Weekly Property Market Report · 15 August 2026

Weekly Property Market Report

Week Ending Saturday 15 August 2026 · Australian Residential Auction Markets · Domain Preliminary Data

Weekly Property Market Report 2026-08-15

1. Executive Summary

The week the winter freeze finally cracked — but only in patches.

The RBA's decision to hold the cash rate at 4.35% on Tuesday (11 August) — the third consecutive hold since the May hike — has done what three hikes could not: it has started to thaw the auction floor. Sydney's clearance rate jumped to 54% (from 50.3%), Canberra rebounded hard to 57% (from 43.2%), and the combined five-capital TRUE clearance rate held above the July trough. But beneath the headline relief sits a market that is bifurcating violently: the Inner West of Sydney is functioning at 70% sold while the Northern Beaches and Hills District remain in a 25%-or-lower deep freeze, and Melbourne's premium belt is passing in at record rates.

Headline numbers — Week Ending 15 August 2026 (Domain, preliminary)

City Official CR Scheduled Reported Sold Withdrawn Passed In Total Sales Median TRUE CR Withdrawal % Deception Gap
Sydney 54% 561 331 179 106 46 $221.7M $1,650,000 31.9% 18.9% 🟡 22.1pp
Melbourne 57% 570 399 227 61 111 $150.7M $852,000 39.8% 10.7% 🟢 17.2pp
Brisbane 27% 138 91 25 13 53 $25.5M $1,440,000 18.1% 9.4% 🟢 8.9pp
Adelaide 47% 96 53 25 6 22 $18.2M $890,000 26.0% 6.2% 🟢 21.0pp
Canberra 57% 53 40 23 8 9 $14.7M $981,500 43.4% 15.1% 🟡 13.6pp
Combined 52.4% 1,418 914 479 194 241 $430.8M 33.8% 13.7% 18.6pp
Clearance Rate — Official vs TRUE · Week Ending 15 Aug 2026
Sydney54% / 31.9%
Melbourne57% / 39.8%
Brisbane27% / 18.1%
Adelaide47% / 26.0%
Canberra57% / 43.4%
Official CR (Domain)
TRUE CR (Sold ÷ Scheduled)
Deception Gap avg: 18.6pp
Dark inventory: Sydney 41%, Adelaide 44.8%

Market pulse — what the data is really saying:

RBA context: Hold at 4.35% (11 August), third consecutive hold. Governor Bullock: "The board is prepared to act as required to achieve its mandate, including by increasing the cash rate further if needed." Next meeting: late September. Markets price no move; Westpac's two-hike forecast remains the lone hawk outlier. Headline inflation 3.8%, trimmed mean 3.6% — still above the 2–3% band, which is why Bullock won't declare victory. The negative gearing restriction (new builds only) and CGT indexation changes effective 1 July 2027 remain the sword of Damocles over investor-heavy markets.

Key call-outs (bolded for action): - Buy in the Inner West of Sydney now — 70% auction sold rate is the strongest regional reading in the country; Marrickville 5/6, Newtown 4/5, Redfern 5/8. - Do not touch Northern Beaches or Hills District vendor stock — 38-39% withdrawal rates mean price discovery is broken; wait for the capitulation. - Melbourne's North Growth corridor (Craigieburn, Wollert, Epping) is the value trade — 61% sold at $500K–$900K while the premium belt freezes. - Brisbane sellers: go private treaty or wait until October — the auction channel is costing you time and money (0% sold at Southport, 2/2 withdrawn at Calamvale and Palm Beach's coastal strip).


2. Auction Market Deep Dive

Sydney — 54% official, 31.9% TRUE (+3.6pp) — the thaw is real but uneven

Sydney produced its best clearance week since late July: 179 sales from 561 scheduled, median $1,650,000 (+1.4% WoW — the first meaningful median increase in a month). Withdrawals eased to 18.9% of scheduled (still elevated), and — critically — the pre-auction sale pipeline has reignited. My listing-level extraction shows "Sold prior/after" listings appearing across the board: Abbotsford 2/2 (including a $5.2M result), Artarmon 3/3, Camperdown 2/2 ($2.76M and $1.95M), Drummoyne 3/3 ($4.5M top), Concord 2/2 ($2.47M), Roseville 3/3, Willoughby 3/3.

This is the classic winter-bottom signature: buyers who sat on their hands through May–July concluded the RBA was done, and are now writing cheques — but only for well-priced, well-located stock. The residual 18.9% withdrawal rate and 41% unreported gap tell me a large cohort of vendors still refuses to meet the market. Sydney is a two-tier city right now: tier one (inner ring) is transacting, tier two (coastal north, hills, outer west) is still in denial.

Melbourne — 57% official, 39.8% TRUE (-7.1pp) — the premium belt is choking

Melbourne's headline held at 57%, but the TRUE rate fell to 39.8% — the second-worst TRUE reading since June. The composition story is stark: 111 passed-in results (the highest of any city), concentrated in the premium Inner East (22 passed in of 53 Inner East listings — a 42% pass-in rate). Balwyn North 2/9, Malvern East 1/6, Hawthorn 2/5, Doncaster 1/5 — these are blue-chip suburbs where vendors refuse to discount and buyers refuse to overpay. The stalemate is real.

Meanwhile the growth corridors are quietly functioning: South East Growth 82% sold (Keysborough 2/2, Noble Park 3/3, Dandenong North 2/2), North Growth 61% (Craigieburn 5/10, Wollert 5/6, Epping 4/5), and value suburbs like Carnegie 5/5, Caulfield South 5/5, Glenroy 6/8, Preston 6/8. Melbourne's market has split into a $500K–$900K functioning market and a $1.5M+ frozen market — mirroring the Cotality data showing top-end values going backwards while the bottom end grows.

Melbourne median caveat (mandatory): the $852,000 median (-11.2% WoW from $959,500) is compositional. High-priced stock stopped selling at auction (passed in or sold privately above $2M), while mid-market stock continued to transact. Melbourne values did not fall 11% in a week. The comparable Cotality HVI shows Melbourne -1.1% MoM — that is the real price signal.

Brisbane — 27% official, 18.1% TRUE — the auction mechanism has failed

One in five scheduled Brisbane auctions produced a sale. The market is now a private-treaty market wearing an auction sign. Suburb-level: Southport 0/6 (2 withdrawn, 2 passed in, 2 unpublished), Balmoral 0/3 (all passed in), Upper Coomera 0/4, Labrador 0/3, Mermaid Beach 0/3, Surfers Paradise 1/4. The only functioning segments: South Brisbane units 3/3 ($548K–$636K), East Brisbane 2/2 ($3.311M and $1.46M), and isolated prestige sales (Currumbin $5.25M, Bulimba $2.975M, Camp Hill $2.53M). With 34.1% of auctions unreported and only 25 sales all week, Brisbane's clearance is a statistical fiction — the real signal is that vendors are pulling stock or shifting to private sale. Median $1,440,000 is a small-sample artefact; treat it as noise.

Adelaide — 47% official, 26.0% TRUE (-25.8pp) — a reporting collapse, not a market collapse

Adelaide's TRUE rate fell hard — but look at the mechanics: 96 scheduled, only 53 reported (44.8% unreported — the highest of any city this week). This is Adelaide's chronic transparency problem resurfacing, not necessarily a demand collapse. The reported market still functions: only 6 withdrawals (6.2% — lowest in the country), 25 sales including Parkside $2.5635M, Welland $2.41M, Glenunga $1.96M, and a healthy $600K–$1M middle band (Brooklyn Park $818K, Ethelton $950K, Dernancourt $930K, Torrensville $722K). Adelaide remains structurally tight (0.7% vacancy) — but the market is now operating almost entirely off-market and pre-auction. If you're selling in Adelaide, expect the auction to be a formality; the deal happens before the hammer.

Canberra — 57% official, 43.4% TRUE (+15.8pp) — the crisis withdrawal reversed

After last week's 20.7% withdrawal scare, Canberra bounced back hard: 23 sales from 53 scheduled (43.4% TRUE), withdrawal rate back to 15.1%. Duffy $1.805M, Evatt $1.38M, Lyons $1.38M, Braddon $1.375M, Weston $1.26M. The ACT's FHB stamp-duty abolition (July 2026) is continuing to underpin the entry market. Note: Canberra is a small auction market (53 scheduled) — one good weekend swings the rate. But the direction of travel is encouraging.

Pre-auction sale ratio analysis (vendors capitulating before the hammer)

Across my five-city extraction, "Sold prior to auction" and "Sold after auction" listings are running at roughly one pre-auction/after-auction sale for every two auction-day sales in Sydney's inner ring. This is the market's quiet capitulation channel: vendors who price realistically are being rewarded with pre-auction deals; vendors who hold firm are feeding the withdrawal statistics. In Brisbane, the ratio is inverted — almost no one sells before or after; the stock just sits and passes in. The 7NEWS report of Tom Panos's "worst auction day of my career — zero out of six, not a single registered bidder" captures the sentiment precisely: the auction is no longer a reliable price-discovery mechanism in the weakest markets.


3. Spatial Analysis — Sydney (246 suburb articles, listing-level extraction)

Region-by-region breakdown

Region Listings Sold Withdrawn Postponed Passed In Sold % Withdrawal % Key Signal
Inner West 47 33 7 3 4 70% 15% Functioning market. Marrickville 5/6, Newtown 4/5, Enmore 2/5, Camperdown 2/2, Drummoyne 3/3
Lower North Shore 74 37 10 25 2 50% 14% Postponement belt thawing. Lane Cove 4/8 (recovering), Turramurra 3/5, Roseville 3/3 — but Gordon 0/4, Killara 0/3, St Ives 3/9 (56% postponed)
Eastern Suburbs 40 19 4 14 3 48% 10% Prestige selectively trading. Bronte 3/4, Bondi Beach 2/2, Bellevue Hill 1/2 — Randwick 2/6, Bondi 1/4
St George/Sutherland 35 16 7 8 4 46% 20% Steady family market. Sans Souci 3/5, Padstow 2/3, Oatley 1/2 — but Sylvania 0/4, Cronulla 0/1
City Fringe 28 10 7 8 3 36% 25% Unit bifurcation. Redfern 5/8, Surry Hills 3/5 — but Pyrmont 0/4, Potts Point 0/2, Mascot 0/3 (all withdrawn)
Northern Beaches 24 6 9 9 0 25% 38% Still frozen. Dee Why 0/3, Manly 0/3, Mona Vale 1/3, Freshwater 0/2, Newport 0/1, North Manly 0/1
Hills District 18 4 7 6 1 22% 39% Investor retreat. North Kellyville 0/3, Castle Hill 0/1, Baulkham Hills 1/2, Cherrybrook 1/4
Outer/Regional NSW 197 70 52 45 30 36% 26% Mixed; Schofields 3/6, Riverstone 2/2, Goulburn 2/5 functioning

Eastern Suburbs (Bondi-Bronte-Coogee prestige belt)

The prestige belt is selectively thawing. Bronte 3/4 with a $1.425M result plus two withheld prices (likely $4M+), Bondi Beach 2/2, Bellevue Hill 1/2, Bondi Junction 2/2 ($2.05M and a $425K unit), South Coogee 2/4 (with a $4.52M sale). But the volume is thin — only 40 listings for the entire belt — and postponements remain high at 35%. Randwick (2/6, 3 postponed) and Bondi (1/4) show the upper-middle segment is still fragile. Buyer's Agent Take: the trophy market has found its floor. If a genuine eastern-suburbs family home — Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee proper — comes to auction in the next fortnight with a realistic guide, expect competition. Sellers who postponed in July are now being dragged back to market by spring; that's your window.

Inner West (Balmain-Drummoyne-Ashfield correction zone) — THE TRADE OF THE WEEK

70% sold. Marrickville 5/6 ($2.51M top), Newtown 4/5, Enmore 2/5, Camperdown 2/2 ($2.76M + $1.95M), Drummoyne 3/3 ($4.5M + $1.305M), Concord 2/2 ($2.47M), Haberfield 1/2 ($2.235M), Leichhardt 2/3, Croydon Park 2/3 ($3.75M top). This is the strongest regional reading in the country, full stop. The Inner West was the epicentre of the May–June withdrawal crisis; it is now the epicentre of the recovery. Buyer's Agent Take: the correction in the Inner West was 12-15% off peak (my June estimates: Marrickville $2.6M → $2.2M range). The window where you could negotiate 10% below guide is closing. If you're a buyer, this is the moment to be decisive — pre-auction offers are being accepted at 3-5% under guide in this belt, and that discount will be gone by October.

Lower North Shore (Chatswood-Cremorne postponement pattern)

50% sold — the best reading since April, but the pattern is "sell the good, freeze the rest." Lane Cove 4/8 (finally converting its July postponements), Turramurra 3/5, Roseville 3/3 ($2.33M + $3.6M), Artarmon 3/3, Mosman 4/8 ($2.6M + three withheld — likely $5M+), Willoughby 3/3. But Gordon 0/4 (100% postponed), Killara 0/3 (100% postponed), St Ives 3/9 (56% postponed), Wahroonga 2/5 (60% postponed), Lindfield 0/2, and Lane Cove's residual 3 postponements show the belt's psychology is still "wait." Buyer's Agent Take: the postponement-to-withdrawal ratio here is 2.5:1 — these vendors are hoping, not capitulating. Turramurra and Wahroonga are the best value: genuine family stock in the $2.5–3.5M band where two of five Wahroonga properties are now selling. Make pre-auction offers; the $830K and $950K Turramurra results show realistic guides are transacting instantly.

Northern Beaches (Avalon-Newport holiday home distress)

Still the epicentre of the withdrawal epidemic: 25% sold, 38% withdrawal, 38% postponement. Dee Why 0/3 (2 withdrawn), Manly 0/3 (1 withdrawn, 2 postponed), Mona Vale 1/3, Freshwater 0/2, Newport 0/1 withdrawn, North Manly 0/1 withdrawn, Beacon Hill 0/1, Avalon Beach 0/1 postponed. The only sales: Elanora Heights 2/2 ($1.971M + $1.8M) and Frenchs Forest 1/2 ($2.03M) — the "commuter fringe" rather than the beachfront. Buyer's Agent Take: this is where the spring test will be brutal. Beachfront and near-beach vendors are anchored to 2025 prices that the market rejected in May, June, July and now August. When the postponed stock (9 listings this week alone) re-lists in September–October, it will be as private-treaty sales with lowered guides. The buyers who wait 6–8 weeks will pick up Avalon/Newport stock 12–18% below 2025 levels. Do not chase anything on the Northern Beaches today.

Hills District (investor retreat from new estates)

22% sold, 39% withdrawal. North Kellyville 0/3 (2 withdrawn, 1 postponed), Castle Hill 0/1 withdrawn, Kellyville 0/2, West Pennant Hills 1/3, Cherrybrook 1/4, Baulkham Hills 1/2 ($1.325M), Dural 0/2. Buyer's Agent Take: the negative gearing change (new builds only, from July 2027) has killed the off-the-plan investor bid in the Hills. This corridor was propped up by investor demand for new estates; that demand has evaporated. First-home buyers with government support (NSW FHB schemes) are the only active cohort. Expect another 5-8% of price decline through spring as the development pipeline (Castle Hill, Kellyville) floods supply.

City Fringe (unit market stress bifurcation)

36% sold but the split is stark: Redfern 5/8 ($1.2M–$1.65M), Surry Hills 3/5, St Peters 1/1 ($1.97M) — the terrace market works. Pyrmont 0/4 (3 postponed), Potts Point 0/2, Mascot 0/3 (all withdrawn), Zetland 0/1 withdrawn, Darlinghurst 1/3, Woolloomooloo 1/2 — the unit market is broken. Buyer's Agent Take: do not buy off-the-plan or new-build units in the fringe without a 10%+ discount; the Mascot 3/3 withdrawals show vendors still holding 2023 prices for stock that has no bid. If you must buy a unit, buy a red-brick terrace-conversion or pre-2000 walk-up in Redfern/Erskineville at 8-10% under guide.

St George/Sutherland (steady family market)

46% sold, 20% withdrawal — the quiet achiever. Sans Souci 3/5 ($3.5M top — waterfront premium holding), Padstow 2/3, Oatley 1/2 ($2.68M), Ramsgate 1/1 ($840K), Kyeemagh 1/1 ($2.02M), Revesby 2/2, Miranda 2/2 ($1.65M), Yarrawarrah 1/1. Weak spots: Sylvania 0/4, Cronulla 0/1 withdrawn, Caringbah South 0/2, Bexley 0/1. Buyer's Agent Take: this is the family market that never crashed — it just slowed. The $1–2M family-home band in the Shire is the most reliable auction market in Sydney outside the Inner West. For upsizers trading up from units, the Shire remains the sane choice.


4. Agency Quality Tracking (Sydney, ≥3 listings)

Top performers — pushing sales through

Agency Listings Sold Push-Through % Withdrawal % Comment
McGrath McMahons Point 3 3 100% 0% Perfect week
McGrath Leichhardt 3 3 100% 0% Perfect week
Belle Property Surry Hills 5 4 80% 0% Pricing to market
LJ Hooker Schofields 4 3 75% 0% NW corridor specialist
Warwick Williams 6 4 67% 33% Strong push-through, some failures
Ray White Erskineville/Alexandria/Glebe/Surry Hills 6 4 67% 17% Inner West specialist
Ray White Upper North Shore 19 11 58% 0% Highest volume + zero withdrawals
PPD Real Estate 7 4 57% 29% Mixed

Ray White Upper North Shore deserves the week's award: 19 listings, 11 sold, zero withdrawals — the agency is pricing correctly in a market where their own patch (Gordon, Killara, St Ives) is otherwise frozen. That is not luck; that is guide-setting discipline.

Red flags — over-promising to vendors (>40% withdrawal)

Agency Listings Sold Withdrawal % Verdict
Murphy Residential 7 2 71% Five of seven pulled — fundamentally over-quoting
Signature Property Agency 3 0 67% Zero sales, two withdrawals
Raine & Horne Northern Beaches 3 0 67% Beachfront denial
Shire Realty 3 0 100% All three withdrawn
Raine & Horne Newtown 4 1 50% Over-quoting in the Inner West
Stone Real Estate Beecroft/Castle Hill/Epping 7 2 43% Hills District over-promise
The Agency South Illawarra 10 3 40% Regional over-quoting

Buyer's Agent interpretation: The pattern is clear — agencies with disciplined guide-setting (Ray White Upper North Shore, Belle Property) are converting; agencies still quoting 2025 prices (Murphy Residential 71%, Shire Realty 100%) are destroying their vendors' equity by the week. If you are a vendor, this is your free information: your agent's withdrawal rate is the single best predictor of whether you will actually sell this spring. If your agency has a >40% withdrawal rate, renegotiate the guide before you re-list, or change agency. If you are a buyer, target the red-flag agencies' stock — their vendors are the most motivated and the most likely to accept well-below-guide offers privately.


5. Rental Market Context

Rental data (SQM Research, week ending ~11 August 2026):

City Houses $/wk Units $/wk Combined 12-mo Change Vacancy (Jun 2026) Classification
Sydney $1,142.32 (-$3.32 WoW) $758.69 $914.37 +6.5% 1.6% Tight, softening
Melbourne $816.82 (-$0.81 WoW) $606.06 $694.75 +6.0% 1.6% Tight, stable
Brisbane $839.80 (+$10.20 WoW) $646.78 $752.81 +7.8% 0.9% Very tight
Canberra $831.48 (+$1.52 WoW) $602.21 $709.94 +4.8% 1.7% Balanced
National $777.00 $614.00 $701.60 +7.8% 1.3% Tight

Interpretation: Sydney house rents have now fallen for three consecutive weeks (-$1.5% MoM) — the first sustained softening in the cycle's tightest market. This is the rental market transmitting the sales-market slowdown: more investor stock that failed to sell at auction is being converted to rental supply. Brisbane rents jumped +$10.20 WoW on houses — the strongest weekly move in months, consistent with its 0.9% vacancy and migration-driven demand. National combined rents at $701.60 (+7.8% YoY) continue to outpace wage growth, keeping rental affordability stretched.

Yield vs investor rate comparison: With combined-capital gross yields at their highest since August 2019 (Cotality), and the average new investor mortgage rate around 6.2%, a Sydney investor buying at a 3.1-3.3% gross yield still loses money before depreciation — but the gap is narrowing for the first time in two years as prices fall and rents hold. Brisbane at a ~4.2% gross yield is close to cash-flow neutral; Perth remains the standout at 5%+.

Monthly shortfall calculation (typical Sydney house investor): $1,142/wk rent = $59,384/yr income. On a $1.65M property at 70% LVR ($1.155M loan at 6.2%) = $71,610/yr interest-only. Add rates ($3,500), insurance ($2,500), maintenance ($3,000) = ~$21,000/yr pre-tax shortfall — versus $30,000+/yr at the 2025 peak. The shortfall is shrinking, which is exactly why investor activity is starting to creep back into the value corridors (North Growth Melbourne, South East Queensland).


6. Forward-Looking Analysis & Buyer's Agent Playbook

1-week outlook (week ending 22 August)

3-month outlook (winter→spring, through November)

12-month outlook

The Playbook

For First Home Buyers: - Target: Melbourne North Growth (Craigieburn, Wollert, Epping — 61% sold, $500K-$900K), Sydney outer west (Schofields 3/6, Riverstone 2/2 — $1.1-1.5M with FHB concessions), Adelaide northern suburbs ($590K-$850K), Canberra Gungahlin (zero stamp duty from July 2026). - Strategy: You have the strongest hand of any buyer cohort — governments are subsidising you (NSW/VIC FHB schemes, ACT zero stamp duty) while vendors are capitulating. Offer 5-8% under guide at auction and 8-10% under for private treaty. Bid only on stock with <30 days on market; if it has sat longer, the guide is stale — negotiate harder. - Do not: buy off-the-plan (completion risk + the 2027 tax changes will hit new-build investor resale demand). Buy established, buy location, buy what you can hold 7+ years.

For Investors: - Target: Perth (5%+ yields, +5-9% forecast), Brisbane outer ring private-treaty bargains (0.9% vacancy, 4.2% yields), Melbourne North Growth ($700K houses renting $500+/wk = 3.7% gross, near cash-flow neutral post-depreciation). - Strategy: The yield gap vs borrowing costs has closed to its narrowest since 2019. Buy cash-flow-positive or near-neutral assets only. Negotiate hard on Sydney/Melbourne premium — vendors there are 12-18 months behind the market. The negative gearing change means: if you buy established now, you lose the deduction in 2027 — price that into your offer (demand a further 3-5% discount vs pre-policy prices). - Do not: buy Northern Beaches, Hills District new estates, or any Sydney unit in the $1M+ band — the worst risk/reward in the country right now.

For Upsizers (trading up): - Your window is now. You are selling into a soft market but buying into a softer one. The Inner West (70% sold) means your sale is achievable at 3-5% under 2025 peak; your purchase in the prestige belts (Lower North Shore 50% sold, Eastern Suburbs 48%) gets you 8-12% off peak. Net-net you win 5-8%. Execute before spring listings push premium guides back up. - Target: Turramurra/Wahroonga family stock ($2.5-3.5M — realistic guides transacting), Bronte/Coogee proper, St George waterfront (Sans Souci, Oatley).

For Downsizers: - The best conditions in a decade to trade down. Your large family home sells into a functioning sub-$2M market; your apartment purchase (St Leonards, North Sydney, Double Bay units) is 10-15% off peak with zero competition. The City Fringe unit freeze (Pyrmont 0/4, Mascot 0/3) is your buying opportunity — negotiate hard, pay cash, close fast. - Do not: wait for "the bottom." The unit market's bottom is already in for quality stock; the residual decline will hit new-build supply, not the red-brick walk-ups you should be buying.


7. Methodology & Sources

Data sources

Source Data Used Currency
Domain.com.au auction results (5 capital cities) Clearance rates, scheduled/reported/sold/withdrawn/passed-in, medians, total sales, 246 Sydney suburb articles, 192 Melbourne suburb articles, 117 Brisbane, 51 Adelaide, 31 Canberra 15 Aug 2026 (preliminary)
RBA media release mr-26-19 Cash rate hold at 4.35% (11 Aug 2026), governor statement 11 Aug 2026
Cotality (CoreLogic) July 2026 HVI: national -0.7% MoM; Daily HVI; monthly chart pack July 2026
Property Update (Yardney) / Cotality auction report Combined capital CR 55.1% (11-week high); auction volumes -12.5% YoY; withdrawal share 16.2% Week to 9 Aug 2026
SQM Research Weekly rents (houses/units by city), national vacancy 1.3% (Jun), listings +22.8% YoY Week to 11 Aug 2026
Guardian / AFR / 7NEWS Market sentiment, auction popularity decline, Middle East conflict impact, agent commentary Aug 2026
Domain FY27 Forecasts City price forecast ranges June 2026

TRUE clearance computation

TRUE clearance rate = (Sold + Sold Prior + Sold After) ÷ Total Scheduled auctions. Domain's official clearance excludes postponed listings entirely and counts withdrawn in the denominator. The Deception Gap (Official − TRUE) quantifies how much the headline overstates market health. This week's gaps: Sydney 22.1pp, Adelaide 21.0pp, Melbourne 17.2pp, Canberra 13.6pp, Brisbane 8.9pp — all signalling material methodology distortion. Unreported auctions (scheduled but not published) are flagged separately as "dark inventory" — Sydney 41.0%, Adelaide 44.8%, Brisbane 34.1%.

Extraction methodology

Suburb-level data extracted via browser automation of Domain's SPA with span-based DOM parsing (Domain's mid-2026 DOM update moved status/price into separate <span> elements). Status classification: "Sold*" (incl. Sold prior/after) → sold; "Withdrawn" → withdrawn; "Rescheduled"/"Postponed" → postponed; "Passed in" → passed in. Region mappings per the established spatial methodology (7 Sydney regions, 8 Melbourne regions). All data preliminary as of Saturday 15 August 2026; Domain typically revises upward through the following week.

Caveats

This report is prepared for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.