The combined capitals preliminary auction clearance rate rose to 51.5% last week, up 4.3% from 47.2% the week before, according to Cotality.
Volumes remained thin, with 1,734 auctions held, up 1.2% on the previous week but 43.5% below the same week last year.
Auction activity has remained more than 40% below year-ago levels in three of the past four weeks.
The 51.5% result was only marginally above the spring-to-date average of 51.1% and remained below the winter average of 52.3%.
The improvement in the headline rate was largely driven by Melbourne, while Sydney recorded a modest decline.
Melbourne’s preliminary clearance rate rose almost 10 percentage points to 59.1%, the highest result in eight weeks and above the spring-to-date average of 55.1%.
The city hosted 612 auctions, up 18.4% on the previous week but 55.9% below the corresponding level last year.
Since reserve price transparency rules came into effect in mid-October, Melbourne auction numbers have been approximately 55% below 2025 levels, excluding the previous week’s long-weekend result.
Sydney recorded the highest auction volume, with 709 homes taken to auction, down 40.2% on the same week last year and virtually unchanged from the 710 held the previous week.
Its preliminary clearance rate declined 1.5% to 52.3% from 53.8%, against a spring-to-date average of 54.3%.
Brisbane had the highest volume among the smaller capitals, with 178 homes taken to auction, 14.8% lower than a year earlier and a 24.9% decline on the previous week.
Its preliminary clearance rate increased to 31.2%, following results in the mid-20% range over the preceding two weeks.
Adelaide recorded its highest auction volume since the final week of March, with 149 homes taken to auction. Its preliminary clearance rate was 43.5%, down 2.9% from 46.5% and below the spring-to-date average of 44.5%.
The ACT’s preliminary clearance rate increased 8.3% to 47.2%, with 68 auctions held, 12.8% fewer than the previous week and 50.0% below the corresponding week last year.
Perth held 17 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 36.4%, and Tasmania hosted one auction, which returned a successful result.
