Bumper property pre-Easter weekend with record auction results

Sydney and Melbourne have recorded record auction results for the autumn period, ahead of an expected wind-down over the Easter break.

Australian Property Monitors senior economist Andrew Wilson told SmartCompany buyers and sellers in both Sydney and Melbourne should be pleased with the weekend’s results, with clearance rates up almost 5% in Sydney to 78.1%, and up 0.6% in Melbourne to 72.3%.

Wilson said Sydney’s clearance rate has now dipped below 80%, after more than two months above the level.

“This is no real surprise given the high number of listings,” Wilson says. The weekend’s results are based on 1111 listings, 697 auctions and 581 properties sold, compared to 821 listings, 709 auctions and 570 sales last week. Nevertheless, Wilson says it could be sign of a slight downwards trend in the Sydney market.

The most expensive property sold in Sydney was a four bedroom house in Lane Cove on Sydney’s lower north shore, which was sold for $4.9 million. The most affordable property was a studio apartment in Surry Hills, which fetched $220,000 at auction.

In Melbourne, 1277 properties were listed, 944 auctions held and 686 properties sold. This compares to 1007 listings, 898 auctions and 654 properties sold the week before. “It was the best result in a month,” says Wilson.

A three-bedroom house in Toorak was the most expensive property sold at $2.7 million, while a house of the same size in the western suburb of Kurunjang was the most affordable at $235,000.

However, Melbourne may also be following in Sydney’s footsteps, with Wilson saying there are a number of negative aspects of Victoria’s economy that are acting as a drag on the capital city’s clearance rate, which has been falling since the Labour Day weekend in early March.

Wilson highlights the high unemployment rates in Victoria and Melbourne as contributing factors to the performance of the Melbourne property market, as well as the continued decline in the state’s manufacturing sector, which is affecting general economic confidence. 

Wilson said the weekend’s results will give the market “pause for reflection over the next two weeks before it all starts up again”, although the market typically quietens over the winter months.