More than half of Australia’s next generation are ditching the dream of homeownership for a property overseas, and they’re bringing 30 per cent of Queenslanders with them.
New research by financial firm money.com.au revealed the alarming statistics, with Europe marked as the top continent for potential buyers.
![Passenger airplane. Landscape with big white airplane is flying in the sky over the clouds and sea at colorful sunset. Passenger aircraft is landing at dusk. Business trip. Commercial plane. Travel](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Australian Gen Z’ers are looking to leave Australia’s housing market in droves, with 58 per cent considering an overseas home. Picture: iStock
Property expert Nick Burgess said the trend was being pushed by younger people who no longer expected to own an Aussie home: now wanting an escape from soaring housing expenses and interest rate rises.
“Younger Aussies in particular are starting to question whether they’re priced out of the local market, and are increasingly comparing what their money can buy here versus overseas,” he said.
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Money.com.au property expert Nick Burgess said three in ten Queenslanders across the entire state were considering the shift because of social media trends pushing the lifestyle abroad.
“Without the full context around costs, risks and local regulations, people can get sucked into the highlight reel and end up making decisions they later regret.” Picture: NewsWire/Dylan Robinson
Nationally, a whopping 58 per cent of Gen Z Aussies surveyed said they were looking for property overseas, with 31 per cent seeking an investment property and 15 per cent looking for a relocation.
Millennials came in at just under half with 46 per cent interested. Meanwhile, only 27 per cent of Gen X Aussies were keen on the idea, with Baby Boomers at just 10 per cent.
More than a tenth of Queenslanders said they’d consider moving overseas entirely, having heard about cheaper property markets from online and tourism spaces. Picture: iStock
“Queenslanders are exposed to a lot of international influence through tourism and expat communities,” Mr Burgess said.
“They’re regularly hearing stories about cheaper property markets or different lifestyles overseas. When local housing becomes harder to afford, people start looking abroad for alternatives.”
An overhead view of Paris, France. Europe was the top pick for where Queenslanders would buy an overseas home, at 31 per cent of respondents. Photo – iStock
The research revealed 31 per cent of Queenslanders made Europe their top preference.
The Sunshine State was the only state other than South Australia to prefer Europe over Asia, which Queenslanders placed at 29 per cent.
Queensland also had the strongest preference for New Zealand and the Pacific, with 26 per cent interested in moving their property journey further east.
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Queenstown, New Zealand. Out of each Aussie state, Queensland had the strongest preference for buying a home in New Zealand or the Pacific Islands at 26 per cent. Picture: iStock
“Queensland also has the largest population of New Zealand-born residents, Mr Burgess said. “It makes sense that nearby markets like New Zealand and the Pacific are front of mind, because there’s already a strong cultural and social connection there.
“For some, it’s about keeping a home base they can return to or investing in property to generate income while maintaining a connection to where they’re from.”
Only 11 per cent of Queenslanders were considering a property in the US, and 3 per cent said they would choose to buy a home in the Middle East.
Seoul, South Korea. Asia was the top overseas property pick for 29 per cent of Queenslanders, with the USA/North America at 11 per cent and the Middle East at 3 per cent. Picture: iStock
Mr Burgess said there were pros and cons to buying an overseas home, but many Queenslanders considering it were not properly educated.
“Places like Brisbane and the Gold Coast have a high concentration of social media influencers who regularly spruik overseas lifestyles and investment opportunities,” he said.
“But without the full context around costs, risks and local regulations, people can get sucked into the highlight reel and end up making decisions they later regret.
New York, USA. Every international destination has different fees that can take overseas buyers by surprise if they do not do their research. Picture: iStock
“Australians buying overseas don’t have access to the same protections they’re used to at home.
“Legal systems, property rights, contract processes and buyer protections can vary depending on the country, so it’s critical to do your due diligence and not rely on advice from social media.”
Dubai, UAE. While many homeowners hope an international market may help their home hunting woes, it’s also becoming a growing market for investors. Picture: Getty Images
Ray White Vanuatu principal Sam Lewis said he’d seen a big increase in overseas buyers recently, with many of them wealthy Queenslanders looking to invest.
“A lot of it has to do with tax — the high taxes in Australia, the affordability of living costs and the overall tax that you pay to lifestyle ratio,” he said.
“It seems a lot more attractive to live in a place like Vanuatu … the dream of owning acreage with water views or on the water is just not reality for most Australians anymore.”
Ray White Vanuatu principal Sam Lewis said he had seen more wealthy Queenslanders looking to buy investment homes overseas, in order to get better value for their money.
Out of all Queenslanders surveyed, 11 per cent said not only that they would buy overseas, but that they would do so to live and work in their new home abroad.
Queenslanders were the second-most likely to respond this way, behind only Western Australia at 14 per cent.
Port Vila, Vanuatu. While the majority of Queenslanders looking to buy abroad would do so as owner-occupiers, investors take the majority nationally. Picture: iStock
The remaining 19 per cent was divided between retirees and investors. Ten per cent of Queenslanders said they were considering an overseas property as a retirement home, along with 9 per cent wanting one as an investment property while continuing to live in the country.
This is a big swing away from the national trend, which put 14 per cent of Aussies as seeking an overseas investment property, and 8 per cent each for potential retirees and migrants.
”Getting a home loan for an overseas property is extremely difficult,” Mr Burgess said. “If things don’t go to plan, you’re still on the hook for that debt back home.”
But buying abroad is nowhere near as practical for those without the cash to spare.
“Getting a home loan for an overseas property is extremely difficult,” Mr Burgess said. “Buyers typically need to rely on cash savings, sell up and relocate or cash out some equity from an existing Australian property to buy overseas.
“The risk is that you could end up overleveraged, especially if you’re increasing debt on your Australian property to fund an overseas investment. If things don’t go to plan, you’re still on the hook for that debt back home.”
Money.com.au conducted the survey through market researcher Pureprofile in March of 2026, speaking to more than 1,000 Australians about the topic.
