It seems being a Gold Logie winner has paid off handsomely for The Project host Waleed Aly, who is rumoured to have purchased a $2.1 million property in an inner Melbourne suburb.

Aly and his wife Susan Carland are reported to have bought the house last month after renting in the area for years.

According to the Herald Sun, a real estate agent was reluctant to talk about the sale because “Waleed Aly had been a good client”.

Despite the couple’s high-priced purchase, signs of reduced feverish buyer intent are beginning to emerge at auctions although the Saturday morning auction scene is still a sellers’ market. 

With no capital city achieving 80 per cent plus success rate, Domain’s chief economist Dr Andrew Wilson was cautious reading too much into the nation’s weakened weekend results.

Melbourne secured the highest clearance rate of all the capital cities at 76.8 per cent.

“It may be easing,” he told The Australian Financial Review while adding he would like to see more data before saying we’ve just seen the top.

Dr Wilson said that the overall market direction would centre on the cost of mortgages.

“I think interest rates are the key,” he said.

The national weekend clearance rate of 72.1 was still well up on the 69.7 per cent at the same time last year, CoreLogic data indicate.

The top auction across the country took over an hour to secure at Toorak.

There were three bidders for the property which was announced on the market at $5 million.

Auctioneer Justin Long sold 13 Toorak Avenue, Toorak for $5,733,000. The offering last sold in 1986 at $493,000.

The large solar-heated pool is a feature of this $5.7 million property. Photo: Marshall White

The large granite kitchen contains a work station and walk-in pantry. Photo: Marshall White

Sydney’s top sale was $5.4 million in Strathfield – $900,000 over its reserve price.

The four-bedroom home on a 929 square metre block located on Strathfield’s Golden Mile was marketed by Devine agent Aaron Papadimatos as a rebuild opportunity. 

It is on the same street where the $8.41 million suburb record was paid last year.

The four-bedroom Strathfield home is perfect to live in or rebuild for the future, agents said. Photo: Devine

In Longueville a four-bedroom home sold for $400,000 over reserve.

Bidding for 26 Dunois Street, opened at $4 million and with four registered bidders, it sold for $5.3 million, well above the $3,975,000, it last traded for in 2015.

Auction activity increased significantly across the combined capital cities this week after last week’s Easter break, with 1732 homes taken to market and a preliminary clearance rate of 72.1 per cent, down from 73.9 per cent last week across fewer auctions (493).

Melbourne saw the most significant increase in activity, with volumes increasing from 102 last week to 823 this weekend.

Melbourne sales included world road race champion Judith Arndt who sold the Kensington house she has shared with her partner for $903,000.

The two-bedroom single-fronted timber period residence sold through Rendina director Lou Rending who said they were upsizing in Kensington.

There were three bidders competing with a young professional couple winning the keys, the Herald Sun noted.

It last sold at $643,500 in 2011.

Cycling champion Judith Arndt made a tidy profit on her Kensington home. Photo: Rendina Real Estate

Both Melbourne’s clearance rate and volumes are higher than what was seen over the corresponding week last year, when 69.7 per cent of the 1565 auctions cleared, according to Kevin Brogan, CoreLogic’s auction analyst. 

The 1880s residence Tandarra, a four-bedroom home that was once the Surrey Hills Police Station, sold with buying interest from four bidders. Auctioneer Luke Banitsiotis announced the old cop shop on the market at $2,650,000, with it then sold at $2,867,000.

It came with 3.4m-high ceilings, intricate cornices and ceiling roses, ceiling arches and functional marble fireplaces.

In Sydney, 585 auctions were held this week, up from 279 over the previous week.

The preliminary weekend clearance rate of 75.8 per cent was down from 77 per cent last week and also lower than this time last year, when a clearance rate of 77.4 per cent was recorded across 643 auctions.

A converted community hall in Sydney’s inner-west Summer Hill fetched $500,000 over reserve when 80 Smith Street, which was built by the Salvation Army, sold for $2.7 million on Saturday. 

The former hall has served as a family home with adjoining office space, for the past six years since sold at $1.6 million.

The converted community hall in Summer Hill sold well above reserve. Photo: The Agency

It sold for $2.7 million. Photo: The Agency

Meanwhile, there were no registered bidders when a Holland Park West, Brisbane offering was unsuccessfully put to weekend auction.

The three-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage was relocated to its current location in 1929, when moved from Kangaroo Point to make way for the Storey Bridge.

The Place listing agent Shane Hicks said interest had been “good” from first home buyers, investors and developers who’d like to knock the house down.

But with no registered bidders, the auction was over as soon as it began, The Courier Mail reported.

There were 134 Brisbane auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 45.8 per cent, having increased from 42.3 per cent last week across 32 auctions and higher than one year ago when there were 130 auctions with a success rate of 37.6 per cent.

The most active auction across the country was likely when developers were keen on the prospects for 79 Bage St, Nundah. 

There were 23 registered bidders battling it out for the four-title 1630 square metre holding its two-bedroom colonial home.

The home is likely to be relocated as the site is zoned for multiple houses or multi-unit.

Ray White Ascot agent Damon Warat secured $2.55 million selling to a local developer who will land bank the holding while planning a project.

Twenty-three bidders battled it out for 79 Bage Street Nundah. Photo: Ray White

The site offers several opportunities for buyers. Photo: Ray White

Adelaide saw a preliminary clearance rate of 64 per cent, with 50 reported results across a total of 98 scheduled auctions, while Canberra had 54 auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 70.2 per cent.