Private Treaty Clearance Rates
Why auction results alone do not tell the full market story
Auction clearance rates are regularly reported as an indication of property market performance. But when an auction clearance rate falls to 50%, it raises an interesting question: how many properties listed for private treaty are actually selling?
Private treaty sales rarely receive the same weekly attention, despite representing a significant part of the property market.
Understanding the Difference
An auction clearance rate measures the proportion of reported auction campaigns that result in a sale, generally including properties sold before, during or shortly after auction.
Private treaty sales operate differently. Properties are marketed at an asking price or price guide, with buyers submitting offers and negotiating with the seller.
There is no equivalent, consistently reported national weekly private treaty clearance rate. Unlike auctions, private treaty campaigns have no common event date against which results can be measured.
What Should Agents Be Measuring?
Comparing auction and private treaty performance requires more than looking at clearance rates.
Useful measures include:
- ● Sale conversion: How many listed properties eventually sell.
- ● Days on market: How long it takes to secure a buyer.
- ● Price performance: The relationship between asking prices, offers and final sale prices.
- ● Buyer engagement: How many enquiries, inspections and offers a campaign generates.
These measures provide a broader understanding of how effectively properties are selling.
Why Transparency Matters
A lower auction clearance rate does not automatically mean private treaty is a better sales method. Both approaches are affected by pricing, buyer demand and market conditions.
Platforms such as Offers Live can help agents manage and compare private treaty offers through a structured process, supporting clearer communication and reporting.
The question should not simply be which sales method has the highest clearance rate, but which approach delivers the most suitable outcome for the seller, supported by meaningful evidence.
Posted 28th July, 2026