property
Geelong Auction Pass-Ins Reveal Pricing Gaps in Armstrong Creek and Highton
Four homes failed to sell at the weekend auctions as vendors held firm on reserves while buyer interest cooled.
How we reported this
Four Geelong properties passed in at auction on Saturday after failing to attract bids above vendor reserves, with two in Armstrong Creek and one each in Highton and Belmont.
The results come as Victoria’s first-home buyer incentives expand and national construction numbers slide, leaving local sellers exposed when their expectations exceed what current bidders will pay. Armstrong Creek’s rapid subdivision growth has drawn families priced out of Melbourne’s outer west, yet recent listings there show reserves set 8 to 12 percent above comparable sales from late 2025.
Suburbs and streets where reserves were not met
At 14 Riverwood Drive in Armstrong Creek a four-bedroom house with a 650-square-metre block passed in at $785,000 after one bid. Two streets away at 9 Ironbark Circuit the same outcome occurred at $720,000. In Highton, a renovated weatherboard at 22 Roslyn Road reached $910,000 before bidding stalled. Belmont’s 48 Shannon Avenue, a 1950s weatherboard near Kardinia Park, passed in at $665,000. All four vendors declined to negotiate further on the day.
Domain Group data for the Geelong region recorded a 58 percent clearance rate across 19 auctions last weekend, down from 71 percent in the corresponding week of 2025. The Victorian median house price sits at $680,000, yet Armstrong Creek medians have climbed to $745,000 on the back of the state government’s 2024 growth-area infrastructure package that funded the new Armstrong Creek Community Hub.
What vendors and buyers can do now
Agents at Ray White Geelong and Fletchers Geelong report vendors who passed in are now considering price reductions ahead of private-treaty campaigns that will run through the July school holidays. Buyers who attended the auctions have been advised to submit offers 5 to 7 percent below the passed-in figures within the next fortnight before fresh stock arrives from the Surf Coast hinterland. Local conveyancers note that settlement delays linked to the Geelong CBD renewal works have also lengthened finance approval times, adding further caution to bidding decisions.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.