Sixty-seven days on the market, three open homes, and barely any phone calls.
Sarah's three-bedroom Queenslander in Ashgrove should have sold by now. The mortgage on her new place keeps coming, the rates keep piling up, and she's carrying two properties she can't afford to keep.
Something's wrong, but she can't figure out what.
If this sounds familiar, you're dealing with one of the most stressful situations a property owner faces. In Brisbane right now, houses are selling in around 21 to 25 days. If yours has been sitting for months, buyers are trying to tell you something.
Most problems that stop properties from selling can be fixed. We have listed the 10 most common reasons a property fails to sell in Brisbane, along with what you can do to get buyers to cross the line.
1. Your Asking Price Doesn't Match the Property Market
Brisbane's had an incredible run. House values are up more than 50% since 2020, but some sellers are still pricing like it's 2023.
The property market grew by double digits through 2025, with Brisbane recording 12.8% annual growth. However, 2026 looks different. According to Domain's 2026 Forecast Report, Brisbane house prices are expected to grow around 5%, while units are forecast to grow 7% as affordability constraints start limiting how much buyers can borrow.
That's still growth, but it's nowhere near the explosive numbers we've seen.
What you paid for your property doesn't matter to buyers. Neither does what you've spent on renovations, nor what you need to clear your mortgage. Buyers only care about one thing, and that’s what they're getting for their money today.
Testing the market at an inflated price damages your campaign. Your listing goes stale, the algorithm on realestate.com.au prioritises newer listings, and buyers who saw your property weeks ago have moved on.
What You Need to Do
Start by getting a current appraisal from a real estate agent you can trust in the area. Don't choose just any agent, look for a selling agent who's moved property in your street recently. Online estimates are useful for a rough idea, but they don't account for condition or street appeal.
Take your time to search for comparable sales in your immediate area from the last three months. Not what's currently listed, but what's actually sold and at what price.
If you've been on the market for more than 30 days without serious interest, talk to your estate agent about the price. Most sellers who adjust within the first 30 to 45 days get a successful sale. If you wait three months, you'll probably accept less than you would have if you'd priced it right from the start.
You also need to consider the time of year you are trying to sell. Historically, the market slows over Christmas, then picks up in February and March, only to dip during school holidays.
2. Buyers Drive Past and Keep Driving
You've got seven seconds. That's how long it takes buyers to decide whether to inspect based on what they see from the street.
In Brisbane's climate, properties age fast. A Queenslander with peeling paint, an overgrown garden, or mould on external walls tells prospective buyers everything they need to know, and they will keep driving.
What Brisbane's Climate Does
The humidity accelerates everything. Paint weathers faster, gardens become jungles, and mould appears on anything damp. A property that looked fine six months ago can look tired now. For Queenslanders specifically, the area underneath matters more than most sellers think. If interested buyers can see clutter from the street, they've already formed an opinion.
Fix It Without Spending Thousands of Dollars
Start with a pressure wash of your driveway, paths, and external walls. It's a few hundred dollars, and it makes all the difference in first impressions.
You can also add fresh mulch to garden beds, mow and edge the lawn, and trim back any overgrowth. These simple fixes change how buyers see your house the moment they arrive.
If you've got budget left, touch up external paint around window frames, replace your letterbox if it's looking tired, and upgrade faded house numbers. Avoid painting during Brisbane's humid summer months (November to March), when storms and moisture make exterior work difficult. If you're planting new gardens, give them time to establish before taking photos.
3. Your Online Photos Are Killing Your Campaign
Most buyers search for properties online before they ever contact an agent. Your listing competes with every other property in your price range across Brisbane. The difference between photos taken on a phone and professional photography is the difference between three enquiries and thirty.
What Brisbane Buyers Want
Buyers in Brisbane are looking for lifestyle, outdoor living, covered entertaining areas, pools that look inviting, and natural light flooding through rooms.
If your photos are dark or cluttered, more buyers scroll past without a second thought. Wide-angle distortion makes rooms look strange, and photos taken at midday create harsh shadows.
If you're only showing 15 photos or fewer, buyers assume there's not much worth seeing. And without a floor plan, they have to piece together the layout themselves.
What Professional Photography Costs
A professional photographer will often cost between $400 and $1,000. Good real estate agencies know it is one of the best investments in your marketing campaign. Professional photographers capture natural light properly, and they style spaces to make them look inviting.
For vacant properties, you need to get them styled. Many buyers struggle because they are only showing empty rooms. Styled properties typically sell quickly and for more money than vacant ones.
Drone photography works if you've got land, views, or elevated positions. That bird's-eye view shows proximity to parks and amenities, which can be what draws potential buyers.
Video walkthroughs are another great way to capture potential buyers, especially for people who are interstate. They want to experience the flow before booking flights from Sydney or Melbourne.
4. Not Enough Qualified Buyers Are Seeing Your House
A For Sale sign and a listing on a single website aren't a real marketing campaign. That's hoping someone accidentally finds your property.
The right agent with proper marketing reach makes the difference between a property that sits and one that attracts multiple offers.
Brisbane Attracts Different Buyer Types
Brisbane attracts different types of buyers. Interstate buyers from Melbourne and Sydney are chasing affordability and lifestyle; local upgraders have built equity and are ready for their next home; and first-home buyers are using government schemes to purchase homes under $1 million with just a 5% deposit.
Each group searches differently and responds to different messaging. Your real estate agent's marketing needs to reach all of them.
Where Your Property Should Be
Your property needs to be on both realestate.com.au and Domain. Being on just one cuts your audience in half. You should also add geo-targeted Facebook and Instagram advertising to reach buyers in your price range, especially interstate buyers researching Brisbane.
Your agent should be emailing your listing to their database of registered buyers. For prestige properties over $1.5 million, print presence in local magazines matters. Also, don't underestimate the signboard for capturing drive-by traffic.
5. Your Property Looks Tired or Neglected
Buyers mentally calculate repair costs and subtract them from offers. Any deferred maintenance signals that bigger problems might be hiding, whilst clutter stops buyers from imagining themselves living there.
Brisbane's Specific Challenges
Renovations from the 80s and 90s are dated now. Buyers can accept original features if maintained, but dated renovations are harder to overlook. Termites are another major concern, as any visible damage or signs of pests immediately kills buyer confidence.
What to Do Based on Budget
- Minimal cost: Deep clean everything, declutter every room and space, and repaint in neutral colours. These three actions transform how buyers see your property.
- Low cost ($2,000-$5,000): Fix leaking taps, repair damaged screens, replace broken tiles, and freshen the garden. Consider styling rental for vacant properties.
- Medium cost ($5,000-$15,000):
- Kitchen updates - new handles, cabinet paint, benchtop resurfacing.
- Bathroom refresh - new tapware, regrouting.
- New flooring/decking where worn
- Exterior/interior paint
Only spend more money if it adds more value than it costs. Not every renovation makes sense when selling.
6. Your Inspection Times Don't Work
Is your inspection on Saturday from 2:00 to 2:30 pm only? You're excluding most potential buyers.
Weekend-only open homes miss shift workers in healthcare, aviation, and mining. They exclude FIFO workers only in Brisbane for a few days, and make it nearly impossible for interstate buyers to coordinate visits around flights.
Open Up Your Schedule
Offer multiple times, including at least one weekday evening. Working professionals can inspect after 5:30 pm.
Accept private inspections by appointment. Yes, it's more work, but if a serious buyer can only see your house on Tuesday at 4:00 pm, flexibility could mean the difference between a sale and another week on the market.
For vacant properties, consider a lockbox system that allows your selling agent to provide supervised access without coordinating schedules.
You can also talk to your agent about virtual inspections for initial screening, particularly for interstate buyers. They can shortlist before committing to in-person viewings.
7. You've Chosen the Wrong Sale Method
Choosing the right sale method depends on your property type and your agent's expertise in delivering results through that process.
When Auction Works
Auction makes sense for unique character homes in established Inner-West suburbs, prestige properties with multiple interested buyers, homes in highly desirable areas like Bardon or Ascot, and properties likely to generate emotional bidding wars.
When Private Treaty Works Better
Private treaty works better for first-home buyers (they need finance approval first), properties requiring due diligence, downsizers who want certainty over auction stress, and investment properties where buyers make calculated decisions.
Match Method to Market
Choose an agent who's genuinely skilled at your chosen sale method. Not every agent excels at auctions, and not every agent is effective with private treaty negotiations. The key is matching the method to both your property and your agent's proven strengths.
If you're working with the right agent, you should be able to trust their recommendation on the best approach for your property. A skilled auction agent understands when an auction will create competition and when it won't.
If your chosen method isn't generating results after four weeks, it's time to pivot. This might mean switching sale methods, but it also means reassessing your entire approach: pricing, marketing, presentation. The right agent will proactively suggest these changes rather than waiting for you to ask.
8. You're Hiding Problems Buyers Will Find Anyway
Some issues can't be hidden. Trying to avoid them creates suspicion and low-ball offers. Most sellers don't realise this is putting buyers off before they even make an offer.
Brisbane's Specific Deal-Breakers
- Flood mapping. Buyers can check flood maps before inspection. If your property's in a flood-affected area, address it directly.
- Flight paths. Properties under Brisbane Airport or Amberley flight paths need appropriate pricing.
- Busy roads. Properties on major arterials are constantly exposed to traffic noise. Market to buyers who value convenience over quiet.
- Heritage overlays. Queenslanders with heritage restrictions limit what buyers can do with renovations. Buyers need to understand limitations before purchasing.
Be Upfront
You must be transparent. Get inspections done before listing, share the reports, and disclose issues upfront rather than during negotiations. Provide documentation of past treatments and quotes for needed repairs, and price appropriately for deal-breakers such as flight paths or flood zones.
9. Your Agent Isn't Performing
Not all real estate agents deliver the same results. If you've been on the market for weeks with minimal interest and unclear communication, something's wrong. Most agents work hard, but good agents deliver results. There's a difference between working hard and working effectively.
Warning Signs
If your agent isn't performing, you'll notice:
- Low enquiry numbers compared to nearby properties
- No buyer feedback after open homes
- Poor communication from your agent
- Vague answers when you ask for campaign updates
Brisbane Agent Considerations
The question isn't whether your agent specialises in your specific suburb. What matters is whether they have a proven strategy that works across Brisbane and the flexibility to see your property's true value.
Sometimes the most local agent isn't the best choice. Agents who only work in one area can become limited in their thinking and miss the unique value of your property.
The real test of your agent is whether they make changes when results aren't happening. After four weeks without strong interest, your agent should be actively adjusting the campaign. That might mean updating photos, adding or removing the floor plan, improving presentation, or revising the price guide. If your agent isn't proactively suggesting these changes, they're not solving your problem.
10. The Market Timing Is Working Against You
Brisbane's market slows predictably. During the summer holidays (Christmas through January), families prioritise travel over property decisions. Beyond seasonal patterns, elections and weather events create temporary pauses as buyers wait out uncertainty or deal with storm damage. Infrastructure projects add another layer. Cross River Rail construction and Olympic preparations disrupt some areas now, but will add significant value once complete.
If you can afford to wait, withdraw and relaunch when the market picks up. A fresh February campaign typically performs better than a stale December listing. If you can't wait, adjust your price to reflect current conditions and target buyers less affected by interest rates, like cash buyers or downsizers with substantial equity. Either way, maintain your property properly while it's off the market.
What to Do Next
These are the most common reasons properties fail to sell in Brisbane. Most problems are fixable, but the cost of ignoring them adds up.
Your Action Steps
- Review this list honestly. Which issues apply to your property? Most sellers find two or three factors working against them.
- Request buyer feedback. What are buyers actually saying about your property after inspections?
- Get a second pricing opinion. An independent appraisal tells you if your expectations are realistic.
- Assess your campaign performance. More than 60 days without interest means something must change.
- Consider a reset. Adjust price, improve presentation, or start fresh with a new agent.
Experience That Gets Properties Sold
We've walked countless Brisbane sellers through properties that won't sell. With nearly 60 years of combined experience across Brisbane, we understand this local market.
We know what buyers in Brisbane are looking for, and we understand pricing in current market conditions. We have the networks, marketing reach, and honest communication that get properties sold and help sellers achieve a successful sale.
When you're interviewing new agents, ask them how they'll do things differently from your current approach. We often transform the look of a property, relaunch with fresh marketing, and achieve outstanding results for minimal investment. Sometimes it's not about spending more money but spending it strategically on what actually makes buyers stop and look.
If your property isn't selling and you need straight advice, request a no-obligation appraisal or campaign review. Let's talk about what needs to change to sell quickly and get you the highest price possible.