The new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yarraville-green-42-stephen-street-yarraville-vic-3013">Yarraville Green</a> development in Melbourne's inner west is showing that landscaping can be just as influential as architecture, with buyers responding strongly to the garden-first approach adopted from the outset by developer Excelon Projects and the project's design team.

Excelon appointed Six Degrees Architects and landscape architects SBLA to work collaboratively on the development, with a brief to create "a sustainable, design-led building with a focus on community."

That approach has resonated with buyers. According to Next Chapter Director Tom Hirini, who is leading the sales campaign, the landscaped communal garden has become one of the project's defining features, alongside its boutique scale and European-inspired cluster housing concept.

Local downsizers, right-sizers and established families already living in Yarraville and surrounding suburbs have accounted for the majority of purchasers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297740]

Yarraville Green will comprise 53 homes, including apartments and townhomes, arranged around the shared central garden to maximise connections to the landscaped open space. Parking has been moved underground, allowing the ground plane to be dedicated to greenery, pedestrian movement and communal spaces.

The landscape extends well beyond passive planting. Productive garden beds, a pergola, communal gathering spaces, garden sheds and a pet wash have all been integrated into the masterplan, creating spaces designed to encourage everyday interaction between residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297741]

The interiors continue Excelon's focus on craftsmanship, incorporating bespoke elements by Melbourne artisans including leadlight detailing by Adadaz, hand-turned timber hardware by Auburn Woodturning and blown-glass lighting by Ruth Allen.

Sustainability has also been embedded throughout the project, with Yarraville Green targeting an average 7-star NatHERS energy rating through passive design principles, rooftop solar servicing common areas and rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297735]

Construction continues to progress at Yarraville Green, with structural works well underway and framing works approaching completion under builder Balmain &amp; Co. The project remains on track for completion in mid-2027.

Apartments at Yarraville Green are currently priced from $625,000, while townhomes start from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144913]

Joel Robinson

Garden-led design drives buyer demand at Yarraville Green

National diversified developer Fortis has officially launched Crest &amp; Walker, its latest Brisbane apartment development, with construction now underway on the 20-storey Newstead project.

Award-winning builder BINAH has commenced construction on the Bureau^Proberts-designed building, which will deliver a limited collection of 65 two and three-bedroom apartments on Kyabra Street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373556]

The project marks Fortis' fourth active residential development in Brisbane, following River House, which is nearing completion, alongside projects in New Farm and Hamilton as the national developer continues to expand its South East Queensland pipeline.

Fortis General Manager – Development Queensland Dan Boman said Crest &amp; Walker reflects the developer's long-term commitment to delivering design-led residential projects in Brisbane's established inner-city suburbs.

"We're proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such a sought-after lifestyle destination as Newstead," Boman said.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane's most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373559]

Positioned between Gasworks Plaza and James Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> has been designed as a boutique residential address offering privacy and generous living spaces within one of Brisbane's most established lifestyle precincts.

The building features a contemporary brick podium softened by integrated landscaping, while the upper levels are characterised by restrained architecture and enduring materiality. Interiors have been designed to maximise natural light, acoustic performance and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373583]

Residences comprise spacious two and three-bedroom floorplans, with two-bedroom apartments priced from $1.55 million and three-bedroom, half-floor residences from $3.95 million.

Residents will have access to a wellness-focused rooftop featuring a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, landscaped dining spaces and outdoor lounge areas overlooking Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373571]

Sales are being managed by Slaite Projects, with Fortis expecting strong demand from owner-occupiers seeking a high-quality, design-focused apartment in one of Brisbane's most tightly held inner-city suburbs.

Completion of Crest &amp; Walker is slated for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Fortis expands Brisbane pipeline with launch of Crest & Walker in Newstead

The enormity of delivering a true skyscraper in Australia's new development market is often overlooked.

It has taken the best part of a decade since plans for Chevron One were first unveiled, but the 41-storey tower is now complete, with residents collecting their keys and moving into what has become one of the Gold Coast's most recognisable new landmarks.

Rising 127 metres above Chevron Island, Chevron One stands almost twice as high as any other building on the island. Its scale places it alongside the trio of towers at Jewel, arguably the last truly significant addition to the central Gold Coast skyline when they were completed around six years ago.

While there are several developments underway around a similar height to Chevron One, they are more concentrated within clusters of the highest towers in the city. The fact Chevron One sits within a developing precinct, looking back at the other high-rise developments in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, makes it a different proposition altogether. It will certainly become a reference point on the Gold Coast skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68833]

Developer Bensons Property Group is behind the 41-storey tower, which has 229 apartments, along with an exhaustive list of resident amenity spread across what is the largest development site ever assembled on Chevron Island.

The tower has been the talk of the town for years, says Ray White Projects Gold Coast agent Caitlin Rosenboom, who is selling the remaining apartments.

"People have been watching Chevron One go up for years," Rosenboom says, adding that many prospective buyers have been surprised by the scale of the views once they step inside.

"It's only when they walk through a completed apartment that they truly understand the position of the building," Rosenboom says.

"The views are jaw-dropping. Whether you're looking east over the ocean, across Surfers Paradise, along the river systems or out to the hinterland, every level offers something different but equally impressive."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=360215]

One of Chevron One's defining advantages is its location on the eastern side of Chevron Island on Stanhill Drive, a position which protects the views forever.

"There's only one row of houses between Chevron One and the water, and the height restrictions along the river means views from Chevron One can never be built out,"&nbsp;Rosenboom says.

While new apartment developments continue to emerge across the Gold Coast, Rosenboom says opportunities to secure a completed apartment with this level of outlook are becoming increasingly rare.

"The size of the site is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today," she says.

"That's allowed Chevron One to deliver the sort of amenity, open space and resident facilities that very few projects can offer. There are not many completed apartment buildings on the Gold Coast right now that can compete with the combination of scale, quality and amenity."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68839]

There's around 2,000 sqm of amenity solely for the use of residents of Chevron One. Club One features a uniquely shaped swimming pool that mirrors the footprint of the building itself, set within a extensively landscaped gardens. There's also an indoor pool and spa, a fully equipped gym with a Pilates room, a yoga garden, a bookable private dining area and lounge that can host up to 30 people, and a 24-hour concierge service.

As for the buyers, Rosenboom is fielding enquiry from everywhere: Sydneysiders and Melburnians looking at the new and off-the-plan market following the changes in the Federal Budget, as well as those looking to relocate, through to South East Queenslanders seeking either a permanent home or a weekender bolthole.

"The Gold Coast lifestyle continues to resonate with people relocating from the southern states, and when they see the views and the quality of what's been delivered at Chevron One, it becomes very easy for them to understand the appeal," Rosenboom says.

A diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments remain available, with each offering "something a little different", be it the orientation and views, configuration, or level, to suit a wide variety of buyers.

The remaining apartments are ready to inspect in person, by appointment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6515]

A decade in the making: Residents to move into Chevron One as construction wraps up

A general rule of thumb in new apartment developments is that the penthouses get the rooftop.

It's a formula that's become commonplace across Australia's apartment market. Residents might have access to a pool, gym or barbecue facilities on a dedicated lower level, but the most desirable outdoor spaces are typically reserved for the highest-priced homes at the top of the building.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Property Group</a> has taken the opposite approach.

Rather than dedicating the rooftop to a handful of buyers, the Gold Coast developer has made it the centrepiece of its Flourish collection, creating expansive shared spaces from the best vantage point in the building.

The philosophy has reached its most ambitious expression at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-palm-beach-1150-1160-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> in Palm Beach, where two rooftop precincts connected by a skybridge will deliver one of the most extensive lifestyle offerings seen in a residential apartment project on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374053]

"We're seeing a clear move toward developments that offer more than just an apartment," Sherpa Group founder Christie Leet said.

"People want spaces that support how they actually live, whether that's working from home, staying active, or spending time with family and friends.

"That's where amenity becomes critical. It's not just about what's included, but how those spaces are designed to be used every day."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374052]

The breadth of amenity has already attracted buyers across multiple demographics. Younger first home buyers have been drawn to Soleira's one-bedroom apartments, a product rarely delivered in Palm Beach, while families have responded to practical inclusions such as the shallow children's pool adjoining the main lap pool and the extensive communal recreation areas.

Instead of a single rooftop, Soleira delivers two distinct lifestyle zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

The southern rooftop has been dedicated to wellness, featuring a gym, yoga and Pilates studio, work-from-home facilities, a wellness centre, spa, and hot and cold plunge pools.

The northern rooftop focuses on recreation and entertaining, incorporating a heated resort-style pool, private dining rooms, pizza ovens, barbecues, a golf simulator, children's recreation areas, and what is expected to be the Gold Coast's first rooftop basketball court, which will also double as a squash court.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374054]

Beyond the rooftops, Soleira will introduce 1,500 sqm of curated retail beneath the towers, creating one of Palm Beach's first genuinely mixed-use lifestyle precincts where cafés, restaurants and convenience retail become part of residents' everyday lives.

Sherpa has also retained management rights across the development, allowing it to oversee the long-term operation of the building through a 24-hour concierge model. The developer is also exploring additional revenue streams within the precinct aimed at helping offset ongoing body corporate costs for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370962]

While Soleira is the largest project Sherpa has delivered, the rooftop-first philosophy has been evolving for several years.

It began with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/amargo-6-12-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Amargo</a>, the first project released under the Flourish brand. Rather than competing at the ultra-luxury end of the market with oversized half-floor and full-floor residences, Sherpa focused on creating lifestyle-driven apartments supported by resort-style shared spaces.

Amargo introduced more than 800 sqm of rooftop amenity, combining wellness facilities, heated pools, entertaining areas, cabanas, pizza ovens and private dining spaces into what was designed as an extension of residents' homes rather than a facility used only occasionally.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146527 project_image_fid=366550]

That approach continued with Flourish Oasis, where the same amenity-led philosophy was refined into a more boutique development. Strong demand from Sherpa's growing VIP database saw much of the project sold before it reached the broader market, reinforcing buyer appetite for apartment communities centred around shared lifestyle experiences.

Flourish Amargo is slated for completion mid-way-through next year, with Oasis to be delivered by late 2027. Flourish Soleira is expected to complete in 2030.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa takes amenity to the sky as Flourish Soleira captures booming Palm Beach demand

As apartment living continues to evolve across Sydney's growth corridors, the quality and distribution of shared spaces is increasingly shaping how residents experience home. Rather than functioning as add-ons, amenities are being embedded into the daily rhythm of a building, supporting everything from quiet retreat to social interaction, often within a single vertical community.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aeris-melrose-park-nursery-street-melrose-park-nsw-2114">Aeris</a> in Melrose Park, this approach is resolved through a layered amenity offering that unfolds from ground level through to its upper podium. Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sekisui-house-australia">Sekisui House Australia</a> in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties, the project introduces 468 apartments across two towers and a mid-rise building, positioned at the highest point of the broader masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=359199]

The amenity experience begins at street level, where two courtyards sit within a landscaped setting that connects residents to the wider network of parks and green spaces. These green spaces are not isolated pockets but part of a wider pedestrian network that links Aeris to the surrounding <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melrose-park-nsw-2114">Melrose Park</a> precinct, including Central Park, future schools, and the Town Centre opening in July 2026. The result is a transition that moves from public to private without abrupt boundaries, allowing residents to pass through shaded, tree-lined environments before reaching the building itself.

Moving upward, the focus shifts to the level five podium, where the primary communal facilities are concentrated. This space brings together a 16-metre swimming pool, outdoor seating areas, and a communal BBQ zone arranged to take advantage of elevated outlooks. Seating is positioned beneath pergolas, creating pockets of shade that extend the usability of the space throughout the day. The pool edge aligns with views toward the wider district, reinforcing the sense of elevation that defines the project’s positioning.

In the adjacent building, this is complemented by quieter, more contemplative spaces, including an outdoor cinema set within the same level. Positioned to operate primarily in the evening, it introduces a different tempo to the shared environment, shifting from daytime activity to after-hours use without requiring separate zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360299]

The podium also accommodates an intimate private resident gym. Located on the lower levels, it gives residents convenient access to fitness facilities without leaving the building.

Above, the elevated podium sky deck extends the amenity offering, providing additional open-air spaces with elevated outlooks across the surrounding landscape. While more restrained in program, this upper level reinforces the project’s vertical progression, from ground-level greenery to elevated outlook, allowing residents to move between distinct spatial conditions within a single address.

This distribution of amenities reflects a deliberate response to how residents use space across the day. Sekisui House Australia Sales and Marketing Director Peter Kalaf points to the role these shared areas play in shaping buyer demand. Aeris has been conceived as more than a collection of apartments, with the podium pool, gym and outdoor cinema forming part of a broader lifestyle offering that extends the home beyond each individual residence.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360300]

What distinguishes Aeris is not the inclusion of these elements individually, but how they are arranged in relation to one another. Active, social, and passive spaces are layered vertically rather than separated, allowing residents to choose between them without leaving the building or moving far from their apartment. This proximity supports both routine use, such as a morning swim or evening workout, and more occasional gatherings, whether around the BBQ area or within the cinema setting.

The amenity design also sits within a broader framework of connectivity across Melrose Park. The Melrose Park Town Centre, anchored by Coles and Dan Murphys, features a mix of retail, dining, health and lifestyle offerings, bringing everyday convenience closer to residents. By the end of the year, more than five hectares of parks and open space, equivalent to around seven football fields of green space on residents' doorstep, will further enhance the precinct, allowing the internal facilities at Aeris to operate as an extension of the wider neighbourhood rather than a substitute for it.

Construction at Aeris continues to gather momentum, with ground floor slabs expected to be completed in late 2026 before the first sections of the buildings begin to rise above ground.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=426]

Elevated amenity anchors daily life at Aeris, Melrose Park

Clearance Rate

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CoreLogic RP Data’s preliminary auction clearance rate was recorded at 77.0 per cent this week, across a total of 1,790 reported auctions. Auction volumes rose over the week, up from 1,903 the previous week to 2,378 this week, the largest number of capital city auctions held since 10 weeks ago. 
Along with the increase in the number of homes taken to auction, the preliminary clearance rate this week (77.0 per cent) was also higher than the previous week (74.6 per cent) and conditions across the auction market remain stronger than they were one year ago, when 68.0 per cent of the 1,555 homes taken to auction sold.
<a href="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-capital-city.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-capital-city.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="508">
 
As Australia’s largest auction market, Melbourne’s auction market remained strong this week, with a preliminary clearance rate of 78.6 per cent, compared to the previous week, when the clearance rate for the city was 78.2 per cent. The number of homes taken to auction in Melbourne this week was 1,057, up from 787 last week. One year ago, Melbourne’s auction clearance rate was 69.6 per cent across 774 auctions. Across the individual sub-regions of Melbourne, there were three regions where the clearance rate was over 80 per cent this week; Inner Melbourne (80.5 per cent), Inner East Melbourne (81.1 per cent) and Outer East Melbourne (85.6 per cent).
<a href="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Melbourne.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Melbourne.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="475">
 
After its record strong performance at the start of the year, Sydney’s auction market is starting to show some signs of slowing down. In saying this, Sydney’s preliminary results this week showing that 77.8 per cent of the 711 reported results sold. In comparison, last week 76.0 per cent of Sydney auctions were successful, while last year the clearance rate was 74.7 per cent. The number of auctions across the city is much higher this week (1,008) than last week (825) and substantially higher than at the same time last year when just 530 homes went to auction. This week, the two strongest performing Sydney sub-regions were Northern Beaches and Inner West, where more than 93 per cent of the reported results for each region were successful.
<a href="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Sydney.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Sydney.jpg" alt="" width="778" height="535">
 
Brisbane’s preliminary clearance rate this week was 61.8 per cent, up from 57.9 per cent last week and significantly stronger than the 33.3 per cent from one year ago. There were 141 auctions across the city this week, similar to the number held last week (144) and higher than the 123 held one year ago. Further south of Brisbane, the Gold Coast saw 14 auction results reported this week, with 35.7 per cent selling.
<a href="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Brisbane.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Brisbane.jpg" alt="" width="721" height="486">
 
This week, Adelaide’s preliminary clearance rate was 81.4 per cent, a strong result for the city with 43 results from the 76 auction reported so far. In comparison, last week’s clearance rate for the city was 67.7 per cent and 69.1 per cent at the same time last year. The number of auctions across the city remained steady this week, with 76 held this week, compared to 75 last week and 61 at the same time last year.
<a href="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Adelaide.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/08/10/20150810-Adelaide.jpg" alt="" width="792" height="538">
 
The preliminary auction clearance rate for Perth was 44.4 per cent this week, with 18 results reported so far. There were 28 Perth auctions held this week, compared to 23 last week, when the final clearance rate was 40.0 per cent and 25 last year, when 57.9 per cent of the auctions were successful.
There were 59 Canberra auctions this week and the preliminary clearance rate of 81.1 per cent is higher than last week (72.2 per cent) and one year ago (55.2 per cent).
So far, 7 Tasmanian auction results have been reported to CoreLogic RP Data and of these 6 were sold.
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smiller-vwPjRHTkST

Adelaide, Canberra, Tasmania preliminary clearance rates above 80%: Shana Miller

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Across Australia’s combined capital cities, the final auction clearance rate was 73.2% last week, remaining virtually unchanged from the 73.4% over the previous week. 
The first week of spring resulted in 2,297 auctions being held across the combined capital cities, which was 21% higher than one year ago. This week, auction volumes are expected to increase further, with CoreLogic RP Data currently tracking 2,659 auctions, which is, again, significantly higher than one year ago (2,080).
Melbourne and Sydney will collectively host more than 2,200 auctions this week, with 1,180 Melbourne properties scheduled to go under the hammer and 1,084 in Sydney. Melbourne’s clearance rate fell to 75.1% last week, while across Sydney 76.9% of reported auctions were successful, while indicates an improvement on a week on week basis, but is lower than one year ago (80.1%).
All cities are expecting more auctions this week when compared to last week, while across Tasmania auctions volumes will remain steady, with 7 scheduled. The most substantial rise in scheduled auctions will be across Brisbane, up from 130 last week to 185 this week and Canberra 77 this week compared to 52 last week.
Adelaide has 91 auctions scheduled this week, while Perth has 36, both of which are similar to the same time last year.
The top three suburbs for the highest volume of auctions this week are all located in Victoria; Bentleigh East (20), Reservoir (19) and Richmond (18).
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Capital city clearance rates hold steady: CoreLogic RP Data's Shana Miller

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Despite the higher than expected clearance rates over the early phase of the new year auction market, auction volumes are yet to reach the same levels seen last year.  
After the weighted capital city average auction clearance rate was tracking in the high 50 percent range throughout December last year, auction results have shown a higher than expected bounce, with the clearance rate holding higher than 70 percent over the past three weeks. The preliminary clearance rate of 72.3 percent has moved higher compared to last week (71.8 percent). 
This week’s preliminary clearance rate is lower relative to last year’s results of 77.3 percent. This week, 2,215 capital city auctions took place, compared to 1,400 last week and 2,372 one year ago. Over the next few weeks it is expected that auction activity will continue to ramp up which will further test the resilience of auction markets on higher volumes.
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 <img src="/images/2016/02/22/20160222-Capital-city.jpg" alt="" width="702" height="527">
This week Melbourne’s preliminary auction clearance rate was 73.0 percent. Melbourne’s auction volumes continue to climb, up from 556 last week to 1,057 this week, which is similar to last year (1,074). On a year to date basis, Melbourne’s auction activity is just -1.4 percent lower than over the same period last year. This week, Inner Melbourne (234), Inner South Melbourne (157) and Inner East Melbourne (146) were the busiest sub-regions across the city, however the best performing region in terms of clearance rate was the Outer East, where 54 auctions were reported with a clearance rate of 79.6 percent. All regions with the exclusion of Mornington Peninsula (62.5 percent) saw clearance rates of at least 70 percent this week.
 
<a href="/images/2016/02/22/20160222-Melbourne.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/02/22/20160222-Melbourne.jpg" alt="" width="662" height="442">
After recording the highest clearance rate for the city since August 2015 last week (78.1 percent), Sydney’s preliminary results show that the clearance rate for the city has slipped slightly lower this week, currently recorded at 77.2 percent. This week 724 auctions were being tracked across the city, higher than the 513 last week, but lower than one year ago when 921 auctions were held across the city. Having recorded a relatively strong clearance rate for the past three weeks, it will be interesting to see if strength is maintained as auction volumes pass the 1,000 mark over the coming weeks.  
Preliminary results show that the performance of each individual sub-region across the city is diverse, with clearance rates as low as 50 percent In Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury (albeit on a very low volume of auctions with just 12 results reported) and as strong as 88.2 percent for the City and Inner South Region and 88 percent across the Eastern Suburbs.
<a href="/images/2016/02/22/20160222-Sydney.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/02/22/20160222-Sydney.jpg" alt="" width="713" height="485">
 
The preliminary clearance rate for Brisbane was 54.5 percent this week, compared to a final auction clearance rate of 48.4 percent last week and a stronger 63.6 percent last year. More homes went to auction this week (169) compared to last week (111) and relative to last year (119). This week’s preliminary clearance rate for the Gold Coast across the 18 reported results is 50 percent.
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<img src="/images/2016/02/22/20160222-Brisbane.jpg" alt="" width="796" height="532">
 
69.9 percent of Adelaide auctions were successful this week, based on preliminary results. Last week a clearance rate of 75 percent was reported and one year ago it was significantly lower at 53.3 percent, however Adelaide’s clearance rate tends to move more than cities with larger auction volumes on a week on week basis.
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<img src="/images/2016/02/22/20160222-Adelaide.jpg" alt="" width="804" height="545">
 
<h1 class="title">Preliminary clearance rate edges slightly higher to 72.3 per cent while auction volumes remain lower than last year</h1>
<div class="post-meta">
by <a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/author/shana-miller/" title="Posts by Shana Miller" rel="author">Shana Miller</a> on <abbr class="date time published" title="2016-02-22T09:33:13+1100">February 22, 2016</abbr>  in <a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/category/auction-results/">Auction results</a>, <a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/category/national-market/">National Market</a>
</div>
<div class="entry">
<a id="dd_start" href=""></a>
Despite the higher than expected clearance rates over the early phase of the new year auction market, auction volumes are yet to reach the same levels seen last year.  After the weighted capital city average auction clearance rate was tracking in the high 50 per cent range throughout December last year, auction results have shown a higher than expected bounce, with the clearance rate holding higher than 70 per cent over the past three weeks.  The preliminary clearance rate of 72.3 per cent has moved higher compared to last week (71.8 per cent). This week’s preliminary clearance rate is lower relative to last year’s results of 77.3 per cent. This week, 2,215 capital city auctions took place, compared to 1,400 last week and 2,372 one year ago. Over the next few weeks it is expected that auction activity will continue to ramp up which will further test the resilience of auction markets on higher volumes.
<a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/20160222-Capital-city.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-6340"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6340" src="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/20160222-Capital-city.jpg" alt="20160222 Capital city" width="979" height="735"></a>
This week Melbourne’s preliminary auction clearance rate was 73.0 per cent. Melbourne’s auction volumes continue to climb, up from 556 last week to 1,057 this week, which is similar to last year (1,074). On a year to date basis, Melbourne’s auction activity is just -1.4 per cent lower than over the same period last year. This week, Inner Melbourne (234), Inner South Melbourne (157) and Inner East Melbourne (146) were the busiest sub-regions across the city, however the best performing region in terms of clearance rate was the Outer East, where 54 auctions were reported with a clearance rate of 79.6 per cent. All regions with the exclusion of Mornington Peninsula (62.5 per cent) saw clearance rates of at least 70 per cent this week.
<a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/20160222-Melbourne.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-6341"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6341" src="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/20160222-Melbourne.jpg" alt="20160222 Melbourne" width="984" height="657"></a>
After recording the highest clearance rate for the city since August 2015 last week (78.1 per cent), Sydney’s preliminary results show that the clearance rate for the city has slipped slightly lower this week, currently recorded at 77.2 per cent. This week 724 auctions were being tracked across the city, higher than the 513 last week, but lower than one year ago when 921 auctions were held across the city. Having recorded a relatively strong clearance rate for the past three weeks, it will be interesting to see if strength is maintained as auction volumes pass the 1,000 mark over the coming weeks.  Preliminary results show that the performance of each individual sub-region across the city is diverse, with clearance rates as low as 50 per cent In Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury (albeit on a very low volume of auctions with just 12 results reported) and as strong as 88.2 per cent for the City and Inner South Region and 88 per cent across the Eastern Suburbs.
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The preliminary clearance rate for Brisbane was 54.5 per cent this week, compared to a final auction clearance rate of 48.4 per cent last week and a stronger 63.6 per cent last year. More homes went to auction this week (169) compared to last week (111) and relative to last year (119). This week’s preliminary clearance rate for the Gold Coast across the 18 reported results is 50 per cent.
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69.9 per cent of Adelaide auctions were successful this week, based on preliminary results. Last week a clearance rate of 75 per cent was reported and one year ago it was significantly lower at 53.3 per cent, however Adelaide’s clearance rate tends to move more than cities with larger auction volumes on a week on week basis.
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Preliminary results show 46.2 percent of Perth auctions sold this week, with 13 reported results so far. In comparison, last week the clearance rate was 31.6 percent, while one year ago 46.4 percent of Perth auctions were successful.
This week auction volumes almost doubled in Canberra, with 104 homes taken to auction, compared to 59 last week. Despite the rise in auction activity, Canberra’s preliminary clearance rate has remained steady at 71.2 percent over the past two weeks. Canberra’s auction market has started 2016 in a relatively strong position, with four consecutive weeks of clearance rates above the 70 per cent mark, similar to what we saw one year ago.
There were 10 auctions across Tasmania this week. Based on preliminary results, five of the six reported auctions were successful.
 
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Combined capital city clearance rate edges slightly higher to 72.3 percent: Shana Miller 

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This week marks the second busiest week for auctions across the combined capital cities this year, with 3,649 auctions held over the week, just short of the 3668 held earlier this year, over the last week of March. 
This week the preliminary clearance rate is 60.1%, having increased, albeit only slightly, from a low of 59.5% last week, the first time the clearance rate has dipped below 60 % since Easter 2013. At the same time last year, both auction volumes (3,908) and the clearance rate were higher (63.7%).
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This week in Melbourne, Australia’s largest auction market, saw the highest volume of auctions so far this year, with 1,828 auctions held across the city, up from 1,510 last week. A preliminary auction clearance rate of 65 % was recorded this week, rising slightly from 64.7 % last week. This time last year, 1,635 properties were taken to auction across Melbourne and a clearance rate of 63 % was recorded. The highest volume of auctions was held across Inner Melbourne this week, with 347 auctions and a preliminary clearance rate of 71 %, the strongest of any other Melbourne sub-region so far this week.
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Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate this week was 56.3 % across 954 auction results. There were a total of 1,284 auctions held across the city. Last week, Sydney had recorded the lowest clearance rate for the year to date (56.7 %), with 1,116 properties going to auction, however this week has seen the clearance rate fall even further and it will be interesting to monitor this as additional results are reported over the next few days. Looking back at this weekend last year, 1,631 auctions were held across Sydney and a clearance rate of 70.6 % was recorded. Sydney’s North Sydney and Hornsby region hosted the most auctions of any Sydney sub-region this week, with 185 properties taken to auction. The preliminary clearance rate for the region is higher than the wider Sydney result, at 62.8 % across 132 results.
Click to enlarge
 <img src="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Sydney.jpg" alt="" width="808" height="545">
There were 211 Brisbane auctions this week with half of the 156 results reported as selling. In comparison, last week the final auction clearance rate for the city was 41% across 226 auctions and this weeks 50% clearance rate is also higher than one year ago when there were 294 auctions with a success rate of 37.8%. The Gold Coast’s preliminary clearance rate was 39.2% across 51 results this week.
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<img src="/images/2015/11/30/20151130-Brisbane.jpg" alt="" width="797" height="529">
 
This week, Adelaide saw a preliminary clearance rate of 59.5 %, with 116 reported results across a total of 155 scheduled auctions. In comparison, over the previous week Adelaide’s clearance rate was 64.4 % and 62.3 % one year ago.
Perth’s clearance rate of 34.4 % across 59 auctions is similar to the previous week, when 40 auctions were held and a clearance rate of 31.3 % was recorded.  Over the same week last year, the clearance rate was a lower 28.3 %, and 62 auctions were held.
Canberra’s preliminary auction clearance rate of 58.6 % this week is lower than last week, when the final auction clearance rate was 61.8 % and also lower than the 59.5 % recorded last year.
 
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Second largest auction weekend for the year: CoreLogic RP Data's Shana Miller

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Auction volumes fell to 3,209 this week, after last week saw auction activity rise to the highest levels seen all year with 3,729 auctions held across the combined capital cities, bringing spring auction volumes to the highest on record.
 The preliminary auction clearance rate slipped further this week, down to 59.2 per cent, compared to 60.1 per cent over the previous week. Over the same weekend last year, 3,507 homes were taken to auction and a clearance rate of 63.7 per cent was recorded.
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<img src="/images/2015/12/7/20151207-capital.jpg" alt="" width="696" height="521">
 
In Melbourne, auction volumes remain high with 1,603 auctions held, despite falling from a record high of 1,876 last week. The clearance rate has fallen, with preliminary results showing a 63 per cent success rate, down from 65.9 per cent last week. This time last year, the clearance rate for Melbourne was 66 per cent across 1,733 auctions. The busiest Melbourne sub-regions this week were Melbourne’s Inner region and the Inner South region, where 323 and 264 auctions were held respectively. The best performing regions in terms of clearance rates this week were Mornington Peninsular, with a clearance rate of 69.4 per cent, albeit on a low volume of reported results (36) and North East Melbourne, where the preliminary clearance rate was 68.4 per cent across a total of 152 results.
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<img src="/images/2015/12/7/20151207-Melbourne.jpg" alt="" width="821" height="552"> 
Sydney was host to 1,051 auctions this week, down from 1,306 last week, while the preliminary clearance rate has fallen for the tenth consecutive week, to 55.6 per cent, from 56.2 per cent last week.  The latest result signifies the 5th week in a row where Sydney’s clearance rate has been under the 60 per cent mark. One year ago 1,294 Sydney homes were taken to auction over the week, and 66.1 per cent were successful. There were five Sydney sub-regions this week where the preliminary clearance rate was above 60 per cent including Inner West (66.1 per cent), Eastern Suburbs (65.2 per cent), City and Inner South (64 per cent) and Northern Beaches and North Sydney and Hornsby (both 62.5 per cent).
 
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<img src="/images/2015/12/7/20151207-Sydney.jpg" alt="" width="691" height="468">
The preliminary clearance rate in Brisbane this week was 46.6 per cent, down from 47.3 per cent over the previous week. Auction volumes were lower this week with 200 auctions held, compared to 215 last week. Meanwhile, across the Gold Coast, 41.4 per cent of the 29 reported auctions were successful.
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<img src="/images/2015/12/7/20151207-Brisbane.jpg" alt="" width="806" height="539">
 
A total of 139 Adelaide homes were taken to auction this week, with a preliminary clearance rate of 70.8 per cent across 96 results, the strongest clearance rate of any capital city this week. Last week, Adelaide’s clearance rate was 58 per cent across 158 auctions.
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<img src="/images/2015/12/7/20151207-Adelaide.jpg" alt="" width="814" height="551">
 
This week was Perth’s busiest of the year, with 80 auctions held this week. Perth’s clearance rate remained steady over the week, at 36 per cent.
Across Canberra a total of 121 auctions were held this week, compared to 98 last week and 87 at the same time last year. Canberra’s preliminary clearance rate of 67.1 per cent is higher than it was the previous week (58.3 per cent).
So far this week, 8 Tasmanian auctions were reported, with just two sales recorded, both prior to their associated auctions.
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First week of summer shows clearance rate slipping further: CoreLogic RP Data's Shana Miller

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The preliminary clearance rate across the combined capital cities rose this week, up from 69.5 percent the previous week to 70.0 percent.
The level of activity across the capital city auction market was similar to the previous week, with 1,863 auctions held this week, compared to 1,876 last week. Auction activity remains well below the comparable week last year, however, when 2,599 capital city auctions were held and 79.1 percent cleared.
After ANZAC weekend last year, there were five consecutive weeks of more than 2,200 auctions held across the combined capitals; however the same activity hasn’t been replicated this year.
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<img src="/images/2016/05/23/20160523-capital-city.png" alt="">
This week, there were 825 auctions held in Melbourne, down from 871 last week, and also lower compared to one year ago (1,162). Preliminary results show that 70.7 percent cleared this week, falling from 71.3 per cent last week and well below the 82.1 per cent one year ago.
Over the past seven weeks, Melbourne has maintained a clearance rate above 70 per cent. The most auction activity this week happened in Melbourne’s Inner sub-region, where 172 auctions were held and preliminary results show a 72.2 per cent clearance rate. On the other hand, the strongest clearance rate across the city so far this week was in the Outer East region at 80 per cent across 50 results from 57 auctions.
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<img src="/images/2016/05/23/20160523-Melbourne.png" alt="">
Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate was 74.2 per cent this week, having fallen from 76.2 per cent last week. The latest result marks the second week in a row where Sydney has been the best performing capital city market. While the clearance rate fell on a week-on-week basis, the number of residential auctions held across the city rose, from 647 last week to 700 this week. Similar to the broader market, Sydney’s auction activity this week is much lower than what was seen last year, when 1,018 auctions were held and 86.2 per cent cleared. Across the individual sub-regions of the city, the best performers this week were City and Inner South (86.5 per cent) and North Sydney and Hornsby (83.0 per cent).
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Across Brisbane 128 auctions were held this week, having fallen from 151 last week and also lower than one year ago (159). Preliminary results show 55.3 per cent of auctions were sold this week, compared to 49.3 per cent last week, meaning this week was the cities strongest clearance rate in twelve weeks. This week’s result is also higher than last year, when 46.2 per cent of Brisbane auctions were successful. There were 47 GoldCoast auctions this week with a preliminary clearance rate of 42.9 per cent.
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Adelaide was host to 92 auctions this week with a preliminary clearance rate of 70.1 per cent. Last week 66.3 per cent of Adelaide’s 103 auctions were successful, while one year ago the city’s clearance rate was 70.9 per cent. Adelaide is the only city where more auctions were held this week compared to last year, when 88 auctions were held.
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<img src="/images/2016/05/23/20160523-Adelaide.png" alt="">
There were 42 Perth auctions held this week, 44 last week and 53 one year ago. The preliminary clearance rate this week is 54.5 per cent, up from 28.9 per cent last week and also higher than one year ago when one third of auctions across the city sold.
Preliminary results show 61.4 per cent of Canberra auctions sold this week, compared to 58.3 per cent last week and 63.5 per cent one year ago. There were 67 Canberra auctions held this week, up from 52 last week, but well below volumes seen last year (103).
5 Tasmanian auctions have been reported so far with just 1 sale.
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Strong clearance rates in the Sydney and Melbourne auction markets: CoreLogic RP Data's Shana Miller

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This week signals the beginning of the end of year auction slow down, with auction volumes falling over the week from 2,989 last week to 1,727 this week. Auction volumes are relatively similar to one year ago, when 1,702 capital city auctions were held.
The number of auctions held this week will be lower in all capital city markets except for Perth, where auction volumes remain virtually unchanged from last week. Melbourne will host 872 auctions this week, down from 1,572 last week, while one year ago just 639 auctions were held across the city. CoreLogic RP Data is currently tracking 457 Sydney auctions, compared to 891 last week and 648 over the same week one year ago.
This year has been the busiest year for auctions on record, with auction volumes expected to come in just over 108,500 for the year. To put this into perspective, there were 104,444 capital city auctions held in 2014, 81,473 in 2013 and just 62,713 in 2012.
Capital City Auctions this week:
<ul>
<li>
Sydney: 470
</li>
<li>
Melbourne: 872
</li>
<li>
Brisbane: 186
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Adelaide: 118
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Perth: 66
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Canberra: 99
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The busiest individual suburbs for auctions across Australia this week are all located in Melbourne. There are 19 auctions scheduled in Craigieburn, 17 in Reservoir and 16 in Mill Park.
Summary of last week’s results:
The combined capital city clearance rate remained below the 60 per cent mark last week, with the final results showing 58.2 per cent of the 2,722 reported auction results sold at auction.
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<img src="/images/2015/12/16/Screen%20Shot%202015-12-17%20at%203.16.13%20PM.png" alt="" width="843" height="873">
Both Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s two largest auction markets saw clearance rates improve marginally last week, up from 63.3 per cent the previous week to 64.9 per cent last week in Melbourne and Sydney’s clearance rate rose from 52.9 per cent to 54.7 per cent last week.
Adelaide, with a clearance rate of 49.3 per cent and Canberra (48.6 per cent) both recorded their lowest clearance rate for the year last week, while Perth’s clearance rate has remained virtually unchanged over the past three weeks.
Brisbane’s final auction clearance rate was 41.9 per cent last week, similar to the 41.5 per cent recorded across the Gold Coast.
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 Beginning of the end of year auction slow down: CoreLogic RP Data's Shana Miller

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The first week of February shows auction market activity continuing to bounce back from the festive period slowdown, with almost twice the number of auctions held this week compared with last week.  
CoreLogic RP Data was tracking 854 auctions this week, compared with 987 auctions over the same week one year ago. The lower number of auctions was mostly due to a low auction numbers in Sydney where there were only 255 auctions held over the week compared with 421 at the same time last year.  
The lower number of homes put up for auction highlights that vendors haven’t been as willing to put their homes into the auction market as they were a year ago.  Auction numbers were actually higher than a year ago across Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.  
Despite the lower number of auctions compared with last year, the preliminary auction clearance rate, based on the 621 auction results reported so far,  was recorded at  71.0 per cent across the combined capital cities. 
This week’s clearance rate was higher than at the same time last year (67.3%) however the clearance rate in Sydney continued to track lower than at the same time last year.  All cities recorded a stronger preliminary clearance rate than what was recorded at the end of 2015, however, with auction numbers still gathering pace over February we should get a better gauge over the coming weeks as to whether the auction market is truly staging a rebound on higher clearance rates.
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<img src="/images/2016/02/08/20160802-Capital-City.jpg" alt="" width="846" height="638">
 
This week, 262 Melbourne auctions were held and so far 206 results have been reported. The preliminary auction clearance rate of 80.1 per cent is higher than last week, when across just 151 auctions, 69.9 per cent were successful. One year ago, Melbourne’s auction clearance rate was 60.7 per cent across 255 auctions. Across Melbourne, the busiest region for auctions this week was the Outer East, where 40 homes went under the hammer. Of the 30 reported results so far, 83.3 per cent have been successful. Melbourne’s Inner East recorded the strongest preliminary clearance rate at 93.8 per cent, however there were only 19 auctions held within the region and 16 results reported so far
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<img src="/images/2016/02/08/20160802-Melbourne.jpg" alt="" width="835" height="560">The Sydney auction market was substantially weaker over the final months of last year when compared to earlier in 2015. Clearance rates fell from the high 80 per cent mark to the mid-50 per cent mark towards the end of the year. Given this, it is likely that a lack of vendor confidence is currently being reflected with only 265 auctions held this week, compared to 421 at the same time last year. Although auction volumes across the city were low, this week Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate was 70.2 per cent, a strong result compared to 44.9 per cent last week (across just 61 auctions), but not reflective of the 80.6 per cent last year. The best performing Sydney sub-regions this week were Inner South West (85.7 per cent across 21 results) and North Sydney and Hornsby, with a clearance rate of 80 per cent across 35 results.
 
 
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<img src="/images/2016/02/08/20160802-Sydney.jpg" alt="" width="811" height="548">
In Brisbane the preliminary clearance rate was 55.8 per cent this week across 77 auction results. There were 111 auctions held in Brisbane this week, compared to 60 last week, with a clearance rate of 52.7 per cent and 109 last year when 47.6 per cent of auctions were successful. Further south, across the Gold Coast there were 33 auctions reported this week with 13 sales.
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<img src="/images/2016/02/08/20160802-Brisbane.jpg" alt="" width="781" height="519">
 
Adelaide’s preliminary clearance rate was 79.4 per cent this week, higher than last week at 61.1 per cent and also higher than one year ago (58.2 per cent). There were 104 Adelaide auctions this week, 97 last week and 94 held over the comparable week last year.
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<img src="/images/2016/02/08/20160802-Adelaide.jpg" alt="" width="801" height="543">
 
In the westernmost city, Perth’s preliminary clearance rate was 35 per cent this week and there were 37 auctions held. Last week, 29 Perth auctions were held and 44.9 per cent were successful, while one year ago 31 Perth auctions were held with a clearance rate of 40 per cent.
Across Canberra 67 auctions were held this week, compared to 27 last week and 69 one year ago. Based on preliminary results this week’s clearance rate is 72.9 per cent, higher relative to last year (67.9 per cent).
CoreLogic RP Data has recorded just 2 auction results across Tasmania this week with one sale.
 
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A strong start to the year, with 71 percent of capital city auctions selling: Shana Miller

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Over recent weeks, auction clearance rates across the nation’s two largest housing markets (Sydney and Melbourne) have been significantly lower than they were 12 months ago however, they haven’t necessarily been all that much lower than the previous years.  While comparing auction volumes and clearance rates to a year ago is valuable, it is much more valuable to look at how these metrics compare across a number of years.
<h3>Melbourne</h3>
<img src="https://www.corelogic.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/article_image_570w_/public/2017-11/2017-11-27-blogimg1.png" alt="2017-11-27--melbourneweeklyauctionclearancerates" width="570" height="214">
Auction clearance rates in Melbourne are currently substantially lower than they were a year ago.  In fact, the clearance rate of 66.9% last week was the lowest since July of last year.  Although clearance rates are lower than they were a year ago, they are at fairly similar levels to what was being recorded at the same time of year in 2013, 2014 and 2015.  The chart really highlights just how much stronger the auction market in Melbourne was a year ago relative to other recent years.
<img src="https://www.corelogic.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/article_image_570w_/public/2017-11/2017-11-27-blogimg2.png" alt="2017-11-27--melbourneweeklyauctionvolumesoverrecentyears" width="570" height="214">
  The volume of properties being taken to auction, particularly over recent months, has generally been higher than over recent years.  By comparison, in 2016 when clearance rates were much higher than they have been this year, the number of properties being taken to auction was relatively lower than over recent years.  The higher number of properties being taken to auction is likely to be having some impact on the weaker clearance rates this year relative to last however, volumes are also much higher currently than they were in 2013, 2014 and 2015 a time at which clearance rates were fairly similar to current levels. Given this, clearance rates are actually holding up quite well considering much higher volumes of auctions.
<h3>Sydney</h3>
<img src="https://www.corelogic.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/article_image_570w_/public/2017-11/2017-11-27-blogimg3.png" alt="2017-11-27--sydneyweeklyauctionclearancerates" width="570" height="214">
Auction clearance rate in Sydney have been at their lowest levels since 2012 over recent weeks and have been on a steady decline throughout 2017.  If you exclude the low volumes in January, last week’s auction clearance rate of 54.8% was the cities lowest clearance rate since December 2015.  Clearance rates have not been consistently as low at this time of year since 2012.  Clearance rates are substantially lower than they were a year ago and are also slightly lower than they were two years ago when APRAs first round of macroprudential policies were significantly impacting Sydney housing demand.  If the previous round of macroprudential policies is a guide we can expect a further weakening of clearance rates over the coming weeks.
<img src="https://www.corelogic.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/article_image_570w_/public/2017-11/2017-11-27-blogimg4.png" alt="2017-11-27--sydneyweeklyauctionvolumesoverrecentyears" width="570" height="214">
  Unlike Melbourne, Sydney is not seeing a substantially higher number of properties being taken to auction compared to recent years.  In fact over recent weeks there has been an equivalent number of auctions across the city to volumes last year when clearance rates were much higher than they are currently, while there have been fewer auctions than in 2015 when clearance rates were similarly weak.  
There has been clear evidence over recent weeks that auction clearance rates have softened in Sydney and Melbourne.  The falling clearance rates in Sydney are occurring on similar volumes of auctions to recent years but matches the recent declines in dwelling values.  In Melbourne, auction clearance rates have slowed and there has also been a moderate slowdown in value growth.  The big difference in Melbourne has been that auction volumes have been much higher so it is difficult to know if the weaker clearance rates are because of the market overall or due to their being too much stock being put up for auction each week. Keep in mind that clearance rates typically soften through Spring as auction volumes increase so we may have to wait until 2018 to truly understand what is driving the apparent weakness in the Melbourne auction market.
Cameron Kusher is head of research for CoreLogic. You can contact him <a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/about/">here</a>.
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ckusher-ujnxiKuFQs

What is driving the clearance rate weakness in Sydney and Melbourne? Cameron Kusher

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Auction activity rose last week with a total of 2,536 homes taken to auction across the national capital cities.

It was up on the 2,085 auctions held the prior week with around 74 percent selling under the hammer.

Over 1,000 homes were taken to auction across both Melbourne and Sydney over the week, the busiest week the cities have seen since early April.

Typically auction markets would be winding down after the second week of December, however this year auction activity is set to remain high leading into the festive period, with around 2,300 auctions to be held over the coming week, Tim Lawless the head of research at CoreLogic advised.

The priciest of the pre-Christmas weekend listings was in Dolans Bay in Sydney (pictured main) which saw the preliminary clearance rate at 76.5 per cent.

The nation's cheapest sale was a $290,000 one bedroom apartment at Tullamarine in Melbourne which saw a preliminary clearance rate of 73.5 per cent, compared with a preliminary rate of 73.6 per cent a week earlier, which was revised down to 67.7 per cent after collection of the final results.

Across the smaller markets, Canberra recorded the highest preliminary clearance rate of 87 percent across 113 auctions, followed by Adelaide with 76 percent success across 96 results.

Adelaide saw a $3.9 million trophy home sale through South Australia Sotheby’s agent Grant Giordano who after marketing the home for the past year decided to go to auction given increased competitive interest.

It was initially scheduled for the weekend when Adelaide went into lockdown last month.

The Adelaide Hills home, designed by architecture firm Woods Bagot to curve into the landscape, was built in 2013, with a pool and tennis court in its 2.6 hectare grounds.

It won the South Australia Institute of Architects award in the new home category.

It sold to an international buyer with permanent residency.

The final weekend before Christmas sees about 2300 auctions scheduled with 1350 being in Melbourne.
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Auction activity rose last week with a total of 2,537 homes taken to auction across the national capital cities

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