Where to buy a home in Sydney: 18 suburbs with the most properties for sale

 Sydney’s auction clearance rate was yet again above 80 per cent on Saturday, as hopeful home buyers bid thousands of dollars above reserve to win their slice Australia’s priciest city.

But while vendors in the far-flung reaches of Sydney are rushing to market, an analysis of listings data found it has become a lot tougher in the most desirable parts of the harbour city. 

In Auburn LGA, listings for houses dropped 40 per cent in the year to February. And in Mosman LGA, new listings for apartments dropped by 50 per cent over the same time period.

The 10 areas with fewer homes for sale

1. Auburn (houses)
2. Woollahra (houses)
3. Willoughby (houses)
4. Kogarah (houses)
5. Wollondilly (houses)
6. Mosman (apartments)
7. Holroyd (apartments)
8. Willoughby (apartments)
9. Penrith (apartments)
10. Marrickville (apartments)

Source: Domain Group

For house buyers looking for choice, much of the lower north and inner-west has very little up for sale but new developments in Oran Park, Kellyville and Leppington have created a surge of listings.

Those looking for an apartment should consider the growth zones of Sydney, such as the densifying suburbs of Parramatta, Liverpool, North Sydney and Mascot if they want more options.

Across Sydney, listings are up 30 per cent year-on-year, with developments planned several years ago coming onto the market, Domain Group chief economist Andrew Wilson said.

“There’s the choice of more listings in these areas, which should be a signpost for anyone struggling to get into the market,” Dr Wilson said.

He suggested house hunting in “adjoining” suburbs, where vendors would also be feeling the effects of the growing competition.

“Prices aren’t necessarily going to be soft though – they have been extraordinarily strong markets,” he said.

Blacktown and Bankstown were at the top of the list, largely due to their size. But other suburbs were more surprising.



With more than 90 homes listed in February, Oran Park, self-titled “Sydney’s fastest growing town”, was just behind Bankstown on the list of areas with the most choice for buyers.

This is an area with plenty of new homes being developed that are fast-increasing the local supply, Starr Partners chief executive Doug Driscoll said.

“Oran Park is said to be home to 25,000 residents so there is plenty going ahead in this area to cater for this population boom,” Mr Driscoll said.

The inner-west’s Campsie, an area with a surge of apartments on the market in February, was likely becoming more popular as people are priced out of Newtown and Marrickville, he said.

And in the west, Blacktown and Kellyville were quickly followed by Schofields, Box Hill, Riverstone, Parramatta and Guildford as areas with the most choice.

First National Real Estate Hills Direct sales agent Sanjeev Kumar has been selling new projects and existing homes across these suburbs.

“[The] state government’s initiative to release land in the north-west has opened up new opportunities in the area,” Mr Kumar said.

This includes “apartments, townhouses, off-the-plan house and land in North Kellyville and Box Hill, as well as unregistered land”.

In Box Hill, he has had significant interest in Rosedale Gardens, where prices for house and land packages are in the mid-$700,000s.

When broadening past the “top two” suburbs in each Sydney region, the south-west still shone. Oran Park and Leppington were joined by Austral, Edmondson Park, Gregory Hills, Liverpool and Spring Farm as the top locations.

The lower north, inner west and city and east remained among the most tightly held areas in comparison to the rest of Sydney, said Simon Cohen, co-founder of buyer’s agency Cohen Handler.

Considering the high-level of demand in these locations being seen this year, he expected the market would continue to be tough for buyers.

“Pre-auction offers are definitely a good idea … put forward a good, strong offer and try to close it before the competition gets in.”

Suburbs with the most listings

• Bankstown, Canterbury Bankstown
• Oran Park, South West
• Blacktown, West
• Kellyville, West
• Leppington, South West
• Austral, South West
• Edmondson Park, South West
• Gregory Hills, South West
• Schofields, West
• Liverpool, South West
• Box Hill, West
• Riverstone, West
• Spring Farm, South West
• Parramatta, West
• Castle Hill, Upper North Shore/North West