Bendigo real estate agent Tom Isaacs is expecting prices to rise dramatically in the city, following on from growth in other regional Victorian cities.

Bendigo’s median house price rose 5.3 percent between the first quarter of 2017 and of 2018, compared to a rise of 17.4 in central Ballarat, 27.2 in Heathcote, and 18.8 in Castlemaine.

Read more: Central Victorian prices rise as city buyers move in, agents say

Across country Victoria house median house prices rose an average of 7.5 percent.

Mr Isaacs said he has seen one of the strongest winters seasons in five years.

Mr Isaacs is expecting a property boom in the next year, similar to that in areas that have seen an increase in buyers from Melbourne.

He said that Bendigo’s location, 20 minutes or so further from Melbourne, means it is next in line for a similar price rise.

“Coming into spring there’s really good signs in the market for vendors,” Mr Isaacs said.

“Typically we’ll do the same thing six to twelve months after [Ballarat’s] growth.

“Bendigo being that little bit step further out… means that we’re probably due to do that growth in the next twelve months.”

Read more: Bendigo’s liveability better than two thirds of Melbourne, report

Regional cities may play a key role in accommodating Victoria’s growing population, a new report from Deloitte suggests.

Measures of liveability from Bendigo, Geelong and Ballarat all outperformed two thirds of Melbourne local government areas according to the report.

Mr Isaacs sees connectivity and infrastructure as key to Bendigo’s development.

“If we can get that… the time to travel to Melbourne down… Bendigo will be seen as an affordable location and people will commute more,” he said.

“As Melbourne’s stabilised and prices have peaked, that makes us far more attractive [to investors].”

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