This week across the combined capital cities, auction volumes remained high with 3,353 homes taken to auction returning a preliminary clearance rate of 63.1 per cent, increasing from last week when the final clearance rate across the capitals recorded the lowest not only this year, but the lowest reading since late 2015/ early 2016 (60.3 per cent).
The lower weighted clearance rates of late can be attributed to the continual softening conditions across the two largest markets of Melbourne and Sydney, with clearance rates tracking below 70 per cent across Melbourne for 5 consecutive week’s now (67.4 per cent), however volumes across the city have been consistently higher; with volumes this week reaching their second highest level this year (1,837), while Sydney’s clearance rates have tracked around the mid-high 50 per cent range over 7 consecutive week’s (58.7 per cent). Across the smaller markets, Canberra recorded the highest preliminary clearance rate this week, with 66.7 per cent of homes selling, while Brisbane returned the lowest with only 46.6 per cent of auctions successful.
