Live clearance rates are real-time figures that show the percentage of properties successfully sold at auction on any given Saturday, updated as results flow in throughout the day. They are one of the most closely watched indicators of property market sentiment in Australia, giving buyers, sellers, and investors an immediate pulse on demand before the final weekly tally is published.

Understanding how to read these numbers, where they come from, and what context surrounds them can make the difference between bidding with confidence and sitting on the sidelines unnecessarily. This guide breaks it all down.

What Exactly Is an Auction Clearance Rate?

An auction clearance rate is calculated by dividing the number of properties sold at auction by the total number of properties scheduled to go under the hammer, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. For example, if 300 auctions are held on a Saturday and 210 result in a sale, the clearance rate is 70%.

The “live” version of this figure is updated continuously during and after auction day, usually published in real time by data providers such as CoreLogic and Domain. Preliminary figures are typically available by Saturday evening, with a more complete and revised number released midweek once all results, including post-auction private sales and passed-in properties that subsequently sold, are reported in.

Preliminary vs. Final Clearance Rates

• Preliminary rate: Published on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Based on results reported so far. Often higher than the final figure because unreported results tend to skew toward passed-in or withdrawn properties.
• Final rate: Published Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week. Includes all results, giving a more accurate picture.
• Revised rate: Some providers update figures again weeks later as late-reported results come in.

CoreLogic data consistently shows that preliminary clearance rates run 3 to 6 percentage points higher than final rates. Keeping this revision gap in mind helps avoid over-reading a strong Saturday headline number.

How Do You Read Live Clearance Rates in Real Time?

Live clearance rates are published throughout auction day by several free and subscription-based sources. The most widely used include CoreLogic’s auction results tracker, Domain’s auction results page, and state-based real estate institute websites such as the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) and the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW).

When reading a live figure mid-afternoon on a Saturday, keep the following in mind:

1. Sample size matters. A clearance rate of 85% from 40 reported results means far less than 85% from 400 reported results. Early in the day, volumes are low and the figure can swing dramatically.
2. Withdrawal rates. Properties withdrawn before auction (vendor-initiated or buyer-side collapses) are sometimes excluded from the denominator in preliminary counts, which inflates the apparent clearance rate.
3. City-level vs. suburb-level. A city-wide rate of 68% may mask a suburb where every auction cleared, and another where none did. Drilling into suburb-level data gives a sharper picture for buyers or sellers in a specific area.
4. Week-on-week and year-on-year comparisons. A single week’s figure is almost meaningless in isolation. Trends over four to eight weeks, and comparison with the same period in a prior year, reveal the real direction of market sentiment.

What Do the Benchmark Numbers Mean?

• Above 70%: A sellers’ market. Demand clearly exceeds supply, competition at auction is high, and prices are likely rising.
• 60% to 70%: A balanced market. Both buyers and sellers have reasonable negotiating power.
• Below 60%: A buyers’ market. Supply is outpacing demand, vendors may need to negotiate, and there is more opportunity for buyers to secure properties below initial expectations.

What Do Live Clearance Rates Tell Us About the 2026 Market?

The 2026 auction season opened with notable strength. According to Herron Todd White’s February 2026 national property review, the first major auction weekend of the year delivered significantly higher activity and stronger clearance rates than the equivalent week in the prior year. This was a meaningful signal that demand had carried momentum from 2025 into the new year, despite ongoing headwinds.

Those headwinds remain real. The Reserve Bank of Australia moved the cash rate up by 25 basis points at its first meeting of 2026, which added fresh pressure on borrowing capacity. Affordability, serviceability constraints, and the ongoing cost-of-living squeeze all continue to dampen the upper end of the market. Understanding how rate movements feed into buyer demand is essential context for interpreting clearance figures. Our detailed explainer on the interest rates and property price relationship walks through exactly how rate changes filter through to auction outcomes.

On the supply side, tailwinds are providing significant support for clearance rates. Herron Todd White’s February 2026 review noted that total listings across major cities are running approximately 20% below the five-year average. When there are fewer properties for buyers to choose from, competition at each individual auction intensifies, pushing clearance rates higher even as overall sentiment remains cautious.

Other supply-side constraints reinforcing this dynamic include below-target new construction completions, persistently strong labour market conditions supporting household incomes, and ongoing first homebuyer incentive programs in several states that are adding a cohort of active bidders to the market.

One particularly notable pattern from the February 2026 data is that lower-value properties are increasing in price more rapidly than higher-value properties. This tiered dynamic means clearance rates can look very different at the entry level of a suburb compared with its prestige tier. A blended city-wide figure can obscure this divergence entirely.

Why Do Clearance Rates Matter for Buyers and Sellers?

For sellers, a sustained clearance rate above 70% is a strong signal that the auction method is likely to produce competitive bidding and potentially a result above reserve. In a market running at those levels, the risk of passing in is lower and the case for setting an ambitious reserve is stronger.

For buyers, live clearance rates help calibrate bidding strategy. When rates are high, passing on a property in the hope of negotiating privately post-auction is a riskier approach because fewer properties are being passed in. When rates are softer, buyers have more leverage and post-auction negotiation becomes a viable strategy.

For investors, clearance rates feed directly into price growth expectations, which flow through to yield calculations and total return modelling. If you are also evaluating commercial property opportunities, understanding how cap rates vary by state alongside residential clearance trends gives a more complete picture of where capital is flowing.

Clearance Rates and Your Auction Day Preparation

• Check the preliminary rate for your suburb’s auction corridor in the days leading up to your auction to gauge likely competition levels.
• Review the prior four weeks of data, not just the most recent Saturday, to identify a trend rather than a one-off result.
• Note the volume of auctions scheduled that day. A high clearance rate on a low-volume weekend (such as a long weekend) is far less informative than the same rate during a peak autumn or spring campaign.
• Factor in the revision gap: if a preliminary rate of 74% is published Saturday night, the final figure is likely to land somewhere between 68% and 71%.

How Are Live Clearance Rates Different From Other Market Indicators?

Clearance rates measure sentiment and momentum in real time, which makes them distinct from most other property data. Median price data, for instance, is published monthly or quarterly and reflects transactions that were agreed weeks or months earlier. Clearance rates, by contrast, are available the same weekend they occur.

This timeliness makes them particularly useful as a leading indicator. Sustained drops in clearance rates typically precede falls in median prices by one to three months. Conversely, a run of strong clearance rates often signals upward price pressure before it shows up in transaction-level data.

They are, however, only one piece of the puzzle. Clearance rates say nothing about the price achieved relative to vendor expectations, the volume of private treaty sales happening alongside auctions, or the broader financing environment facing buyers. For a fuller picture of how the rate environment shapes purchasing power, our analysis of how interest rates affect property prices in 2026 provides valuable context alongside your clearance rate tracking.

Auction clearance rates also vary significantly by city. Melbourne and Sydney have the highest auction volumes in Australia and therefore the most statistically meaningful clearance rate data. Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth have smaller auction markets where a handful of results can swing the weekly figure materially.

Frequently Asked Questions About Live Clearance Rates

Where can I find live clearance rates every Saturday?

CoreLogic, Domain, and the relevant state real estate institutes (REIV in Victoria, REINSW in New South Wales) all publish live auction results during the day on Saturdays. Most update their trackers hourly as results are reported by agents.

Is a 70% clearance rate good?

A clearance rate above 70% is generally considered indicative of a sellers’ market, where buyer competition is strong and vendors are achieving sale under the hammer. Rates consistently above 75% signal strong price growth conditions.

Why do preliminary clearance rates change by midweek?

Agents are not required to report results immediately. Properties that were passed in or withdrawn tend to be reported later than those sold under the hammer, which means early Saturday data overrepresents successful sales. According to CoreLogic data, the revision typically reduces the preliminary rate by 3 to 6 percentage points.

Do clearance rates predict price movements?

They have historically functioned as a leading indicator. Research from CoreLogic shows that sustained clearance rates above 70% tend to precede quarterly price growth, while rates persistently below 60% have preceded price softening. They are not a guarantee, but they are one of the most timely sentiment signals available.

Keeping a close eye on live clearance rates, understanding the revision cycle, and contextualising the figures against supply levels, interest rate movements, and suburb-level data gives buyers, sellers, and investors a meaningful edge in navigating the Australian property market throughout 2026 and beyond.