Australia’s national auction clearance rate has dropped to just 45% as of July 2026. That means more than half of all properties going to auction are failing to sell under the hammer. Here in Brisbane, the numbers are even more confronting — just a 16% clearance rate for the week ending July 4, 2026, down from 56% the same week last year. The difference between a strong result and a costly mistake? It comes down to the auction agent.
I’m Henry Wong, RE/MAX Australia’s #1 auction agent in the country. I recently sat down with Joel Davoren, Managing Director of RE/MAX Australia, to answer the three questions sellers ask me most about the auction process. These are the golden nuggets that could save you a lot of heartache and, potentially, tens of thousands of dollars.
These aren’t textbook answers. They come from years of running auction campaigns with a 90%+ clearance rate [internal link to: your auction results or about page] — while the rest of the market struggles to crack 50%.
Here’s what every homeowner considering a sale needs to know.
In this article:
- Is my property actually suited to auction?
- What happens if my property doesn’t sell at auction?
- Does auction limit my buyer pool because of finance conditions?
- Why this matters right now
“Is My Property Actually Suited to Auction?”
This is the question I hear first. And I get it — auction feels like it’s only for premium homes in blue-chip suburbs. That’s not how it works.
Any property can be an auction property. It comes down to having the right agent, the right campaign, and the right network to attract the right buyers.
Let me give you a real example. A former NRL player, Nick Graham, came to me a few years ago after five to six months on market with two other agents. Private treaty hadn’t worked. His home was a heritage property — the pool of buyers was tiny.
Because of our network, which extends well beyond the main property portals like realestate.com.au and Domain, we brought in buyers from locally, interstate, and overseas. In 23 days on market, 57 groups inspected and four registered bidders competed. The result: $1.65 million — significantly more than the previous agents could achieve. And during that campaign, interest rates increased twice.
As REIQ Auctioneer Chapter chair David Holmes put it, “It’s not until you put two or three buyers in competition with each other that you get the true value in the current market.” The key isn’t whether your property “suits” auction. The key is whether your agent has the reach, the experience, and the strategy to create that competition.
“What Happens if My Property Doesn’t Sell at Auction?”
This is the fear that stops most sellers from choosing auction. And it’s based on a misunderstanding.
Auction is not a be-all or end-all. It’s a process. You can sell before auction day, on auction day, or after. The goal is to get buyers competing at a specific point in time.
Here’s something most agents won’t tell you: we have intentionally advised sellers to pass a property in because we believed we could achieve a higher price with conditions after auction day. That’s a strategic decision, not a failure.
At auction, you have the attention of the most buyers physically present at your property than at any other point in the campaign. That’s powerful. Even if the hammer doesn’t fall, you’re positioned to negotiate from strength — not weakness.
With Brisbane’s clearance rate sitting at just 16% in early July 2026, plenty of properties are being passed in right now. But a passed-in result with the right agent is very different from a passed-in result with the wrong one. The post-auction negotiation window — when you still have buyer attention and competitive tension — is where premium results happen when it’s managed strategically.
“Does Auction Limit My Buyer Pool Because of Finance Conditions?”
This is a question I get on a weekly basis. Sellers worry that requiring unconditional contracts on auction day will scare off buyers who need finance approval.
The reality is the opposite. Right up until auction day, a buyer can still make an offer subject to finance, building and pest, cooling off period — even subject to sale. We accept conditional offers throughout the entire campaign.
If we reach auction day and a buyer wants to bid, then yes — it’s unconditional at that point. But by then, we’ve already given our sellers multiple options from conditional buyers along the way.
Our job is to open up options for our sellers, not limit them. And the most important thing is this: it’s the seller’s decision to accept an offer, not the agent’s.
The REIQ has consistently highlighted that auction is one of the most effective ways to determine the true value of a property in a competitive market — precisely because it forces decision-making and brings multiple buyers to the table at a single point in time.
Why This Matters Right Now
With national clearance rates below 50% since late May 2026 and capital city home sales down 16.2% year-on-year, the difference between a good auction agent and the wrong one has never been more consequential.
David Holmes from the REIQ summed it up well: “If you are a professional agent right now, I think you are doing yourself a disservice if you’re not auctioning a property… I believe you’re leaving money on the table.”
Auction remains one of the most powerful selling methods available — but only when it’s run by an agent who knows how to create competition, manage the process, and position the property for every possible outcome. I’m proud to be part of the RE/MAX family, and even prouder of the results we deliver for our sellers.
Competition drives price. Strategy creates competition. And the right agent builds the strategy.
If you’re thinking about selling and you’re not sure whether auction is right for you, get in touch [internal link to: contact page] or give me a call on 0412 471 588. No pressure. Just a conversation about what’s possible.
