Boroondara Suburbs Auction Analysis – Winter 2025 | James Buyer Advocates
Glen Iris, Hawthorn East, Hawthorn, Camberwell, Canterbury, Mont Albert, Surrey Hills, Kew, Balwyn, Balwyn North
Winter Report 2025 by Mal James Melbourne leading Top End Buyer Advocate
Position. Property. Price. Everything else is just delay.
A Market With Depth… and Consequence
Boroondara is no longer the market leader it once was. Auctions that once ran cleanly with multiple bidders now often limp to a pass-in. Yes, the depth is there — but only when the deal is sharp.
Just 59% of homes sold under the hammer in May.
The average Bidderman? 1.7. That’s still depth — but fragile.
Let’s be blunt: less than 1 in 3 homes now sell under the hammer in the Inner East. And that’s not because the buyers aren’t real — it’s because the PPP (Position, Property, Price) isn’t aligned.
Sellers: Strategy Over Stubbornness
The strongest segment in Melbourne — Asian Australian buyers — is concentrated here. And yet, results remain inconsistent. Why?
Sellers are holding out just above market. And that gap, often a few percentage points, is the difference between SOLD and STALE.
Example:
- Sackville Street, Kew: Quoted $10m+, passed in at bottom of the range.
- Elmie St, Hawthorn: Passed in at $4.4m with one bidder. Sold quietly post-auction.
The lesson? Hope is not a strategy. Movement happens when agents (and vendors) read the room.
Buyers: Read the Play — Or Pay
If you’re a buyer in Boroondara right now, you’re not alone — but you’re not safe either.
Too many buyers are bidding against themselves.
Too many are misreading agent signals.
And too many homes that should be sold — aren’t — because advice is off or egos are on.In May:
- 34 auctions, only 20 sold
- Only 8 sold under the hammer
- Many passed in despite having 2–5 bidders (e.g. Kalang Rd, Adeney St, Barton St)
A smarter play? Get independent advice from advocates who’ve done this 1,500+ times — like we do every week.
Conclusion: The Market’s There — If You’re Ready
The market is trying to build momentum — but only when the Position, Property and Price align.
- Sellers: Don’t hold out for a number the market won’t pay.
- Buyers: Don’t let a quote or a crowd fool you.
At James Buyer Advocates, we’re not guessing. We’re reading the numbers, the tone, and the humans in the room. Every Saturday.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re serious about buying or selling in Boroondara, we’ll help you cut through the noise.
We rate, negotiate, and execute — based on fact, not fluff.
| Boroondara M2 | No. of Auctions | Clearance Rate | Avg. Bidderman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 13 | 62% | 1.6 |
| Week 2 | 13 | 54% | 1.8 |
| Week 3 | 8 | 63% | 1.6 |
| Total (M2) | 34 | 59% | 1.7 |
Auctions we physically covered and reported that form a strong basis for our intel
M2 – Week 1 Boroondara
13 auctions
Bidderman: 1.6
Clearance: 62%
HAWTHORN EAST – METHOD CHANGE OR WITHDRAWN
CAMBERWELL – METHOD CHANGE OR WITHDRAWN
KEW, 11 Pleasant Avenue
Agent: James Tostevin – Marshall White
SOI: $2,100,000 – $2,300,000
Crowd: 30
Opening Bid: $2,100,000
On the Market: $2,120,000
Under the Hammer: $2,255,000
Bidderman: 3
CAMBERWELL, 9 Avenue Road
Agent: Brad Cooper – Ray White
SOI: $3,700,000 – $3,900,000
Crowd: 60
Opening Bid: $3,800,000
On the Market: $3,970,000
Under the Hammer: $4,298,000
Bidderman: 4
Our opening bidder today received a bottle of wine for their efforts. They then remained quiet while two other bidders traded bids in rapid fire. Once we were at the pointy end, a fourth bidder stepped in, however bidder three held on to take the keys.
HAWTHORN EAST, 7 Cole Street
Agent: James Tostevin – Marshall White
SOI: $3,300,000 – $3,600,000
Crowd: 80
Opening Bid: $3,700,000
On the Market: $3,800,000
Under the Hammer: $3,800,000
Bidderman: 4
Bidding opened at $3,700,000, with participation from four bidders. The property was announced on the market at $3,800,000 and sold under the hammer at $3,800,000.
HAWTHORN EAST, 3 Station Street
Agent: Toby Parker – Belle Property
SOI: $2,950,000 – $3,245,000
Crowd: 29
Opening Bid: $2,900,000
Passed in: $2,950,000 VB
Sold After: $undisc
Bidderman: 1
Action was slow in Station Street today. A solo bid from the crowd was followed by a vendor bid. With no further action, the property was passed in to the vendor bid. Sold after
HAWTHORN EAST, 34 Mayston Street
Agent: Mark Kainey – Mark Kainey Property
SOI: $2,975,000 – $3,250,000
Crowd: 26
Opening Bid: $2,800,000 VB
Passed in: $3,050,000
Sold After: $3,200,000
Bidderman: 1
Two vendor bids were required before a crowd member was jolted into action. They traded rises with the auctioneer as a couple more vendor bids were added. When the last vendor bid was retracted the property passed into the sole bidder for negotiations. Sold after.
HAWTHORN, 64 Kinkora Road
Agent: Nick Ptak – Marshall White
SOI: $6,000,000 – $6,600,000
Crowd: 36
Opening Bid: $6,000,000 VB
Passed in: $6,100,000
Sold After: $undisc
Bidderman: 1
All smiles from the crowd in Kinkora, but no immediate result. The property was passed in to the solo bidder and negotiations moved inside. Sold after.
CANTERBURY, 20 Wentworth Avenue
Agent: Kellie Liu – Marshall White
SOI: $3,700,000 VB
Crowd: 30
Opening Bid: $3,700,000 VB
Passed in: $3,760,000
Sold After: $undisc
Bidderman: 1
Talk of interest rate cuts around the corner putting pressure back on prices by auctioneer, Brett Philipp. He soon tabled a $3,700,000 vendor bid and another vendor bid before a woman in the crowd took the opportunity to offer a $10,000 rise. Sold after
KEW, 4a Dunlop Avenue
Agent: Chris Barrett – Marshall White
SOI: $3,600,000 – $3,950,000
Crowd: 40
Opening Bid: $3,600,000
Under the Hammer: $3,870,000
Sold After: $undisc
Bidderman: 3
After an initial slow start, two bidders then rapidly traded bids, stalling at $3,860,000. Just as the conclusion seemed inevitable, a third bidder stepped forward with a single $10,000 bid winning them the right to move inside and negotiate. Sold after.
CAMBERWELL, 47 Lynden Street
Agent: Annabelle Feng – RT Edgar
SOI: $3,100,000 – $3,400,000
Crowd: 35
Opening Bid: $3,150,000
Passed in: $3,390,000
Bidderman: 2
With an ample supply of hors d’oeuvres, no one was in a rush to buy this afternoon. Ever so slowly, two bidders exchanged bids yet failed to reach the reserve. After two breaks and some smoked salmon, the property was passed in to bidder one for negotiation.
HAWTHORN, 17 Barton Street
Agent: Sean Evans – Woodards
SOI: $2,600,000 – $2,860,000
Crowd: 50
Opening Bid: $2,600,000 VB
Passed in: $2,600,000 VB
Bidderman: 0
A quiet auction today; opened and closed with a single vendor bid.
HAWTHORN EAST, 38 Roseberry Street
Agent: James Tostevin – Marshall White
SOI: $3,500,000 – $3,850,000
Crowd: 40
Opening Bid: $3,600,000
Passed in: $3,600,000
Bidderman: 1
A man stuck his hand up immediately to open the auction at $3,600,000. A search for a response went unanswered and the property passed on the single opening bid.
Boroondara – Week 2
13 auctions
Clearance: 54%
Bidderman: 1.8
Boroondara – Week 1 and 2
26 auctions
Clearance: 58%
Bidderman: 1.7
HAWTHORN, 9 Riversdale Court
Agent: James Tostevin – Marshall White
SOI: $4,500,000 – $4,900,000
Result: Bought before
Bidderman: 1
ASHBURTON, 35 Yuile Street
Agent: Todd Braggins – Shelter
SOI: $2,600,000 – $2,800,000
Result: Bought before
Bidderman: 1
CAMBERWELL, 8 Amy Street
Agent: Spring Chen – Fletchers
SOI: $3,600,000 – $3,950,000
Crowd: 43
Opening Bid: $3,300,000 VB
Passed in: $3,300,000 VB
Bidderman: 0
After a vendor bid of 3,300,000 to start off and a period of assessment the crowd remained silent as the property was passed in.
CAMBERWELL, 14 Kalang Road
Agent: Annabelle Feng – RT Edgar
SOI: $2,950,000 – $3,245,000
Crowd: 39
Opening Bid: $2,900,000
Passed in: $3,200,000 VB
Bidderman: 1
The backyard auction started right off the cusp with a bid of $2,900,000. Adamant of its worth the auctioneer put in 4 vendor bids bringing it up to $3,200,000 which eventually it was passed in at.
MONT ALBERT, 7 Carlyle Crescent
Agent: Tori McGregor – Marshall White
SOI: $3,300,000 – $3,500,000
Crowd: 47
Opening Bid: $3,300,000 VB
Passed in: $3,300,000 VB
Bidderman: 0
A vendor bid was made and after a vendor discussion was called, the auctioneer attempted to sell which fell flat and was passed in at $3,300,000.
HAWTHORN, 4 Grove Road
Agent: Steve Burke – Belle
SOI: $2,600,000 – $2,860,000
Crowd: 30
Opening Bid: $2,600,000 VB
Passed in: $2,740,000
Bidderman: 1
A $2,600,000 vendor bid opened this auction, followed by a second vendor bid; the lone bidder’s offers failed to encourage further activity or meet the reserve, therefore the property was passed in.
KEW, 14 Holroyd Street
Agent: Sam Wilkinson – Kay & Burton
SOI: $3,850,000 – $4,200,000
Crowd: 40
Opening Bid: $3,900,000
On the Market: $4,300,000
Under the Hammer: $4,510,000
Bidderman: 3
A rapid-fire bidding war here, with bidder 1 opened with an offer of $3,900,000, followed by bidder 2, and the late arrival of a third bidder, resulting in a sale price of $4,510,000.
KEW, 20 Carson Street
Agent: Sophie Su – Kay & Burton
SOI: $3,600,000 – $3,960,000
Crowd: 40
Opening Bid: $3,600,000
On the Market: $4,200,000
Under the Hammer: $4,200,000
Bidderman: 3
From the opening bid of $3,600,000, four bidders were competing for the keys to this property; it was declared ‘on the market’ at $4,200,000, at which price the hammer fell soon after.
CAMBERWELL, 3 Hartwell Hill Road
Agent: Julian Papas – Marshall White
SOI: $2,200,000 – $2,400,000
Crowd: 90
Opening Bid: $2,300,000
On the Market: $2,500,000
Under the Hammer: $2,762,000
Bidderman: 5
Five buyers, within a large crowd, vied for the keys today. Bidding initially climbed rapidly with $10,000 bids. However it later slowed to what Auctioneer James Tostevin referred to as the “torture method”, with small increments of $2000 for the last 30 or so bids. There were tears and applause when the hammer fell to the successful bidder.
HAWTHORN EAST, 22 Anderson Road
Agent: James Tostevin – Marshall White
SOI: $5,000,000 – $5,500,000
Crowd: 42
Opening Bid: $5,000,000 VB
On the Market: $5,250,000
Under the Hammer: $5,410,000
Bidderman: 3
A slower than average auction process had James Tostevin remarking that when he comes back he wants to be a dentist. Pulling teeth it may have felt like, however the numbers show an auction supported by bidders who battled to an on market price and beyond.
CANTERBURY, 15 Margaret Street
Agent: Desiree Wakim – Marshall White
SOI: $3,900,000 – $4,200,00
Crowd: 35
Opening Bid: $4,000,000 VB
Passed in: $4,100,000
Bidderman: 1
Opening on a vendor bid and seeking a rise of $100,000, auctioneer Doug McLauchlan receives one. When no further bids are forthcoming, a vendor referral is made and the property is passed in for negotiation.
HAWTHORN EAST, 9 Harts Parade
Agent: Chris Barrett – Marshall White
SOI: $3,400,000 – $3,700,000
Crowd: 45
Opening Bid: $3,500,000
Passed in: $3,600,000
Bidderman: 2
Bidder 1 opened swiftly at $3,500,000. A second bidder joined in with a couple of $25,000 rises, but soon pulled out as the price rounded up to $3,600,000.
GLEN IRIS, 43 Dillion Grove
Agent: Michael Millington – Shelter
SOI: $2,000,000 – $2,200,000
Crowd: 80
Opening Bid: $2,000,000
On the Market: $2,300,000
Under the Hammer: $2,551,000
Bidderman: 2
A good sized crowd saw a battle between 2 bidders, quickly on the market and soon sold.
Boroondara – Week 3 (8 auctions)
Clearance: 63%
Bidderman: 1.6
Boroondara – Overall (34 auctions)
Clearance: 59%
Bidderman: 1.7
GLEN IRIS, 33 Renwick Street
Agent: Jesse Matthews (Marshall White)
Before auction: $undisc
Bidderman: 1
HAWTHORN, 8 Elmie Street
Agent: Chris Daly (Jellis Craig)
Crowd: 70
Opening Bid: $4,200,000
Passed in: $4,400,000
After Auction: $undisc
Bidderman: 1
Straight out of the gate was the first bidder with an offer of $4,200,000; this was followed by a vendor bid, then the same bidder increasing her offer to $4,400,000. However, no further bidding was forthcoming, causing the property to be passed in. Sold after.
KEW, 31 Adeney Street
Agent: Geordie Dixon-Sima (Jellis Craig)
Crowd: 40
Opening Bid: $3,350,000
Passed in: $3,510,000
After Auction: $undisc
Bidderman: 2
A quick open at $3,350,000, a vendor bid of $50,000 atop, an equivalent rise from the bidder and then a vendor referral. With a second bidder in at the restart with $3,460,000 it felt like as though a reserve may be potentially be reached, however bidding ran out of steam at $3,510,000 and a pass in/negotiate scenario ensued. Sold after.
CAMBERWELL, 44 Radnor Street
Agent: Tim Heavyside (HEAVYSIDE)
Crowd: 50
Opening Bid: $2,040,000
On the Market: $2,200,000
Under the Hammer: $2,610,000
Bidderman: 5
A couple of bidders got it quickly on market at the top of the quote at $2,200,000. Three more jumped it at various points and two of these bidders carried the price into the mid two million range. Heading to the pointy end a few $1000s and $3000s were chipped in for good measure.
GLEN IRIS, 39 Charles Street
Agent: Dean Brooks (Shelter)
Crowd: 50
Opening Bid: $2,300,000
Passed in: $2,500,000 VB
Bidderman: 1
After an opening bid of $2,300,000, a vendor bid of $2,500,000 was placed and the home passed in.
KEW, 1-3 Sackville Street
Agent: Laurence Murphy (Nelson Alexander)
Crowd: 70
Opening Bid: $10,500,000
Passed in: $10,500,000
Bidderman: 1
A buyer made a $10,500,000 opening bid to start the auction, but this failed to encourage any further activity, so the property was passed in.
CANTERBURY, 29 The Ridge
Agent: Nikki Van Gulick (Marshall White)
Crowd: 60
Opening Bid: $4,100,000
On the Market: $4,600,000
Under the Hammer: $5,000,000
Bidderman: 2
The auctioneer could barely finish his spiel before bids can flying in, and not just any bids $100,000 and $200,000 bids. Fast paced and quickly on the market the property sold under the hammer, in front of a large crowd.
GLEN IRIS, 52 Hortense Street
Agent: Zali Reynolds (Shelter)
Crowd: 35
Opening Bid: $2,500,000 VB
Passed in: $2,500,000 VB
Bidderman: 0
The property passed in on a vendor bid after not reaching the reserve.
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