A recent purchase · Burleigh Heads
How I secured a beachside development site in Burleigh Heads for a Sydney based developer, with three exit strategies in place from day one.
The client, a Sydney based developer, engaged me to secure a site suited to a luxury duplex development in Burleigh Heads. With a development client, the deal has to work even if the original plan never happens. So this site was secured with multiple exit strategies in place from day one, not a single path to a return.
The site is zoned Medium Density Residential, with duplex product supported under the current planning scheme, so there is a clear development pathway from day one. Luxury duplex values in Burleigh's beachside streets are among the strongest on the southern Gold Coast, and this product rarely reaches the market.
Council's draft planning changes for the light rail corridor are progressing now. If the adopted plan delivers additional height or density for this street, the best use shifts to a larger scheme, and the underlying land value reprices accordingly. The client carries no obligation to commit to construction until the planning position is confirmed.
The existing home is tenanted at $1,300 per week, offsetting holding costs while the corridor matures. Light rail Stage 3 begins passenger services in mid 2026, and beachside Burleigh land is finite. Divesting the site, with or without approvals in place, remains a clean exit at any point.
I identified the site against the development brief, including tightly held beachside streets where opportunities rarely reach the open market. Zoning, planning scheme, overlay and corridor analysis were completed before contract, and price and terms were negotiated to protect the client across all three scenarios. Throughout, I worked alongside the client's own town planner, solicitor and architect, rather than replacing them.
The client now holds a tenanted beachside landholding with a clear development pathway under the current scheme, genuine planning upside under the draft corridor changes, and a clean divestment option at any point. Disciplined site selection, planning due diligence before contract, and a position the client can win from in more than one market.
The purchase at a glance
Burleigh Heads
If you are working through a site or a purchase of your own, I would love to help. Reach out any time. I read every message.
Book a free call →*Approximate walking distance. Planning outcomes under the draft City Plan are subject to Council adoption and no uplift is guaranteed.