Ray White auctions show strength in 2025

Ray White has a 23.4 per cent auction share for the year-to-date, across Australia and New Zealand.

It was clear that confidence began to return to the property market this year, after the RBA provided three rate cuts this year in February, May, and August, and the RBNZ provided six rate cuts for New Zealand.

This was reflected with an average of 4.0 registered bidders and 2.7 active bidders per auction at Ray White, leading to an incredible clearance rate of 71.6 per cent, up 4.39 per cent year-on year.

Melbourne led the charge as the capital with the highest volume of auctions this year, with 8,052 properties sent under the hammer, reaching a 76.8 per cent clearance rate, up 6.09 per cent year-on-year.

“The market moved decisively into a growth phase following the February interest rate cut; the first in four years, which acted as a clear catalyst for renewed confidence and momentum,” Ray White Victoria and Tasmania chief auctioneer Luke Banitsiotis said.

“This shift firmly established seller-favourable conditions, with vendors capitalising on the improved sentiment and competitive buyer activity.

“Subsequent interest rate reductions further stimulated demand, adding genuine depth to the market and creating consistently competitive conditions across campaigns.

“Year-on-year performance reflected this momentum, with a notable uplift in bidder registrations and a significant increase in the proportion of bidders actively participating, reinforcing the strength and resilience of demand.

“Looking ahead to 2026, the market is expected to open with solid momentum, underpinned by constrained stock levels that are likely to intensify competition among buyers.

“Attention will remain firmly on the Reserve Bank of Australia and the direction of monetary policy, with a period of stability playing a critical role in reinforcing current confidence.”

Sydney auctions recorded the highest clearance rate of any capital this year, with 7,802 properties scheduled for auction, and 83.3 per cent sold. This clearance is a 4.17 per cent improvement on last year.

Ray White NSW head of auctions David McMahon said 2025 was defined by a compelling combination of constrained supply and sustained buyer demand.

“We conducted 10 per cent fewer auctions than in 2024, creating a competitive environment that delivered excellent results for sellers,” Mr McMahon said.

“A major catalyst this year was the three interest rate cuts by the RBA, which provided relief for homeowners and renewed confidence for buyers.

“This confidence translated into strong auction attendance, with an average of 4.4 registered bidders and 2.7 active bidders across our auctions for the year.

“Throughout the second half of 2025, these metrics consistently reached 5 registered and 3 active bidders.

“This low supply, high demand dynamic drove our clearance rate to 80.5 per cent, a 4.6 percentage point increase from 2024.”

Mr McMahon said the state’s regional and metro markets performed well throughout 2025.
“Our regional markets conducted 16.5 per cent fewer auctions but experienced a remarkable 25 per cent surge in buyer demand, averaging 3.5 registered and 1.9 active bidders per auction.

“This resulted in a 68 per cent clearance rate for 2025.

“Metro markets showed notable strength compared to 2024. Despite conducting 8.5 per cent fewer auctions, we saw increased competition with an average of 4.6 registered bidders (up 2 per cent) and 2.8 active bidders (up 5 per cent).

“Our metro clearance rate reached an impressive 82.7 per cent, up from 78 per cent in 2024.”

Mr McMahon said two key factors would influence market conditions in 2026: potential RBA rate movements and proposed legislative changes by the Office of Fair Trading.

“While we don't anticipate significant long-term market impact from either, there may be short-term effects,” he said.

“We expect January and February to bring a surge of new listings, creating market energy and momentum.

“As the year progresses we anticipate consistent levels of stock with continued buyer confidence regardless of rate movements, setting the stage for a robust start to 2026.”

The top auction for the Ray White Group this year was in Queensland and went to Ray White Geaney|Kirkwood agents Matthew Geaney and Liam Kirkwood who sold Glencoe Station under the hammer for $35.5 million with eight registered bidders and four registered bidders.

Ray White Queensland COO and auctioneer Gavin Croft said the auction landscape in Queensland was marked by a striking juxtaposition of low supply and high demand, significantly influencing behaviour on auction floors across the state.

“With auction listing volume down 9 per cent year-on-year, average registered bidder numbers were up 7.34 per cent,” Mr Croft said.

“With clearance rates peaking in Brisbane at 86 per cent it was almost survival of the fittest for many buyers competing to secure their dream home.

“Bold opening bids, strong retaliation and big jumps in bid increments came in to vogue. Factors including government stimulus and interest rate reductions intensified the supply/demand issue.

“As 2026 draws closer, for sellers the current market landscape presents favourable conditions, selling in faster time with strong competition likely.

“For buyers, the confluence of low supply and high demand presents both challenges and opportunities. Ensuring you are auction ready with a clear strategy could be the key to securing property in 2026.”

The auction with the highest number of registered bidders was also in Queensland, going to RWC Pacific Group’s Jackson Rameau and Josh Cameron who recorded 80 registered bidders and nine active bidders at their 3/13 Karp Court, Bundall, auction.

Adelaide’s auction market has seen incredible growth over the last few years, with Ray White scheduling 2,587 auctions across the city this year.

Ray White saw a 76.5 per cent clearance rate for its Adelaide auctions, with an average of 6.0 registered bidders and 3.1 active bidders per auction.

“It’s been a very consistent year for South Australia, with Ray White’s auction market share hovering around about 43 per cent across the state,” Ray White South Australia and Northern Territory chief auctioneer John Morris said.

“Our clearance rate has stayed between 70-85 per cent for the whole year, significantly higher than our competition.

“We’ve had record breaking months for auction volume, with two months hosting more than 300 auctions.

“Bidder registrations sat at an average of six for the year which is higher than the group’s average of four.”

Mr Morris said the Adelaide property market had shown incredible strength.

“Around 33 per cent of our buyers were investors, as opposed to the 23 per cent national average, so we’ve seen a strong investment market.

“Personally speaking, for the auctions I’ve called, I’ve seen month-on-month increases on the average sale price.

“For the auctions I called we saw an average of about $650,000 at the start of the year, whereas towards the end of the year the average sale price was about $900,000.”