The total value of Australia’s management rights industry has surged 18 per cent in a year to $9.4 billion, even as businesses in the Queensland-dominated sector have been selling on lower profit multiples, according to a new report by ResortBrokers.

The near-20 per cent increase had been driven by increases in real estate values, the ongoing development of new schemes and also because the agency had access to an improved database, ResortBrokers Research economist Josh Mangleson said.