THE Myall Coast has ridden the wave of regional property growth since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, with agents reporting strong gains across Hawks Nest, Tea Gardens and North Arm Cove, as well as quieter pockets of Port Stephens.
Cotality’s latest property data shows significant price uplift across both the MidCoast and Port Stephens LGAs since December 2019.
Local agents say the results ring true with what they’ve experienced on the ground.
Hawks Nest First National principal John Rumble said nothing in the new data surprised him, though he noted the figures can be influenced by certain pockets of activity.
“You look at a lot of transactions that occur at North Arm Cove and the non-urban land around there,” he said.
“Only five to 10 years ago they were selling for around $25,000 to $30,000, and now they’re going for $70,000 or $80,000.
“I wouldn’t have thought it would be that close to 80 percent, but we certainly have increased, and it’s been long overdue.”
Before the pandemic, some Tea Gardens homes could sit on the market for up to a year – but “the market has certainly improved since then”, Rumble told News Of The Area.
The pandemic frenzy: Sight-unseen buying
The data shows the hottest period came early in the pandemic, when buyers flooded into coastal markets as restrictions eased.
“When the world started to open up again, a lot of people were buying properties sight unseen,” Rumble said.
“They were spending $750,000 or more without even seeing the place. It was incredible.”
River Realty agent Tom Woods saw the same phenomenon across the Port Stephens peninsula and into the Hunter Valley.
“After COVID hit, the market brought a lot of vibrance to coastal areas,” he said.
“People had the chance to work from home, keep their capital-city income and relocate for a better lifestyle.”
With stock levels tight and demand surging, urgency defined the market.
“I sold five or six properties site unseen at various price points: from $800,000 all the way up to $2.4 million,” Woods said.
That frenzy, he said, was fuelled by the fear of missing out.
“The availability of stock was light, but the influx of buyer demand was high across Port Stephens and the Hunter generally.”
A more balanced market emerges
The market tone has shifted significantly since the buying frenzy between 2021-23.
Agents say today’s market is far more orderly – but still firm.
“It’s buoyant,” Rumble said, describing a steady flow of buyers who move quickly on well-priced homes.
“If you’ve got a house in Hawks Nest, it doesn’t take long to sell. But it’s got to be priced right.”
Woods said his own year tells the story of a market that started slowly before gaining momentum.
“I’m about to hit 50 sales for the last 12 months. This has been my best year ever,” he said.
“But the start of the year was slow. In the first six months we might have done 16 sales.
“In the last three or four months, my team has done 30.”
He believes the current environment is healthier for everyone.
“This is a better market for both buyers and sellers,” he said.
“An unbalanced market creates a lot of energy and becomes uncomfortable for people transacting their biggest asset.”
Where buyers are coming from
The Myall Coast continues to draw a wide spread of purchasers, with evolving demographic patterns since the pandemic.
Traditionally, Sydney’s affluent North Shore has been the region’s strongest feeder market, but that has widened considerably.
“More recently, it’s been wide and varied,” Rumble said.
“It’s been close to a 50-50 split between people from Sydney and the Central Coast, and locals.
“But we’re also seeing more buyers coming from Orange and Dubbo.”
Woods sees a strong pull from Newcastle.
“A lot of Newcastle people are moving a bit further north for lifestyle reasons and commuting back four days a week,” he said.
“Sydney is always a significant pull, and we also get rural folk from Western NSW who are looking to retire here.”
He added that the region’s appeal lies in the sweet spot between tranquillity and accessibility.
“People really are getting an appetite for these localities a bit further north of Newcastle, but still in good proximity back to Sydney,” Woods said.
Hot spots and price points
Hawks Nest remains one of the strongest performers in the region’s property market.
“Houses in Hawks Nest don’t take long to sell,” Rumble said.
“Price-wise, the sweet spot is probably anywhere between $700,000 and $900,000. But you’ve also got million-dollar buyers, and we’ve sold a couple recently.”
Woods pointed to a series of premium results.
“We’ve done a few record sales this year on the waterfront in places like Tea Gardens and North Arm Cove – $2 million-plus sales,” he said.
“We’ve also seen big results in quieter areas like Lemon Tree Passage, where we just transacted a place at $1.91 million, the second highest ever recorded there.”
Looking ahead to 2026
Both agents expect 2026 to deliver steady conditions rather than dramatic swings.
“We’re getting a lot more interest to finish the year,” Rumble said.
“With interest rates expected to stay steady for a while, I don’t think we’ll see much change from what we’re seeing now.”
Woods agreed.
“Locally, I think it’s going to be a steady market,” he said.
“There’s always going to be demand for coastal property.”
By Matt TAYLOR
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