# Australian auction clearance rates stay low

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/australian-property-auction-slowdown
> Updated: 2026-08-04T19:00:00.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 6.

Australian auction clearance rates remain low as the market shows mixed activity but persistent buyer weakness. In mid‑June, a Melbourne townhouse passed in at $950 k while a Sydney art‑deco apartment sold above reserve, underscoring divergent outcomes. Early July saw high‑value transactions – a $13 m heritage building in Ipswich, a $12 m Hunters Hill home and a $3.43 m Queens Wharf apartment – alongside a 51 % clearance rate in Sydney and only about 16 % in south‑east Queensland. By mid‑July, preliminary clearance rates were 57 % in Melbourne and 53 % in Sydney, with premium sales such as a $1.215 m Northcote townhouse and a $2.401 m Five Dock house fetching above reserve. The following week national clearance slipped to roughly 50 %, the lowest for nine weeks, with Sydney at 47.4 %, Melbourne 56.5 % and Brisbane 35.9 %, and sellers increasingly accepting 10‑15 % discounts. Late July reports reaffirm the slump, with clearance around 54 % nationally and Brisbane near 30 %. In early August, buyer participation fell further – average bidders per auction dropped below two and open‑home attendance halved – as NAB projects a 5 % price decline across capital cities, and industry observers describe the market as cautious and “scaredy‑cat”.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-04: Australian home buyers shun auctions as property prices fall

Australian buyers are skipping auctions as prices fall; average bidders are under two, clearance rates below 60 %, and NAB forecasts a 5 % price drop nationwide.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/australian-home-buyers-shun-auctions-as-property-prices-fall

### 2026-07-26: Australian property auction slump deepens as clearance rates fall

Australian property auctions hit a severe slump, with national clearance around 54% and Brisbane at 30%, amid tax reforms, rate hikes and falling buyer demand.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/australian-property-auction-slump-deepens-as-clearance-rates-fall

### 2026-07-18: Australian auction clearance rates fall below 50% as housing sales slump

Australia’s auction clearance rates have slipped to ~50% nationwide, with Sydney at 47.4% and Brisbane at 35.9%, amid price‑cut sales in Croydon, Greenwich and Brunswick East.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sydney-and-melbourne-property-auctions-record-mixed-outcomes

### 2026-07-12: Melbourne and Sydney auctions show mixed results with high‑profile sales in Northcote and Five Dock

Melbourne's auction clearance rate hit 57% with a Northcote townhouse selling for $1.215 m; Sydney's rate was 53% as a Five Dock house fetched $2.401 m, $200 k above reserve.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/five-dock-sydney-home-sells-200000-above-reserve-in-auction

### 2026-07-04: Ipswich heritage complex 88 Limestone Street sells for $13.0 million

Australian property auctions show mixed trends: Ipswich heritage site sells for $13 M, Glebe terrace $1.8 M, Hunters Hill home $12 M, Queens Wharf condo $3.43 M, Bentleigh unit passes in at $940 k.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bentleigh-unit-passes-in-at-940000-amid-melbourne-auction-slowdown

### 2026-06-13: Melbourne townhouse passes in as Sydney art‑deco apartment sells above reserve

Melbourne townhouse passed in at $950k amid a tough market, while a Sydney art‑deco apartment sold for $922.5k above reserve, highlighting mixed outcomes for Australian property auctions.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/australian-property-auctions-show-mixed-outcomes-amid-soft-market

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Cite as: Australian auction clearance rates stay low. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/australian-property-auction-slowdown