Auction activity warms up - March 2011
Auction clearances are on the up in Sydney and Melbourne, but the activity levels in both cities are still a long way from the highs recorded this time last year, according to Australian Property Monitors.
In Sydney, 62.2 per cent of all properties cleared over the weekend.
The most expensive property sold in the capital city was $2.3 million three bedroom house in Newtown, while the most affordable property purchased was a $205,000 three bedroom house in Tregar.
While the auction clearance rate was slightly higher than the 58.5 per cent recorded the weekend before, it was still a long way from the 73.5 per cent recorded this time last year.
And the story in Melbourne was much the same.
More than 64 per cent of properties cleared in the capital city over the weekend, a long way from the 79.7 per cent achieved this time last year.
Despite the fall in auction clearances, Real Estate Institute of Victoria chief executive Enzo Raimondo said from a city wide perspective, Melbourne’s residential auction market is very consistent right now.
“This weekend, there was a total of 881 auctions reported of which 579 sold, 302 were passed in, 191 of those on a vendors bid,” Mr Raimondo said.
“The REIV is expecting over 800 auctions on each of the next three weekends, continuing this weekend’s solid number of listings.”