This week, Australia's national auction clearance rate came in at 42.3% across 1,052 scheduled auctions, with 445 properties sold. That's ↓0.6% compared to last week's 42.9%.

A split week for buyers: Sydney and Melbourne softened further, while Brisbane and Adelaide surged against the national trend. The headline rate dipped again, but the real story is local — knowing your market is everything before Saturday.

City-by-City Breakdown

City	Clearance Rate	vs Last Week	Scheduled	Sold Prior	At Auction	Sold After	Total Sold
Sydney	28.54%	↓9.3%	403	64	51	23	138
Melbourne	39.01%	↓4.7%	323	42	84	21	147
Brisbane	27.97%	↑5.2%	118	13	20	5	38
Adelaide	52.6%	↑9.0%	173	22	69	14	105
Canberra	48.57%	↑2.2%	35	8	9	0	17

What The Numbers Mean

The biggest capital saw a sharp fall, while a smaller southern capital rose sharply, reflecting stark divergence [1]. This dispersion is driven by post-Easter seasonality and shifting buyer sentiment, with Sydney and Melbourne showing early signs of fatigue as demand cools [2]. Meanwhile, mid-size capitals like Brisbane continue to benefit from strong buyer demand and limited supply, creating a buyer's market in the largest cities but a seller's market elsewhere. For buyers, this means softer conditions in Sydney and Melbourne favour those prepared to negotiate post-auction, while in rising markets like Adelaide, acting decisively at the fall of the hammer is critical.

Tips for This Week's Buyers

Complete your pre-auction prep, including finance pre-approval and property inspections, to avoid surprises on auction day. Set up your auction plan.
During the auction, stick to your budget zones — comfort, stretch, and limit — and use the bid tracker to stay disciplined.
Use Smart Bid's auction setup wizard to create a personalised bid plan and monitor real-time bids with live bid alerts. Start tracking now.

References

Ready to bid with confidence? Set up your next auction with Smart Bid.