Final Clearance Rates – week ending 1 November 2026

Final Clearance Rates – week ending 1 November 2026

Clearance rate falls to its lowest level in more than six years

The weighted average clearance rate across the combined capitals fell to 40.7% last week, the lowest result since mid-April 2020 (30.2%). Compared with the previous week, the clearance rate was 2.9 percentage points lower, from 43.6%. In the same week last year, the clearance rate was 65.8%.  

Last week’s clearance rates remained well below year-ago levels across all capitals. Brisbane saw the sharpest annual deterioration among the mainland capitals, with its clearance rate down 45.0 percentage points. Adelaide was down 41.7 points, while Perth recorded a 33.4 point decline. The year-on-year declines were smaller in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, at 21.8, 21.2 and 16.9 points respectively.

Last week was the seventh consecutive week with a weighted average clearance rate below 50%. The weighted average last exceeded 60% in early March 2026 (60.9%) and is now 25.7 percentage points lower than this year's high of 66.4%.

Auction volumes were also lower with the combined capitals holding 1,713 auctions, 8.4% fewer than the 1,871 of the previous week and 18.8% fewer than the 2,109 held in the same week last year. Melbourne was the only capital to hold fewer auctions than the previous week, due to the Melbourne Cup Carnival last week. A year earlier, Melbourne held 502 auctions.

The highest clearance rate among the capitals was in Sydney, at 45.1%, an improvement on the previous week's 41.7%. Sydney held 710 auctions, 14.0% more than the week prior (623), making it the largest auction market last week, although auction volumes were 35.1% lower than a year ago (1,094). Across 517 auctions, Melbourne's clearance rate fell 5.9 percentage points to 44.3%, from 50.2%, its lowest since late June 2026 (43.6%). Auction volumes in Melbourne were 37.8% lower than the 831 of the previous week and 3.0% higher than a year ago.

Auction clearance rates remained subdued across the smaller capital cities last week even as volumes rose. Adelaide’s clearance rate remained broadly steady at 35.4%, compared with 35.3% the previous week, although it remained well below the 77.1% recorded a year earlier. The city held 144 auctions, up 3.6% week on week and unchanged from a year ago.

Brisbane continued to experience weak selling conditions, its clearance rate was the lowest of any capital, finalising at 23.8% (a fall of 2.5 percentage points from 26.3%). Clearance rates in Brisbane have been below 30% for five consecutive weeks, and below 40% since late May 2026. Auction volumes did however edge 19.1% higher, to 237 from 199.  

Canberra’s clearance rate edged lower last week, finalising at 40.3%, a fall of 6.4 percentage points from 46.7%. 78 auctions were held there, 30.0% more than the 60 of the previous week. Eight of Perth's 24 auctions were successful, compared with nine of 19 the previous week. Tasmania held three auctions, one of which sold, after none the previous week.  

The fall in auction clearance rates comes amid a substantially tighter interest-rate environment. The RBA raised the cash rate by a further 25 basis points to 4.85% this week, the fifth increase this year. Higher borrowing costs are likely adding to serviceability constraints, with clearance rates now below year-ago levels in every capital.

Auction Market Preview – week ending 8 November 2026

Auction volumes rise from last week  

Capital city auction volumes are set to rise 6.6% this week, with 1,826 homes scheduled compared with 1,713 last week. This week's total auctions are 40.5% lower than the 3,068 auctions held in the same week last year.

Melbourne has the steepest year-on-year fall among the mainland capitals, with 602 auctions scheduled compared with 1,388 a year ago, a decline of 56.6%. Its auction volumes are 16.4% higher than last week's 517. Last week's Melbourne auctions were held over the Melbourne Cup long weekend, before Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November.

With 800 auctions scheduled, Sydney is the largest market this week. Auction volumes in Sydney are 12.7% higher than last week (710) and 32.5% lower than the same week last year (1,186).

Adelaide is the only capital city with more auctions scheduled than both last week and the same week last year. There are 156 scheduled auctions this week, compared with 144 last week and 130 a year ago, that’s an increase of 8.3% and 20.0% respectively. 59 fewer homes are scheduled for auction in Brisbane than last week, a fall of 24.9% to 178 from 237, and auction volumes there are 14.8% lower than a year ago (209).  

A year ago, Canberra held 136 auctions; this week it has 72 scheduled, a fall of 47.1%. The weekly fall is smaller, at 7.7%, from 78 last week. Perth and Tasmania have 18 auctions scheduled between them. Of these, 17 are in Perth, seven fewer than last week and one more than a year ago, while Tasmania has one, compared with three in each comparison week.

Five of the capitals have fewer auctions scheduled than a year ago, excluding Adelaide and Perth. As the two largest auction markets, Melbourne and Sydney held 2,574 auctions between them in the equivalent week last year. This week they have 1,402 scheduled, that’s 1,172 fewer.  

Auction volumes are expected to lift again next week, with around 1,900 auctions estimated to go under the hammer.