Unbelievable! Melbourne's property market just served up a surprising twist. Tarneit, a suburb with a modest median house value, has become the city's top choice for home buyers in 2025, dethroning the prestigious Brighton.
Despite its lower price tag, Tarneit saw an incredible 1666 sales in the past year, outpacing Brighton's 272 sales and even surpassing its fellow western neighbor, Point Cook.
But here's where it gets controversial: Tim Lawless, executive research director at Cotality, attributes Tarneit's rise to its sheer volume of sales, not its prestige. "Tarneit and Point Cook might not be considered high-end, but they offer a lot of options for buyers. With around 24,000 properties, Tarneit's size makes a huge difference."
And the numbers back this up. Home buyers invested over $1.1 billion in Tarneit in 2025, while Brighton, with its higher median house price, reached a total sales value of $1.053 billion.
So, what's the appeal? Lawless suggests that buyers in prestige suburbs like Glen Waverley and Kew (with median prices of $1.87 million and $2.86 million respectively) might be seeking their "forever homes." In contrast, Tarneit and Point Cook (with a median price of about $885,000) could be seen as stepping stones for many, a way to build equity and move up the property ladder.
Jeff Gaul, senior sales director at Ray White Werribee, agrees. He's noticed that owner-occupiers in Tarneit and surrounding areas tend to stay for around seven years before using their equity to upgrade or move on. And the local market shows no signs of slowing down, with buyer demand even stronger than during the post-lockdown period.
Sumita Mukherjee, a 62-year-old Metro station officer, has experienced both sides of this market. She recently downsized to a smaller property in Point Cook after selling her home at 5 Nassau Road. "I'll always call Point Cook home," she says, citing the sense of community and diverse mix of neighbors as key reasons for her move in 2016.
And this is the part most people miss: Mukherjee feels safe in Point Cook, even when arriving home late at night. "The police are very vigilant, and I've never felt threatened," she adds.
Harpreet Walia, Mukherjee's real estate agent and director at Fletchers Wyndham, believes the suburb's appeal lies in its freeway and public transport connections to the city, as well as its good local schools. He's witnessed the area's transformation since moving there in 2011, when it was mostly farmland.
Across the bay, Matt Cleverdon, buyer's advocate at Morell and Koren, highlights Brighton's lifestyle, schools, proximity to the city and water, and sense of space as key attractions. However, he's not surprised by Brighton's drop in the rankings, believing that sellers at the top end of the market are less motivated to move.
"There's a strong desire to move among these residents, but not an urgent need," he explains.
In contrast, Mukherjee plans to continue investing in Point Cook. "I'm downsizing for now, but I intend to buy more land in the area while I can."
So, what do you think? Is Tarneit's rise a sign of a changing property market, or just a blip on the radar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
