyle requirements, investment strategy, and long-term property goals, managing the entire buying process with discretion and precision.