Metricon Homes is Australia's largest home builder, having held the top spot for ten consecutive years, building over 4,000 new homes in the 2024/25 financial year, followed by ABN Group and Meriton Apartments. These rankings come from the Housing Industry Association (HIA) Housing 100 report, which tracks the most homes started by residential builders annually.
Leading the way is Metricon Homes, which increased its overall commencement numbers from 3,894 in 2023/24 to 4,015 in 2024/25. Having commenced in business in 1976, Metricon operates primarily in the detached home building segment of the market.
"Metricon Homes has cemented its place in history as Australia's number one home builder for the tenth year in a row," stated HIA Chief Economist, Tim Reardon, at today's launch of the HIA Housing 100 2024/25 sponsored by Colorbond® steel.
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Australia's top residential builders, based on recent Housing Industry Association (HIA) data, consistently feature Metricon Homes, ABN Group, and Meriton Apartments, with Metricon leading for a decade by volume of new home starts, followed by ABN Group (WA/VIC) and Meriton (NSW/QLD multi-unit). Other major players in the top rankings often include NEX Building Group, AHB Group, Carlisle Homes, Porter Davis, and GJ Gardner Homes, though rankings shift slightly by state and year, with large national builders dominating.
Tier 1 builders in Australia are the largest construction companies, handling massive projects like infrastructure, hospitals, and major precincts, including firms such as Lendlease, CPB Contractors, John Holland, Multiplex, Downer, ACCIONA, and Laing O'Rourke, known for managing huge risks, complex joint ventures, and extensive supply chains. These companies drive Australia's most ambitious developments, requiring significant financial capacity, national presence, and deep expertise in design, engineering, and project delivery.
The richest real estate developer in Australia is Harry Triguboff, founder of Meriton, consistently ranked near the top of Australia's rich lists, with significant wealth derived from his massive apartment developments and substantial property portfolio, making him Australia's second-richest person overall in 2025, after mining magnate Gina Rinehart, reports Domain and Forbes.
The 34-year-old Australian billionaire frequently mentioned is Adrian Portelli, known for his extravagant lifestyle, property investments, and his business LMCT+, a controversial online rewards club that generates significant revenue through raffle-style promotions, making him a prominent figure on Australia's rich lists.
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AUSTRALIA'S biggest home builder Metricon will become majority-owned by Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Sumitomo Forestry, with the partnership agreement paving the way for full control of the company, as major Japanese investors continue to make real estate plays down under.
Top home builders with strong reputations often include luxury-focused companies like Toll Brothers (US) and quality-driven national/regional builders like Metricon (Australia) and Taylor Morrison (US), recognized for customer trust, build quality, and innovation, though "best" varies by region and buyer priorities (e.g., value vs. luxury). Key indicators of reputation are customer satisfaction awards, quality awards, transparent communication, reliable service, and strong long-term value, with builders like G.J. Gardner, Hickinbotham Group, and Boutique Homes often praised locally.
There aren't many of them, just 110,613 — 82,258 men and 28,355 women. Only 39,209 have taxable incomes of more than $500,000, and of these only 14,467 have taxable incomes of more than $1 million.
To buy a $650,000 house in Australia, you generally need a gross annual household income between $100,000 to $140,000, with figures varying significantly by location and lender criteria, requiring a strong deposit (around $130,000 for 20%) and managing loan repayments to not exceed 30% of your income to avoid mortgage stress, often necessitating a joint income or substantial savings, as highlighted by financial experts and data from sources like Fundd, Finder, and Real Estate.
Largest foreign owners
China holds a 2.1pc share or 7.596m ha (759,000ha freehold and 6.836m ha leasehold) after divesting 190,000ha last year. The United Kingdom closely followed with 2pc or 7.325m ha (824,000ha freehold and 6.5m ha leasehold) after purchasing an additional 30,000ha during the year.
The richest family in Australia is generally considered the Rinehart family, primarily through Gina Rinehart, who leads the mining giant Hancock Prospecting, consistently topping lists with wealth estimated in the tens of billions (e.g., ~$38B-$50B+ in recent years), followed by other prominent families like the Pratts (manufacturing) and Forrests (mining/commodities).
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According to 2024 statistics from the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and UNSW, the wealthiest 10 per cent of households in Australia own 44 per cent of all wealth, with an average of $5.2 million per household.
Wealth Of Australia's 50 Richest On Forbes List Crosses $200 Billion. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart is Australia's richest person. The collective wealth of Australia's 50 Richest on the 2023 Forbes list soared 70% to US$213 billion from $125 billion in 2019 when the list was last published.
The ownership of Australia's most expensive house is often debated due to off-market sales and varying definitions, but currently, a Sydney penthouse at One Sydney Harbour (owned by Yan Zhang for $142m in 2025) and Paul Little's Coonac Estate in Melbourne (sold for around $150m in early 2025) are contenders, while tech billionaire Scott Farquhar owns multiple record-holding Point Piper properties like Uig Lodge.
Top home builders with strong reputations often include luxury-focused companies like Toll Brothers (US) and quality-driven national/regional builders like Metricon (Australia) and Taylor Morrison (US), recognized for customer trust, build quality, and innovation, though "best" varies by region and buyer priorities (e.g., value vs. luxury). Key indicators of reputation are customer satisfaction awards, quality awards, transparent communication, reliable service, and strong long-term value, with builders like G.J. Gardner, Hickinbotham Group, and Boutique Homes often praised locally.
Germany is often cited as having some of the best builders in the world. The country's reputation for meticulous craftsmanship is well-deserved, as German builders are known for their precision and attention to detail.
Tier 1 contractors – or main contractors – are large companies with a national presence, leading the industry with their scale and capability.