Australian rural property booms as homebuyers flee cities

Coronavirus pandemic spurs urban residents to reassess their lifestyles

20200812 Byron Bay

The work-from-home lifestyle brought on by COVID-19 has made Byron Bay real estate among the most coveted in Australia. © Getty Images

IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER, contributing writer

JAKARTA -- When Australia's nationwide lockdown began on March 23, real estate agent Christian Sergiacomi's phone went dead. But since travel restrictions around the country were eased in June, his phone has not stopped ringing.

"At the end of every conversation, I check my messages and see four or five missed calls," said Sergiacomi, director of Pacifico Property in Byron Bay, a trendy beach town 624 km north of Sydney.

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