Auction clearance rates stagnate
Home buyers in Sydney and Melbourne remained on the sidelines over the weekend, with auction clearance rates failing to reach 60 per cent in either city.
In Sydney, 52.9 per cent of properties cleared – down from 63.4 per cent last weekend. A total of 155 properties sold from the 293 that were initially listed for sale.
The most expensive property to clear at the weekend was a three bedroom house in Bronte NSW, which sold for $2.385 million. The most affordable property sold at the weekend in the capital city was a three bedroom, $235,000 house in Blue Haven, NSW.
In Melbourne, the story was only marginally better with 57.8 per cent of properties clearing over the weekend.
Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) chief executive Enzo Raimondo said auctions had failed to entice buyers in the first half of 2011, with the average rate for the year sitting at 59 per cent.
“This time last year, the average auction clearance rate was 77 per cent,” Mr Raimondo said.
Adelaide continued to underperform with the clearance rate hitting 41.2 per cent, with seven of 17 properties attracting buyers.
While listings are climbing in Brisbane the clearance rate remains stagnant, with just over a quarter of listed properties clearing at the weekend. This equated to eight of the 28 properties selling.