September 21, 2026 \u2014 11:19am<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n A couple of \u201cchonky\u201d koalas snoozing in a gum tree upstaged an auctioneer at an Upper Mount Gravatt on Saturday, with all eyes – including the four bidders \u2013 instead glued to the furry housemates.<\/p>\n As bidding kicked off at $1.1 million for the five-bedroom home at 43 Granby Street, the tree-hugging pair remained fast asleep on the bough of a tree just 10 metres from the home.<\/p>\n Another mum added to the rare \u2018Nat Geo\u2019 show when she leapt up a neighbouring tree with her bub on her back.<\/p>\n Despite the welcome distractions, a young family managed to nab the keys for $1.5 million, sparking the vendor to burst into tears at the realisation she\u2019d be farewelling her nature-filled sanctuary and precious housemates.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was emotional for them \u2026 during the auction the wife was crying and when I called it on the market I had to rush to the bathroom to get her tissues,\u201d lead selling agent Ricky Tan of Torres Property said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou talk about every house being unique \u2013 but this one really was special. And I do think those koalas really solidified the deal for buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor the buyer, her family are all in Hong Kong and this house has dual living, so it means they don\u2019t just have a place to stay when they visit, but they don\u2019t have to go to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary either.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was also the first time she was seeing the (home\u2019s resident) koalas in real life. But for the neighbours watching, they were used to it.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were like \u2018oh yeah that\u2019s Carly the koala.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Perched on a 969-square-metre block that backs onto Mount Gravatt Reserve, the mid-century home features hardwood floors, a sprawling patio and its own private walking trail into the bush. It was purchased by the vendors in 2022 for $1.17 million.<\/p>\n While four bidders registered, three actively competed for the keys in front of a small crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the first time I\u2019ve called an auction and haven\u2019t had all eyes on me,\u201d auctioneer Amir Shamsi said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think with this property the home itself the fact it\u2019s a big lot that backs onto the reserve with those beautiful trees and koalas made it popular.\u201d<\/p>\n Shamsi said while the market remained subdued, more genuine buyers had emerged over the past few weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the market is shifting like this we see more buyers trying to get into better suburbs that they maybe couldn\u2019t afford to get into before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Upper Mount Gravatt home was one of 177 scheduled auctions across South East Queensland over the past week. By Saturday evening, Domain recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 29 per cent from 127 reported results, with 13 homes withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold when calculating clearance rates.<\/p>\n In Algester, a five-bedroom brick home sold for $1.49 million in just five minutes to a multi-generational family before a crowd of about 50.<\/p>\n Built nine years ago on a 453-square-metre block close to Algester State School, the sprawling two-level home \u2013 at 40 Woodland Street – boasts 421 square metres under roof while featuring five bathrooms and an EV charging station.<\/p>\n Bidding opened at $1.1 million and rose in rapid $100,000 and then $50,000 increments, selling under the hammer minutes later.<\/p>\n \u201cThe buyers bought three generations with them \u2026 there were the grandparents, parents and kids,\u201d selling agent Jason Song of Ray White Rochedale said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey just loved the configuration. And they were pretty happy to get this one as they saw it as a good time to upgrade.\u201d<\/p>\n Song said while homes such as Woodland Street still commanded strong interest, the market remained rattled \u2013 particularly ahead of a near-guaranteed interest rate rise.<\/p>\n In Ascot, an \u201ceclectic\u201d 1920s home with decorative, soaring ceilings and exposed beams sold for $2.8 million at 38 Alexandra Road during an in-room auction with one active bidder.<\/p>\n The four-bedroom home sits on a 721-square-metre block and blends century-old character features with a modern architectural extension. It last changed hands in 2015 for $1.8 million.<\/p>\n Selling agent Damon Warat, of Ray White Ascot, said the home received prior offers and attracted a handful of genuine buyer groups.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the day we had two registered but one just didn\u2019t compete,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we just negotiated with the one, but we were still able to create some great competition.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lovely home \u2026 and it\u2019s ready to move into with quite an eclectic style.\u201d<\/p>\n Warat said a local family won the keys.<\/p>\n He added that a lack of stock had helped fuel demand in Ascot amid wider slowdowns.<\/p>\n \u201cAscot is a market that people strive to get into and it\u2019s also got a heap of redevelopment going on along Racecourse Road – perhaps more than anywhere else in Brisbane,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n AMP chief economist Dr Shane Oliver said Brisbane\u2019s clearance rate \u2013 while slightly elevated from recent weeks \u2013 still indicated a depressed market.<\/p>\n \u201cRelief, I think, is a fair way off \u2026 and I think the latest rate hike talks have probably intensified things for the market.<\/p>\n \u201cThe RBA has all but confirmed we\u2019ll see another rise \u2026 and now the debate has moved on to whether we see another one.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this is going to keep the property market pretty weak.\u201d<\/p>\n Oliver expects a subdued spring selling market across Brisbane.<\/p>\n \u201cThe demand story remains depressed off the back of rate hike talk and it\u2019s also keeping investors on the sidelines. And of course, none of this is being helped by fuel prices.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s adding to the pain but at the same time we\u2019re coming into the spring selling season so we will see a pickup in listings while demand remains pretty terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n