01/06/2026
🔨 My Take on the Latest Auction Numbers
The latest auction data from Interest.co.nz shows that auction activity across New Zealand (for all brands) remained relatively steady over the final week of autumn 23-29 May 2026
📍 340 properties were offered at auction nationwide
📍 112 sold under the hammer
📍 National clearance rate of 33%
At first glance, some people will focus on the 33% clearance rate and see it as a softer result than the previous week's 37%.
I see it a little differently.
We’re in a market where buyers are still active, but far more selective. When the right property is well-presented, well-priced, and properly marketed, competition is still very real.
That’s where auctions continue to do what they’re designed to do... bring committed buyers together, create clarity, and test genuine market demand in a transparent way.
Even when a property doesn't sell under the hammer, the auction process identifies the most motivated buyers, establishes market feedback, and puts the seller in a strong negotiating position immediately afterwards.
To me, if a vendor is comfortable going to market without a price attached, auction should be the first conversation....not the last!
Not every property will sell under the hammer, and that’s never been the full story anyway......But every property deserves the opportunity to be exposed to the market in a way that maximises competition.
That's why I remain a strong advocate for auction as the leading no-price strategy. A strong auction campaign often still delivers value through pre-auction offers or post-auction negotiation.
From what I’m seeing in Hawke’s Bay, well-positioned auction campaigns are still achieving solid engagement when they hit the market with the right strategy behind them.
