Townsville Auction Clearance Rates Hit 71% in Strong June QuarterUpdated

Townsville auction clearance rates hit 71 percent in the June quarter, up from 59 percent a year earlier, as 28 of 39 listed homes found buyers on or before auction day.

The lift arrives as the city’s median house price sits at $392,000, well below the state average, and as military relocations continue to swell demand in several northern suburbs.

Local suburbs show clearest lift

Four properties in Idalia sold under the hammer in the past month, including a four-bedroom home on Carthew Street that fetched $485,000 after three rounds of bidding. In Bohle Plains, two blocks on Parkinson Court cleared at or above reserve on the same weekend, both snapped up by investors chasing 6.2 percent gross yields. Townsville City Council’s planning documents flag another 180 lots scheduled for release in the same corridor before December.

Defence Housing Australia’s local program has added 120 new tenancies since January, most concentrated around Lavarack Barracks and the nearby suburb of Murray. Agents report that uniformed buyers now account for one in five inspections at weekend auctions.

What the numbers show

CoreLogic’s June data recorded 39 auctions scheduled across Townsville, with 28 clearing. The median days on market for cleared properties fell to 22, down from 31 in the same quarter last year. Investor activity remains strong, with 14 of the 28 sales settled by buyers using interest-only loans at current 6 percent-plus yields.

Buyers planning to attend the next round of auctions should check the Townsville Bulletin’s weekly listings on Thursdays and confirm finance pre-approval at least 48 hours before the event. Properties listed under $450,000 continue to draw the widest interest, particularly those within 10 kilometres of the city centre or the Strand waterfront.