The report: Rachel Sellman of Century 21 Conolly Hay Group on why the world’s ultra-wealthy are choosing Noosa as their home base

Noosa has always sold itself on lifestyle. But beyond the beaches and the coastal calm sits some of Australia’s more fascinating property stories, and few people know it better than local prestige agent Rachel Sellman. Boulevard spoke with Sellman to find out what’s really driving the market at the top.

This is part of a series of interviews for our Noosa ultra-prime feature—go further with the Noosa ultra-prime market report.

A lot of people here have done their travelling. They’ve lived in Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe. So they’re happy to move closer to home, whether it’s Noosa or New Zealand. I’ve got friends and clients who have lived in Hong Kong and Singapore for many years, and all they worked for was to make this their base in the end. That’s what they were looking forward to—a quieter life.

Australia itself is so different from the rest of the world, and I honestly think it is the laid-back lifestyle that draws people to Noosa. Another reason is it is simply beautiful—the beaches, restaurants, and great food. You do have the cities close by, and Melbourne and Sydney are only an hour or two away. So you get to enjoy all of that too. But it’s the day-to-day after you’ve worked for a really long time. You can just dine out, go for beautiful walks, and relax.

The ease of access to the coastline in Noosa is a key demand driver. Top: A Noosavilla residence for sale, set on a prestigious corner parcel above the Noosa River.

The evolving buyer profile and key demand drivers

Every market in Australia is different. Noosa has such a mixed variety of buyers because we’ve got not only locals, but also people who have moved from overseas, expats who have come back home to retire here. When Covid happened, I think there were more CEOs in Noosa than anywhere else in Australia. They brought all their billions of dollars and changed the face of our market.

At the moment, we are meeting a lot of people coming from overseas—international buyers. Whether it’s world events changing their minds and prompting them to exit earlier than expected, there are certainly people looking to come back now more than ever.

It’s a small town and it’s got that coastal feel, but your neighbours might have lived a really extraordinary life and had a great career. Then they come and live here. You’ve still got that real feel of community, but the conversations are interesting and the people that you’re spending time with have come from all over.

Designed by Paul Clout, this riverfront retreat features a calming and sophisticated palette with natural materials like soft travertine, micro-cement walls, hand-laid sandstone, and lime-washed finishes.

Many people have also had the opportunity to work from home, so they’ve made moving to Noosa work for them. A lot of them still commute to the cities. I know clients who fly to Sydney or Melbourne every week, so that their families can have the lifestyle that is on offer here. People are happy with the schools in Noosa now too, so they don’t feel they need to be in the cities for their kids’ education.

How high-net-worth buyers are shaping the top of the market

When you’ve got the likes of Gina Rinehart and other people like that coming into town and buying properties for whatever price they want, it has an impact. There are more of those people out here than you realise too.

What’s amazing is that, in the high-end market I’ve been selling, I can’t believe the people who find themselves in Noosa through some connection. When they have such a big presence in other parts of the world, whether they’re a famous sportsperson in America or a family of great wealth, like diamond-mining families, they’re people you would never think would find their way here.

But they do because they’ve got some connection. Maybe they met a friend who lived in London but grew up in Sydney, or married someone, whatever it might be. They find themselves here somehow.

Also for sale: an architectural showpiece in the Noosa hinterland, overlooking Cooroy Mountain.

A neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood look at where buyers are going

The hinterland has really taken off in the last few years. Some people really love it. It’s only 15 minutes to Hastings Street, and you’re getting that feeling of being a little bit further out with beautiful water views. We’re seeing prices there that are similar to the hinterland of Byron Bay, which is very popular.

Then you’ve got Noosaville, which is beautiful along the river with great restaurants. You can be boating out there or walking along the river. That’s quite a lifestyle that people love as well.

Then you come around to Noosa Sound and you feel like you’re on holiday. There are lots of holiday homes, people out walking, being active, getting coffees and walking to dinners in Hastings Street.

This masterfully finished home in Little Cove is also for sale.

Then you’ve got Sunshine Beach, which is a dog-friendly area. People love to be there. There are lots of people who could live anywhere in the world and that’s where they choose. You get these amazing ocean views, watching whales. Sunshine Beach has a great little village. It’s small, but you’ve got a great surf club there and restaurants, so it has a real community feel. You’re nestled right along the national park, so if you want to walk to Hastings Street from there, you can. It’s only hemmed in by the ocean and national park.

I think that’s the other thing: none of it can be extended. There is no more land. What you get is what you get.

The challenge of repricing expectations in a want-driven market

Our real estate is quite expensive. Sometimes people say, “I could buy a whole château in the south of France for this one-bedroom apartment in Hastings Street.”

I think buyers have got to get their head around the value of our market, which holds quite strong even in downturns because it is a want, not a need, situation here. If you buy it, it’s because you want it, and you pay what you have to pay.

I think that will continue because people just want to be here, and there are only so many properties available.

The Eumundi property captures a magnificent outlook of the lush hinterland and mountains.

A lot of clients tell me, “We’ve been holidaying here for years.” It’s something I hear almost every time I show a house. And now they’re finally making that move. They’ve done what they’ve had to do—they’ve put their kids through school, finished their career, and now they’re thinking of themselves.

Go further with Rachel Sellman’s property listings:

• Contemporary riverfront retreat, William St, Noosaville
• Modern Noosa hinterlands retreat with panoramic mountain views, Panorama Dr, Eumundi

Read next:

• Looking for a second home in Asia? Leading property experts share their insights into the thriving holiday market
• The interview: ThirdHome’s Wade Shealy on turning second homes into a passport for travel