Final Clearance Rates – week ending 4 October 2026

Final Clearance Rates – week ending 4 October 2026

Combined capital cities clearance rate falls to 45.4%, the lowest since July

Five weeks into the spring season, the combined capital clearance rate is at its lowest level since July. The weighted average clearance rate fell 0.6 percentage points last week, from 46.0% to 45.4%, and has not been lower since 19 July 2026, when it was 45.3%. Clearance rates fell in four of the six mainland capitals, while the largest auction markets, Melbourne and Sydney, both improved.

Spring is usually the busiest time of the year for auctions, but across the combined capital cities, the 1,212 auctions held last week, were 38.1% lower than at the same time last year when, 1,958 auctions were held. Melbourne and Sydney together held 710 fewer auctions than a year ago, accounting for most of the combined capital decline of 746. Canberra, Perth and Brisbane also held fewer auctions, while Adelaide and Tasmania were the only capitals to hold more.

Melbourne and Sydney both had higher clearance rates than the week before. Melbourne's clearance rate improved 2.5 percentage points, from 47.9% to 50.4%. The city held 666 auctions last week, 134.5% more than the 284 held over the Grand Final weekend. In Sydney, the clearance rate rose 0.9 percentage points to 49.3%, from 48.4%. Over the long weekend, the number of auctions in Sydney fell 61.4%, from 774 to 299.

Auction volumes and clearance rates were both lower than in the previous week in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth. In Adelaide, the number of auctions fell by 30.7%, from 101 to 70, and the clearance rate was 32.9%, 4.7 percentage points below the previous week's 37.6%. Brisbane held two fewer auctions than a week earlier, 138 compared with 140, a decrease of 1.4%. Over the same period, its clearance rate declined by 11.7 percentage points, from 32.9% to 21.2%, the lowest in Brisbane since 30 November 2008, when it was 21.1%.

Canberra had the largest percentage decrease in auction volumes. Of the 29 auctions held over the long weekend, 10 sold, and the clearance rate fell 17.4 percentage points from 51.9% to 34.5%, the steepest weekly decline of any capital. Perth held eight auctions, a decrease of 61.9% on the 21 held the previous week, and three of them sold, compared with eight of 21. Tasmania held two auctions in each week, with both selling.

The weighted average clearance rate of 45.4% was 22.0 percentage points lower than in the corresponding week last year, when it stood at 67.4%. Relative to the same week last year, clearance rates declined in every capital except Tasmania, which did not hold auctions during this period last year.

Among the smaller capitals, the year-on-year decline ranged from 33.9 percentage points in Canberra to 45.6 percentage points in Adelaide, where the clearance rate was 32.9%, compared to 78.5% a year earlier. Brisbane's clearance rate was 44.3 percentage points lower year-on-year, while Perth's was 39.4 percentage points lower. The smallest declines occurred in Sydney and Melbourne, at 19.0 and 16.1 percentage points respectively. Since both weeks included the October long weekend, the difference cannot be attributed to the timing of the holiday.

Auction Market Preview – week ending 11 October 2026

Spring auction volumes remain below last year

This week, 1,821 homes are scheduled for auction, compared with 2,587 a year ago. The total is 50.2% higher than the 1,212 auctions held last week (influenced by the long weekend in some markets). Auction volumes across the combined capital cities are roughly 29.6% lower than in the same week last year.

Most of the increase this week is in Sydney, where 720 homes are scheduled for auction. Sydney held 299 auctions over the long weekend, and this week it has 140.8% more scheduled. This week's auction

volumes in Sydney are 7.0% lower than in the week before the holiday, when 774 auctions were held. Melbourne had no long weekend, and its auction volumes are 0.5% lower than last week, with 663 auctions scheduled compared with 666. Both cities have fewer auctions than at this time last year. In Melbourne, auction volumes are 46.9% lower than the 1,249 held in the same week last year, and no other mainland capital has a larger fall. Sydney has 27.1% fewer auctions than a year ago, when 988 were held.

Adelaide and Brisbane are the only capitals with more auctions scheduled this week than a year ago. Brisbane has 205 homes going to auction, 61.4% more than the 127 in the same week last year. In Adelaide, auction volumes have risen 54.2%, from 96 a year ago to 148 this week. Last week was a long weekend in both cities, and Adelaide held 70 auctions while Brisbane held 138. This week, Adelaide's auction volumes are 111.4% higher than last week and Brisbane's are 48.6% higher.

After the long weekend, Canberra's auction volumes are 144.8% higher, with 71 auctions scheduled compared with 29 last week. Canberra held 106 auctions in the same week last year, so this week's total is 33.0% lower.

Perth has 14 scheduled auctions, six more than last week's eight but four fewer than the 18 held a year ago. Tasmania, which had two auctions last week and three a year ago, has none scheduled this week.

The year-on-year decline in auction numbers is largest in the two biggest auction markets, Melbourne and Sydney. They both have a combined 854 fewer auctions scheduled than in the same week last year, which is more than the decline of 766 across the combined capital cities. Adelaide and Brisbane have 130 more auctions than a year ago, while Canberra, Perth and Tasmania have 42 fewer, which accounts for the difference of 88.

Cotality estimates that around 1,500 homes will go under the hammer next week, before auction volumes lift to about 1,600 the following week. Both estimates are lower than the 1,821 auctions scheduled this week.