How site acquisition works in Queensland, from the developer’s brief and site screening to approaching owners, structuring the offer, due diligence and settlement – and when it pays to use a land acquisition agent.
Land acquisition for developers is the process of finding, testing and securing land that fits a development brief. It starts with a clear brief (location, zoning, size, yield and budget), then screens land against the planning scheme, overlays and servicing, approaches owners – often off-market or as an amalgamation of neighbouring lots – and negotiates price and terms through due diligence to settlement. On the Gold Coast and across South East Queensland, GC Prestige does this through its development arm, South AZ Developments, which has secured 21 development sites with a combined acquisition value of more than $200 million.
Land acquisition is the first stage of every development: before a single home is designed, a developer needs land that can be approved, serviced and sold at a profit. Land acquisition for developers covers the whole path from deciding what kind of site is wanted to holding a signed contract and settling. For a small builder it might be one house block with townhouse potential; for a land developer it can be several hectares in a growth corridor assembled from many owners.
Most developers do some of this themselves. Many also use a land acquisition agent – sometimes called a site acquisition agent or a buyer’s agent for development sites – to find land that is not on the open market, approach owners and negotiate the deal. In South East Queensland, where good sites are contested and much of the best land never reaches a public listing, that network often decides who secures the site.
A good brief saves months. It should say, in writing:
The clearer the brief, the faster an acquisition agent can say no to the wrong land and yes to the right owner.
Site acquisition in Queensland starts with the planning scheme. Every council has one, and the zone determines what uses can happen on the land, while overlays flag features such as flooding, vegetation or heritage that must also be considered. The category of assessment matters too: code-assessable development is judged against set benchmarks without public notification, while impact-assessable development is publicly notified and assessed more broadly, which adds time and risk.
Screening then moves to the physical site: frontage and shape, slope, easements, access, and how far water, sewer and roads must be extended. On top of the works, a Queensland council with a local government infrastructure plan can levy infrastructure charges for trunk infrastructure through an infrastructure charges notice, so those charges belong in the feasibility from day one. Nearby approvals and recent development-land sales complete the picture. Our development site checklist and guide to Gold Coast City Plan zones and overlays go through each test in more detail.
Listed development sites are the easy part: they can be found on our development sites for sale page and the portals. The harder part, and where a land acquisition agent earns its fee, is land that is not for sale. Many owners have never thought about selling until someone explains what their land could be worth to a developer. A confidential, direct approach – with a clear, credible offer process – is often what turns an unlisted parcel into a contract.
Where single lots are too small or the wrong shape, the answer is often an amalgamation: neighbouring owners sell together as one larger site, each with their own linked contract. At Glen Road, Logan Reserve, five rural-residential titles were combined into one 7.49 ha site that sold for $12.36 million and is now the approved 109-lot Riverleigh community. Under the Planning Act 2016, combining lots into one is itself a form of reconfiguring a lot that needs council approval, so in practice the developer handles the title work after it buys.
Price is only part of a land deal. Owners compare offers on certainty and timing as much as on the headline number, so a well-structured offer can win against a higher but riskier one. The main levers are:
Once terms are agreed, the buyer’s due diligence confirms what the screening suggested. Since 1 August 2025, Queensland sellers of residential, commercial and vacant land must give the buyer a seller disclosure statement and prescribed certificates before the buyer signs the contract; if this is not done, the buyer may have a right to terminate up to settlement. Buyers should read these documents alongside their own planning, engineering and environmental checks.
At settlement, the seller should provide an ATO clearance certificate. If it does not, the buyer must withhold 15% of the purchase price and pay it to the ATO – a rule that has applied to property of any value since 1 January 2025. Your solicitor and accountant should confirm both points for each purchase.
A land acquisition agent is most useful when the brief is specific, the land is scarce or the deal is complicated. In particular:
Ask any agent how many development sites they have actually secured, in which areas, and whether they also act for sellers – and how they manage that.
GC Prestige specialises in development land, and its development arm, South AZ Developments, sources and secures sites to a developer’s brief – including off-market land and joint ventures. South AZ Developments has secured 21 development sites across South East Queensland, with a combined acquisition value of more than $200 million and an estimated end development value of $500 million, which are being transformed into 445 new homes. Recent work includes:
We cover the Gold Coast, Logan, Brisbane, Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Redland, the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, the Scenic Rim, Somerset and the Lockyer Valley, with a council development profile for each. For land acquisition on the Gold Coast and across SEQ, see our land acquisitions page or send your brief to South AZ Developments.
Land acquisition for developers involves writing a brief, screening land against zoning, overlays and servicing, approaching owners (including off-market and amalgamation opportunities), negotiating price and terms, and managing due diligence through to settlement.
A land acquisition agent finds and secures development land for a developer: it screens sites against the brief, approaches owners confidentially, coordinates neighbours where an amalgamation is needed, and negotiates the price, conditions and settlement.
Site acquisition in Queensland starts with the council planning scheme: the zone, overlays and category of assessment decide what can be approved. Since 1 August 2025 the seller must also give a disclosure statement and prescribed certificates before the buyer signs the contract.
Yes. Through South AZ Developments, GC Prestige sources and secures sites that match a developer’s brief across the Gold Coast and SEQ, including land that is not on the open market.
An option or put and call option lets a developer secure land for an option fee while it tests the site or seeks approval. It suits sites that need approval first. In Queensland the grant of an option over land is dutiable, so get legal and duty advice.
The seller disclosure statement and prescribed certificates, the zoning, overlays and servicing, any approval conditions, and that the seller provides an ATO clearance certificate – otherwise the buyer must withhold 15% of the price.
The Gold Coast, Logan, Brisbane, Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Redland, the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, the Scenic Rim, Somerset and the Lockyer Valley.
Use the enquiry form on the South AZ Developments page or call 1300 937 981, with your target location, zoning, land size, yield and budget.
General information only, current at 12 November 2026. This guide is not legal, financial, tax or planning advice. Rules change, so check the official sources above and get advice from a solicitor, accountant or town planner for your situation. Updated 12 November 2026 by GC Prestige, 1300 937 981.