Numbers ease from last week's peak but remain well above 2023 levels
Auction activity across Australia’s capital cities has declined this week, although volumes are still well ahead of the same period last year, according to CoreLogic.
There are 2,404 homes scheduled to go under the hammer this week — 16.3% fewer than the 2,873 auctions held last week, but 21.1% more than the 1,985 recorded during the same week in 2023.
Melbourne is seeing a sharper fall in activity, with 995 properties listed for auction, down from 1,364 last week. A year ago, 812 homes were auctioned in the city. Sydney is also experiencing a drop, with 996 auctions scheduled, compared to 1,110 last week and 849 at this time last year.
Volumes across the smaller capitals have remained steady. Brisbane leads this group with 179 homes set to be auctioned, up slightly from 173 the previous week. Adelaide holds at 136, and Canberra has seen a minor increase to 79 from 73. In Perth, 16 auctions are scheduled, up from 14, while Tasmania remains unchanged with three auctions.
Looking ahead, auction numbers are expected to rise again. “Next week will see auction volumes rise again in the lead up to Easter, with just over 2,850 capital city homes currently set to go under the hammer,” said Caitlin Fono (pictured above), research analyst at CoreLogic Australia.
Last week marked the busiest auction week of 2025 so far, with 2,873 auctions held — an increase from 2,388 the week before. The same week last year coincided with Easter, when just 901 homes went to auction.
Despite the lift in activity, clearance rates have softened. The combined capital city clearance rate fell to 59.4% last week, the first time it dipped below 60% since early February. That compares with 63.2% the week prior and 64.8% a year earlier.
Melbourne’s final clearance rate stood at 60.5%, lower than the 64.5% achieved the previous week. “Across Melbourne, 1,364 homes were taken to auction last week – the third busiest auction week of the year,” said Fono.
Sydney also saw a fall in clearance, dropping to 59.2% — the lowest level since early February. The city hosted 1,110 auctions last week, compared to 810 the week prior and 414 a year earlier. “Sydney’s final clearance rate slipped below the 60% mark for the first time since the week ending Feb. 2,” Fono said.
Among the smaller capitals, Adelaide posted the strongest clearance rate at 66.9%, followed by Brisbane at 52.9% and Perth at 50.0%. All three auctions held in Tasmania resulted in a sale.
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