The Australian auction market has strengthened, with a 13% rise in properties going under the hammer last week.

According to CoreLogic, the clearance rate across combined capital cities climbed to 67.4%, marking the highest level since October 2024.

A total of 1,712 auctions took place, with Sydney recording the strongest clearance rate at 73%, followed by Melbourne at 68.4%.

The latest figures indicate a market shift, as smaller capital cities, which led auction performance in late 2024, have now been overtaken by larger markets. Last week, Canberra posted a 64.1% clearance rate, followed by Adelaide (63.3%) and Brisbane (50.7%).

CoreLogic Executive Research Director Tim Lawless expects auction volumes to increase further, with activity traditionally peaking in the lead-up to Easter.

He notes that early trends suggest improving selling conditions, potentially driven by rising buyer confidence as expectations grow for a future interest rate cut.