Clearance rate falling, auction activity rising: CoreLogic RP Data's Shana Miller

Despite a falling auction clearance rate, the volume of auctions being held across the combined capital cities and in particular, Melbourne, is rising.

Last week, the final auction clearance rate fell to 67.4% across 2,858 capital city auctions, while this week CoreLogic RP Data is expecting there to be just over 3,000 auctions held across the combined capital cities.

Melbourne will be the busiest city by far this week, with 1,710 auctions expected, indicating the busiest week for the city this year, but the auction market won’t be as busy as it was at the same time last year, when over the week 1,837 Melbourne homes were taken under the hammer. Last week, Melbourne was the strongest performing capital city market with both the highest volume of auctions (1,398) and the highest clearance rate (72.7%).

Notably, Melbourne’s auction performance last week was much stronger than Sydney, with the city recording its lowest clearance rate since early 2013 at 63.7%, representing a substantial fall from the previous week (69.6%). This week, Sydney is expecting 996 auctions to be held, relatively similar to last year when 961 Sydney homes were auctioned.

Auction markets will be busier in Brisbane (213), Adelaide (109) and Perth (35) this week compared to last week when 145, 93 and 16 auctions were held respectively. Canberra’s auction market activity will slow down this week, with 60 auctions expected, compared to 86 the previous week.

This week, the busiest individual suburbs for auctions are all in Victoria:

– Glen Waverley (30 auctions)

– Reservoir (23 auctions)

– Mount Waverley (22 auctions)