The vast majority of property sellers in the first quarter of 2025 did so for a profit.

Cotality’s latest Pain and Gain report shows 86,000 established dwellings sold during the quarter and of those, 94.9% sold for more than the original purchase price. Sellers made a median gain of $305,000. Of the 5.1% of sellers who didn’t make a profit, the median loss was $44,000.

The report shows that the longer an owner holds on, the higher the chance of making a profit, with the median hold period of a profit-making resale at 8.9 years. Brisbane has the highest level of profit-making sales, with 99.7% of transactions achieving more than the original purchase price during the quarter. It is followed by Adelaide, 98.9%, Perth, 97.9%, Hobart, 95.4%, ACT, 94.5%, Sydney, 92.3%, Melbourne, 88.7% and Darwin, 73.8%.

Regional South Australia is the most profitable across the regions, with 97.9% of home sellers in the region making a nominal gain, up from 97.8% in the previous quarter.