Sherpa doubles down on first home buyers with Coolangatta apartment project, Flourish Viveré

Sherpa Group is doubling down on its first home buyer strategy on the southern Gold Coast, reserving almost a quarter of the apartments in its newly approved $350 million Coolangatta development exclusively for first home buyers.

The Christie Leet-led developer has secured Gold Coast City Council approval for Flourish Viveré, a 26-level mixed-use development planned for the corner of Griffith and Warner Streets, around 100 metres from Coolangatta Beach.

Of the project's 194 apartments, 41 will be set aside exclusively for first home buyers, following the success of a similar strategy at Sherpa's Flourish Soleira development in Palm Beach.

Sherpa reserved 27 apartments at Soleira for first home buyers, with the allocation selling out in just over a week. Twenty-five of the 27 buyers were locals.

Sherpa Group Managing Director Christie Leet said the response at Soleira had left the developer with a significant database of buyers who missed out.

"The model has proved very successful at our Flourish Soleira project at Palm Beach where 27 apartments were reserved for first homebuyers and sold out in a little over a week, with 25 of them going to locals," Leet said.

"We have an extraordinary database of buyers who missed out and moving forward we are committed to trying to create an environment where first home buyers can get onto the property ladder."

It is becoming an increasingly important part of Sherpa's Flourish model as affordability pressures continue to push new apartment prices higher across the Gold Coast.

Rather than targeting absolute beachfront sites, Sherpa has deliberately sought sites within a short walk of the beach, which Leet says allows the developer to offer premium apartments at more attainable price points.

That strategy is evident at Soleira, which is less than 100 metres from Palm Beach and close to Jefferson Lane, where beachfront land has traded for more than $13 million.

Viveré will follow a similar formula in Coolangatta.

"We realised some time ago that sites very close to the beach were substantially undervalued when compared to the beachfront, and this has allowed us to create premium apartments for prices that are attainable in the current market," Leet said.

Sherpa acquired the 2,029 sqm Viveré site for $27 million in 2025. It will become the developer's largest project to date and adds to a pipeline now worth more than $1.7 billion across the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

HAL Architects has designed Viveré with a broad mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, alongside Sherpa's premium Canopy residences and a collection of luxury penthouses.

The diversity of apartment types is designed to continue Sherpa's push toward multigenerational projects rather than developments targeting a single buyer demographic.

At the top of the building will be Sherpa's now-signature Flourish rooftop amenity.

Residents will have access to a private lounge, outdoor dining areas with barbecues and pizza ovens, a heated swimming pool, gym and a dedicated wellness centre with sauna and steam room.

At ground level, Viveré's Coolangatta location puts residents within walking distance of The Strand, cafés, restaurants, shops and the beach.

"We have meticulously planned Viveré to build on the Flourish legacy, creating a truly special project," Leet said.

"Wellness, lifestyle and community are at the forefront of every decision we make, and that has not changed for Viveré."

Sherpa has partnered exclusively with LPS Group to deliver the project, with construction expected to commence in January 2027 ahead of completion toward the end of 2029.

Viveré represents the next stage in a rapidly expanding Flourish portfolio.

Sherpa's current workbook across its Palm Beach projects alone is valued at more than $800 million, led by Amargo, Oasis and Soleira, while the developer is also progressing Symphony in Brisbane.

The company has now delivered 16 residential projects over the past seven years, with its pipeline increasingly centred on finding sites in lifestyle locations where it believes it can still deliver a range of apartment types and price points.