Gold Coast named best for second homes
Gold Coast leads second-home demand as Aussie families access luxury holiday homes from $250k per share.
What’s happening?
Australia has been ranked the second-best country in the world for holiday home investment, while the Gold Coast has been named the top city globally for second-home buyers.
The rankings come as Brisbane-based proptech startup Copay pushes a new way for families to buy premium holiday homes.
Instead of taking on a full mortgage alone, small groups of families can co-own a single property through fractional ownership.
Copay says households can access a $2 million or more coastal property from about $250,000 per share.
The model allows up to eight households to buy into one home, with each owner receiving exclusive use for several weeks each year.
Copay founder Himanshu Arora said the model gives families another option in a market where full ownership is out of reach for many.
“Why lock $2 million into one holiday house you’ll use for six weeks a year, when the same capital can give you access to several high-quality properties across different locations?” he said.
“Our owners are not chasing a bargain, they’re building a lifestyle portfolio instead of a single, highly leveraged asset.”
Why it matters
The story reflects a shift in how some Australians are thinking about lifestyle property.
Rather than spending large sums on short-stay accommodation, Copay argues families can put that money into equity.
The company says many households already spend heavily on holiday rentals over time without building any ownership stake.
“A lot of owners were already spending $10,000 to $30,000 a year on Airbnbs in places like Byron, Noosa and the Gold Coast,” Arora said.
“Over twenty years, that can easily add up to more than a quarter of a million dollars with nothing to show for it except old booking confirmations.”
Copay also says its model removes much of the work tied to owning a holiday property.
Properties are professionally managed, including cleaning, maintenance, insurance and booking systems.
Arora said that means owners “own the asset, not the headache.”
Local Impact
The Gold Coast sits at the centre of this trend after being ranked the number one city in the world for second-home buyers.
That puts the city in a strong position as interest grows in premium lifestyle property across South-East Queensland.
Copay is also targeting the Gold Coast as part of its early expansion, alongside Noosa, the Sunshine Coast and the Byron region.
For local buyers, the model may offer a way into high-value coastal property without carrying the full cost alone.
For the broader market, it points to growing demand for flexible ownership in one of Australia’s most sought-after lifestyle regions.
By the numbers
Australia ranked second out of 50 countries in a 2025 Compare the Market study, scoring 7.46 out of 10 for climate, amenities and lifestyle appeal.
Copay homes are typically split into four to eight shares, which lowers the upfront cost for each household while keeping equity attached to the property.
Around one in five Australian households already owns at least one property beyond the family home, showing multi-property ownership is already common.
Zoom In
Copay was founded in 2026 and is using a unit trust structure for each property.
That means buyers purchase units in a trust rather than simply booking holiday stays.
The model gives co-owners deeded equity, proportional exposure to capital growth and the right to sell their share after a minimum hold period.
Owners also receive secured weeks of exclusive use each year through a set booking calendar.
The approach is aimed at families who want regular access to premium holiday homes without buying an entire second property.
“Australians understand property portfolios,” Arora said.
“What’s new is doing it with co-ownership, lower individual exposure and better utilisation.”
“Instead of over-leveraging for a single beach house, you can hold fractional stakes in several homes that match your lifestyle.”
Zoom Out
The push comes as access to holiday homes becomes harder.
Copay says regional Queensland house values have climbed since 2020, while short-stay markets continue to expand.
That combination has made it tougher for typical households to buy a whole holiday property outright.
At the same time, Australia’s strong global ranking and the Gold Coast’s top placing suggest buyer demand remains strong.
Copay believes this opens the door for more shared ownership models in premium destinations.
“Australia is locked in as a global holiday-home destination, the numbers prove that,” Arora said.
“The question now isn’t if people will invest in lifestyle property, but how.”
“We believe the future looks more like small groups co-owning multiple assets than one family shouldering a single, massive mortgage.”
What To Look For Next?
Copay is initially focused on South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales, with homes planned for Noosa, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast in the coming months.
Over the next 18 months, the company is aiming to grow a portfolio of premium coastal and hinterland homes as demand for shared lifestyle property continues to build.