Stop chasing hotspots: The next 20%+ growth is already in regional Australia

Most investors chase capital city "hotspots" – but some of the strongest growth in Australia is quietly happening in regional markets no one is watching. Here is how to find the next best area. On The Smart Property Investment Show, host Liam Garman speaks with Kev Tran from Kev Tran Group about why regional areas continue to outperform expectations, even after years of investor attention and shifting sentiment. Tran cites Toowoomba as an example, with the town still recording 20–25 per cent year-on-year growth in recent cycles, despite investors pulling back and assuming the market had already peaked. He warns that one of investors' biggest mistakes was to assume that past growth meant future stagnation, leading them to overlook markets with strong fundamentals beneath the surface. Tran explains that the real edge comes from focusing less on "hotspots" and more on fundamentals like supply constraints, population growth, economic diversity, and owner-occupier demand. The discussion expands beyond Queensland, highlighting how markets across Western Australia, Victoria, and other regional corridors continue to cycle through periods of undervaluation and renewed demand. The duo ultimately challenges the idea of following the crowd, showing that some of the best opportunities are often in the markets investors stopped paying attention to too early. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email [email protected] for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.