Half of the home builder’s product is the land you build upon. Whoever has control over that land, has a significant influence over who does the build. 

This may be the developer, it may be project marketers or external land sales agents, a private vendor or the client themselves.

Here are the 4 key methods to locate current and upcoming land subdivisions of all sizes. 

Where to Look: 

1. Low Hanging Fruit

Firstly, to check the low hanging fruit, a quick look at realestate.com.au LAND section. Refine your search as to your exact target market. Go to: https://www.realestate.com.au

You are looking not so much for the land listed, but who is listing it. Call agents or project teams and ask what is available, what they have coming up, what their next project is, and how you can assist them in selling it by introducing your product. 

2. Open Lot

Next, head over to the Open Lot online map to get a good idea of the current and upcoming estates in your area. Go to: https://www.openlot.com.au/brisbane.

Open Lot has a team that sorts through all incoming Development Applications across the council regions nationally. The data is a little more raw, but can provide a good starting point to explore. 

Sort by “current selling” or “upcoming” to avoid those that are already sold out. 

Take note of the developer name/entity if listed, or if not, take note of the address to do a search for the DA. 

3. Council DA Websites

If you still haven’t found anything suitable, it’s time to dig into the council DA websites. Search “Development Applications Region” for whichever council area you are in. You can then filter down to “Reconfiguring a Lot” development applications that have been lodged in the past 6 months. 

You will see everything from 1 into 2 splitters, to 1 into 245 lot masterplanned communities. 

This will give you a good baseline for what is happening in the area. 

Keep an eye on this every 7 – 14 days. 

4. Hit the Pavement

Finally, just go for a drive. If you come across vacant land that looks the goods, note the address down, search it in CoreLogic or a similar platform to find out who owns it. Give them a call, and see where it goes. 

Council Development Application Websites: 

Brisbane: https://developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/

Sunshine Coast: https://developmenti.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/

Gold Coast: https://cogc.cloud.infor.com/ePathway/epthprod/Web/GeneralEnquiry/EnquirySearch.aspx?EnquiryListId=102

Redland CIty Council: https://developmenti.redland.qld.gov.au/

Gympie City Council: https://daonline.gympie.qld.gov.au/Home/Index

Logan City Council: https://devet.loganhub.com.au/#/landing

Ipswich City Council: https://developmenti.ipswich.qld.gov.au/

Toowoomba Region Council: https://developmenti.tr.qld.gov.au/

Fraser Coast Council: https://pdonline.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/

Somerset Regional Council: https://eservices.somerset.qld.gov.au/appenq.asp

Moreton Bay Council: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Building-Development/DA-Tracker

Author: Peter Love

Pete was the General Manager of one of Australia’s largest home builders for six years, before starting his own business as a buyers’ advocate, building over 200 homes in five years across South East Queensland and working with over 20 builders to deliver them. Across this time he has seen most facets of the industry, the good, the bad, and the beautiful.