Aug 26, 2026 – 4.49pmThe share of homes listed for auction has nearly halved since the start of the year, as sellers retreat from the public market where buyer appetite has cooled dramatically after successive interest rate rises and Labor’s shake-up of investor tax breaks.When house prices nationally were at their peak in March, 40.4 per cent of new homes listed for sale were being put to auction across the capital cities. Now only 25 per cent of homes are going to auction as vendors and their agents hope for more success via private treaty sales, listings data from Cotality shows.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles