Commonwealth Games 2026: How the event will benefit Geelong property market
A pre-Games spending blitz on new infrastructure is expected to benefit Geelong homeowners well before the 2026 Commonwealth Games begin.
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The 2026 Commonwealth Games will spark a building boom as regional cities prepare to host athletes and supporters of the multi-sport event.
As the countdown clock starts, the games are expected to put pressure on home values in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo amid the anticipated spend on sporting and social infrastructure.
PropTrack director of economic research Cameron Kusher said the infrastructure delivered to support the games would drive the impact on the housing market.
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“The big things that really boost the property market on the back of an event like this is where there are significant improvements to infrastructure,” he said.
“There might be a new swimming pool, a new gymnastics arena, hockey and table tennis (facilities) for Geelong, but is there going to be any improvement in the local infrastructure to support that?
“If they upgrade the airport, if they upgrade roads, if they build more local facilities that’s the kind of thing that drives the attractiveness of the market and leads to a boost in prices.”
Mr Kusher said using the four athletes villages as social and affordable housing projects after the games would provide some relief for people struggling to break into the market.
“That’s much needed, certainly in Geelong,” he said.
“Prices have increased quite dramatically and finding affordable housing and finding affordable rentals is a real challenge.
“On the Gold Coast, they did similar. The athlete’s village became a built-to-rent project and I believe a bunch of those are affordable rentals as well.”
Property valuer and PRP Geelong director Gareth Kent said he expected house prices to rise, making it harder for people at the lower end of the market, but warned the clock was ticking on new building to support the influx of people in 2026, such as hotels and accommodation.
“We’ve been held back two and a half years for the Central Geelong Framework Plan to get permits up. Within those permits there are probably four or five hotels that could have been built by now,” Mr Kent said.
“The Commonwealth Games might be the inspiration the Government needs and the assurity that developers need to throw money in to high density development in Geelong, which there is an active market for.”
Widespread coverage of the games would provide a long-term boost in the profile of regional areas as a place to live.
“It’s hard to measure but any major event that is focused on the Geelong region will always bring buyer interest,” said Nick Lord, director of Geelong agency Maxwell Collins.
“Any infrastructure that’s going to be built to support the Commonwealth Games is absolutely going to be of an enormous benefit to the people living in the city,” he said.
“Locally, people are used to the services and opportunities that they have, but people looking at the city’s lifestyle and opportunities for facilities are only going to strengthen that.”
Originally published as Commonwealth Games 2026: How the event will benefit Geelong property market
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