The first Super Saturday of the year: RP Data's Melbourne weekend auction preview

The first two weeks of auctions for the year suggest that the improvements recorded over the course of 2013 will be lasting.  

With 1,275 auctions in Melbourne this will be the first weekend with more than 1,000 auctions this year. Last year there was a record 11 weekends with in excess of 1,000 auctions. There are 19% more than this weekend last year.

The highest number of auctions is in South Yarra with 24 followed by Brighton with 23 and Brunswick and Reservoir, both with 20.

The next two weeks are significant, as they will see a return to auction volumes last seen in the fourth quarter of 2013 and the next update of the RP Data Rismark Home Value Index. The index will show if the new peak house value reached in January will be affected by the rise in volumes in February.

In the private sale market vendor discounting tightened from -5.6 to -5.2% in the last completed week indicating that the good start to this year is not confined to the more inner and middle city auction market.

Key data

•       Clearance rate week ending February 16: 69.2%

•       Melbourne auctions expected week ending February 23: 1,275

•       Melbourne private sales time on market week ending February 16: 67 days (houses)

•       Melbourne vendor discounting market week ending February 16: -5.2% (houses)

•       Listings being prepared for market are 9.4% lower in month ending February 16

Robert Larocca is Victorian housing market specialist for RP Data.