Buyer confidence is rising, but it’s not all good news.

Melbourne’s property market is heating up again. September saw a 12.3% surge in home loan approvals – the strongest monthly jump since 2021. Buyer optimism is growing, especially across inner lifestyle suburbs like Kew, Hawthorn, Richmond, and Northcote.

But here’s what you need to understand:

Most of these approvals are conditional.

These buyers may be ready to act, but many can’t bid unconditionally at auction.

This is where strategy counts.

Choosing auction by default, without understanding the true depth of your buyer pool, can backfire. Fewer bidders. Higher chance of pass-ins. Longer time on market. And ultimately, discounting.

Meanwhile, the smartest vendors are getting ahead by tailoring their campaign to match the buyer profile.

Here’s what we’re seeing:

• – Average days on market in Melbourne is 5+ weeks.
• – Villa units between $700k–$1M are selling strongest.
• – Our tailored campaigns are consistently selling in under 3 weeks.
• – Private sale campaigns have achieved offers above asking and ahead of auction competitors.

Not every property suits the same process. A premium result often comes from a private campaign backed by sharp marketing, early prep, and a negotiation-led strategy, not just crossing fingers for auction day.

If you’ve been waiting for the market to improve, it has. But now it’s about execution.

Let’s talk about the strategy that suits your property, and why it’s worth getting it right from the start.