Forget flashy cars and wild nights, NRL Broncos’ $800k man, 26-year-old Kotoni Staggs is part of a growing cohort hitting beast mode off-field in a lucrative side hustle.
While some of his peers splash out on luxury toys, Staggs has turned his eye to bricks and mortar, joining millions of Aussies riding the housing boom – and showing young players a smarter way to play the long game.
The 26-year-old, crowned ‘Best Back’ for the Broncos 2024 season before re-signing on an estimated $800,000 a season ticket through to the end of 2028, is sinking millions into real estate investments.
Staggs’ off-field success is tied to Brisbane’s own pandemic surge, with the two properties he shelled out $2.64m for jumping in value by a further $1.1m without him lifting a finger.
The first in Upper Kedron has risen $560,000 since he bought it for $930,000 in the midst of the pandemic in September 2021, while the second has jumped $450,000 in two years to a high estimate of $2.16m.
And the capital gains are just the start of his passive income, with $41,600 in annual rent also coming off the Upper Kedron home – a figure which is now set to rise to $43,160.
Staggs, who has been a landlord since he moved into the Hendra home renting out the Upper Kedron property, has upped the rent by just $30 a week in two years to $830/week.
He could be making substantially more though, given rental estimates put his potential income off the property at $874 a week to as high as $961 a week.
Given his surge in property value, Staggs is a prime candidate for more investment properties soon, especially as his circa $800k pay packet is just $200k shy of Brisbane’s median house price now.
He has bought well, with his real estate letting agent Cherry Tuando of Brisbane Realty Group describing his Upper Kedron property as being in a prime pocket “surrounded by quality residences on generous blocks with wide street frontages”.
The home has an open-plan kitchen, family, and dining area with a gourmet kitchen, double lockup garage with remote doors, drive-through garage access to the backyard and a concrete pad ideal for camper trailers, tinnies, or jet skis.
“This home offers a relaxed, low-maintenance lifestyle without compromising on space or style – with the added bonus of backing directly onto a nature reserve.”
Staggs, who was described by the Broncos as having “explosive power and line-breaking ability”, made his NRL debut over seven years ago in 2018.
