← Back Sellers · 6 min read

Selling an Off-the-Plan Property in Brisbane 2026

Whether you are trying to sell before settlement or reselling a newly built property, the rules are different from a standard resale. Here is what Brisbane sellers need to know.

Off-the-plan property purchases have been a significant part of Brisbane's inner-city apartment market for many years. Many investors and some owner-occupiers who purchased during the 2019 to 2022 period are now either approaching settlement on projects that were delayed, or have settled and are now looking to sell. In both cases, the process differs from selling an established home, and understanding those differences before you commit to anything can save significant time, cost, and stress.

The term "selling off the plan" can mean two different things. It can mean trying to sell a property before settlement, by assigning or nominating the contract to a new buyer. Or it can mean selling a property that you purchased off the plan but have now settled on and taken ownership of. These two scenarios involve entirely different legal and practical processes, so it is worth being clear about which one applies to you.

Selling before settlement: contract assignment

If you signed a contract to purchase an off-the-plan property and are now looking to exit before settlement, you need to start by reading your original contract carefully. Most off-the-plan contracts in Queensland include clauses that restrict the purchaser from assigning, novating, or nominating the contract to a third party without the developer's written consent. Some contracts prohibit it entirely. Others allow it subject to conditions and the payment of an assignment fee to the developer, which can range from a nominal amount to several thousand dollars or a percentage of the contract price.

If your contract allows assignment with consent, the process typically involves your solicitor preparing a deed of assignment or nomination, the developer reviewing and consenting to the arrangement, and the incoming buyer completing their own legal and financial due diligence on the property. The incoming buyer is essentially stepping into your shoes under the original contract, with all of its terms, sunset clauses, and conditions. They need their own legal advice to understand what they are taking on.

Finding a buyer for a contract assignment can be more complex than selling a standard resale property. You do not have a physical building to show: you have a contract, a development brochure, architectural drawings, and whatever the developer has made available by way of completed show suites or updates on construction progress. Marketing needs to be targeted to buyers who are comfortable with this type of purchase and have done it before, or who are genuinely attracted to the specific project. The buyer pool is narrower than for an established home.

Pricing a contract assignment is also more nuanced. The price you can achieve depends on what the contract price was, what comparable properties in the completed building or nearby buildings are now selling for, and how much demand there is from buyers willing to complete the purchase. If the Brisbane market has moved significantly since you signed and comparable finished properties are worth more than your contract price, you may have an assignment profit to negotiate. If the market has softened or comparable properties have completed and settled at prices below your contract price, your options are more limited.

Selling after settlement: the standard resale

If you have already settled on an off-the-plan property and are now the registered owner, selling it is largely the same process as selling any other residential property. You list it for sale, engage an agent, prepare the property for market, negotiate with buyers, and settle. The fact that the property was originally purchased off the plan is primarily relevant for two things: capital gains tax and developer warranties.

On capital gains tax, the date the original contract was signed, rather than the settlement date, is generally used as the acquisition date for CGT purposes. This matters because off-the-plan projects in Brisbane have frequently had construction timelines of two to four years from contract signing to settlement. If your total ownership period from contract signing to eventual resale exceeds twelve months, you may be entitled to the 50% CGT discount on any capital gain. Your accountant or tax adviser can confirm the position for your specific circumstances, as there are nuances depending on whether you have used the property as your principal place of residence, how it has been used, and other factors specific to your tax situation.

Developer warranties are another consideration. In Queensland, builders and developers provide statutory warranties on new residential construction under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme administered by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission. These warranties survive a change of ownership, meaning that if you sell an off-the-plan property and the new owner discovers a latent defect covered under the scheme, they can pursue a warranty claim. This is generally a positive feature for buyers purchasing newly completed stock and can be presented as a selling point in your marketing.

Timing considerations for inner Brisbane apartment resales

The Brisbane apartment market in the inner east and inner north has experienced significant development activity over the past decade, with multiple projects completing in the same precincts at similar times. When selling a newly settled off-the-plan apartment, you are frequently competing with other investors in the same building or nearby buildings who have made the same calculation about when to sell.

This supply dynamic matters for timing your sale. In the twelve to twenty-four months following the completion of a major apartment project, there is often a period of elevated supply in that precinct as investors who purchased during the presale campaign decide whether to hold, rent, or sell. Prices in that window can be softer than they will be once that initial wave of resale stock has been absorbed by the market. If your financial position allows you to rent the property for twelve to twenty-four months before selling, that will often produce a better outcome than joining the queue of resale stock immediately after settlement.

This is not always possible, and for many sellers the imperative to sell is driven by other factors. But if you do have flexibility, understanding the supply picture in your specific building and the broader precinct before deciding when to list is worth the time. An agent who works that market regularly can give you a view on how many resales are currently active or expected in your building, and what that means for your likely selling timeline and achievable price.

Presenting a new apartment for sale

New or near-new apartments require a different presentation approach than established homes. The major advantage is that the property is in top condition with no maintenance backlog. The challenge is that every apartment in the building looks broadly similar, so differentiation needs to come from your specific unit's position, aspect, floor level, and view, as well as the quality of your photography.

Virtual staging can work well for unfurnished new apartments, where a fully furnished render gives buyers a sense of scale and lifestyle that an empty apartment cannot convey. Floor plan marketing is more important for apartments than for houses, as buyers use it to assess spatial efficiency before inspecting in person. A well-prepared floor plan annotated with dimensions, storage locations, and car park details will filter inquiries more efficiently.

Body corporate fees, levy amounts, and any special levies should be clearly disclosed in your marketing or at first inquiry. Buyers considering an apartment purchase will ask about these fees early in the process, and having the information ready demonstrates competence and transparency.