Brisbane auction clearance rate falls to 21.4%, weakest capital

Brisbane cleared just 21.4% of 145 reported auctions at the weekend, the lowest of any capital in Cotality’s early count. For Queensland agents and project marketers, it signals that resale buyers are not committing at auction, which shapes how stock competes with new sales.

Why it matters

Auctions are one of the clearest weekly reads on buyer confidence. A rate this low means most Brisbane properties offered under the hammer did not sell on the day. Agents selling off-the-plan stock, and developers pricing against nearby resales, should expect more negotiation after the auction rather than on it.

A realestate.com.au headline put the rate at 24%. Early figures move as more results are reported, so this story uses Cotality’s preliminary count. Either way, Brisbane sat at the bottom of the capitals.

The numbers

Capital Brief, citing Cotality, published the early result at 1:05pm AEDT on 11 October. It is a preliminary figure, not the final rate.

• Brisbane: 21.4% from 145 results.
• Combined capitals: 48.8%, with 1,781 auctions held and 1,208 results recorded (589 sold, 619 did not).
• Sydney: 52.9% from 431 results. Melbourne: 54.8%.
• Perth: 28.6%. Canberra: 36.4%. Adelaide: 46.8%.

The prior week’s combined rate was 48.2%, described as the lowest since June. Capital Brief gave no prior-week figure for Brisbane, so we make no week-on-week claim for the city. Brisbane’s rate is 27.4 percentage points below the combined result (48.8 minus 21.4).

What’s next

Cotality publishes final clearance rates after the weekend. Watch whether Brisbane’s final rate holds near the early figure or is revised lower, and whether volumes stay near 145 reported results.

Developers testing feasibilities should treat one weekend as a signal, not a trend. Track the next two or three results before changing sales targets or pricing. For more on the state’s market, see Queensland.