Apollo Auctions’ Greg Brydon has been named the 2026 Australasian Auctioneering Champion.
Australia’s newly crowned top property auctioneer has warned Melbourne homeowners to sell now rather than wait, with an alarming scenario developing for the city’s spring market.
Apollo Auctions Australasia general manager Greg Brydon was crowned winner of the 2026 Australasian Auctioneering Championships last week, beating competitors from across the nation as well as New Zealand.
Now he’s warned that with major banks forecasting home value declines as high as 4 per cent in the coming months, sellers who hold off for spring could find themselves caught up in a rush of other sellers.
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According to PropTrack, he and his Victorian auctioneer fellows will put 1254 abodes across the state under the hammer this week.
Mr Brydon said there were advantages to putting a home on the market at the moment, even with an interest rate hike earlier in May and Victoria’s clearance rate hovering in the low to high fifties since March — with a 51 per cent sale rate recorded last week.
“I would say that it’s actually a reasonable time to sell,” Mr Brydon said.
“Because stock levels are lower, if this built-up bank of properties that people are holding off selling all come to the market at once, potentially at the start of spring – which is a fairly traditional start for September – that could really spell an alarming scenario, because you’ve got tight market conditions and more stock.”
Apollo Auctions Australasia general manager Greg Brydon at the 2026 Australasian Auctioneering Championships.
This three-bedroom house at 2/8 Farnham Court, Craigieburn, is one of 1254 Victorian homes set to be auctioned this week. It will go under the hammer on Saturday with a $470,000-$490,000 asking range.
Earlier this week, a Westpac housing forecast update stated that the bank expected to see Melbourne’s dwelling prices decline by 4 per cent across the remainder of 2026.
And at the start of May, PropTrack’s Home Price Index showed Melbourne’s median house had fallen to $1.005m, a $4000 reduction compared to April.
Mr Brydon described Victoria’s current clearance rate numbers as a balanced market, rather than a buyer’s market.
His advice for owners heading to auction was to base their reserve price expectations on the lowest figure they were prepared to sell for, rather than “the price that you’d love to get”.
“So many vendors will set a reserve price based on a price that they would like to get for the home,” he said.
“But even in most markets, vendors should actually be basing their strategy for letting the home go on a price that they wouldn’t sell for – not a price that they would like to sell for.”
Greater Melbourne’s median house price hit $1.005m in April 2026, according to PropTrack. Picture: NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw.
He cautioned against basing price hopes that another nearby house had achieved six months ago, or even six weeks, ago.
“You’re not selling that property, you’re selling your property,” Mr Brydon said.
He encouraged sellers to ask their real estate agents to seek feedback on their desired price range from as many buyers as possible, too.
“The best agents we work with are providing all bits of feedback to the seller, not just the bits of feedback that the seller wants to hear,” he added.
Melbourne suburbs with the most homes slated to go under the hammer this week include Glen Waverley with 20 auctions, Reservoir with 19, Mt Waverley with 17, Craigieburn with 16 and Coburg with 15.
A three-bedroom house, 38 Belmar Ave, Altona, will be auctioned on Saturday with a $1.15m-$1.25m range.
For buyers, Mr Brydon’s words of wisdom were simple – always go to an auction.
“Even if you don’t think you’re in with a shot, if you think it’s going to go over the price, if you think you’re conditional, like you’ve got subject to finance as a condition, potentially, or you’re not really in a position to purchase,” he said.
“We have seen so many deals come together, in the last couple of months, where a buyer has been there on the day.
“The vendor has rewarded them for actually attending the auction, and may actually adjust their expectations lower on the day than what they would have afterwards, because they saw your action of attending the auction.”
There are 1226 auctions scheduled in Greater Melbourne this week, and 28 auctions in regional Victoria.
When it comes to Melbourne housing stock, Mr Brydon said homes with a land component were popular with buyers.
“Anything that’s got land associated with it, even in that two-bedroom category,” he added.
Well-presented homes, rather than dilapidated or unrenovated properties, are also “always going to do well”.
And homes close to train lines are sought-after, but homes located on a main road were often not as in demand, he noted.
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