Final Clearance rates - week ending 13 September

Final Clearance Rates – week ending 13 September 2026

Combined capital city clearance rate rises to a 19-week high of 52.6%

The clearance rate gradually improved last week, with the weighted average rising to 52.6% (from 49.3% the week prior). This is the strongest result in 19 weeks and came despite a higher volume of auctions, with 1,585 auctions held across the combined capital cities up from 1,431 the week prior.

Melbourne held 710 auctions last week, up from 656 the week prior but 42.7% lower than a year ago (1,240) with a clearance rate of 57.3% (from 54.6% previously). This is Melbourne’s highest clearance rate since late March. Sydney's clearance rate was 52.8%, its highest in seven weeks, compared with 52.5% a week earlier, across 548 auctions (up from 501 the previous week) and roughly 33.9% lower compared to last year (548 from 829). Together, the two cities accounted for close to four in five auctions held last week.

The largest clearance rate improvement among the capitals was in Adelaide, where 79 auctions cleared at 49.4% (compared with 36.2% the previous week), though the 13.2 percentage-point gain came from a low base and fewer auctions. Brisbane’s clearance rate fell below 40% in late May and has remained subdued since then. This week’s final clearance rate of 38.5% was Brisbane’s strongest result since mid-June, despite remaining comparatively soft. The city held 169 auctions, 29.0% more than the 131 on the previous week and roughly 16.6% higher compared to year-ago levels (169 from 145).

Canberra held 58 auctions, up from 35, and its clearance rate was 43.1% (up from 37.1% the previous week). Perth held 21 auctions, of which eight were successful, compared with four of 13 the previous week. Tasmania held no auctions last week.

The growing prevalence of pass-ins, rather than withdrawals, demonstrates that vendors continue to take properties to auction, yet nearly half of those offered fail to meet the reserve price. The week's result suggests vendors meeting the market are still finding buyers, though in far fewer numbers than a year ago. Despite the recent rise in clearance rates, they remain well below year-ago levels, and some of the increase in auction activity is seasonal. Clearance rates also continue to vary considerably across the capital cities, with market conditions remaining uneven and volatile.

Auction Market Preview – week ending 20 September 2026

Increased auction activity amid softer spring market conditions

This week, 1,903 homes are set to go to auction across the capital cities. That’s a 20.1% increase from last week’s 1,585 auctions, but still 27.9% lower than the 2,638 auctions held during the same week last year.

Melbourne remains the largest auction market, with 880 auctions scheduled. This represents a 23.9% increase from the 710 held last week but is 32.9% lower than the 1,311 auctions held a year ago. Sydney has 659 auctions scheduled, a 20.3% rise from last week's 548, yet 28.0% below the 915 held in the corresponding week last year.

Brisbane has 178 auctions scheduled, up 5.3% on last week's 169 and 4.1% above the 171 held a year ago, the only capital tracking ahead of 2025. The sharpest weekly rise is in Adelaide, where 118 auctions are scheduled against 79 last week (49.4%), though it remains 4.1% below the 123 held a year ago. Only 59 auctions are scheduled in Canberra, compared with 58 last week but 43.3% below the 104 held a year ago. Perth has just 9 auctions scheduled and Tasmania has none.

A couple of weeks into spring and the rise in the number of homes scheduled for auction has become more noticeable following the winter slowdown. Alongside softer auction clearance rates (well below their decade average), rising total property listings and broader macroeconomic headwinds, the lower

level of auction activity suggests that vendors remain cautious and are continuing to favour private treaty over auction as a method of sale, as buyers have more leverage.

Auction volumes are anticipated to fall to 1,520 next week with Cotality expecting the number of scheduled auctions to fall further by roughly 25% to approximately 1,140 homes in the week ending 4 October, ahead of public holidays observed across several states on Monday 5 October. Therefore, the expected reduction in auction volumes over the next two weeks reflects calendar effects rather than a reversal of the usual increase in activity over spring.