Warsaw’s Auction Clearance Rates Dip: What Sellers and Buyers Should Watch Now

Fewer Warsaw flats and houses are selling at auction this summer, with June’s citywide auction clearance rate plunging to 57%, the lowest since late 2022. The sudden dip comes as many owners hoped to cash in on soaring demand and a flood of new stock in Praga-Północ and Wilanów.

Why Auction Data Are Under the Microscope

In a city where open market sales can drag on for months, auctions offer a barometer for seller and buyer confidence. When the clearance rate drops, it usually signals buyers are digging in – demanding price cuts – or waiting out what’s seen as an overheated market. The timing is fraught: mortgage rates remain stubbornly high at around 8.2% (NBP June 2026), keeping many would-be buyers on the fence.

The trend has not gone unnoticed. At Dom Aukcyjny Rempex, a leading Warsaw auction house on Karowa Street, fewer than half the apartments in their late June sale found new owners at or above the reserve price. Meanwhile, in Saska Kępa, estate agencies like Metrohouse are reporting more auction properties being withdrawn unsold – a marked shift from the brisk business seen last March when rates topped 70%.

Numbers Behind the Mood Shift

Data from RynekPierwotny.pl, a property analytics firm, show 420 residential lots were offered across the city’s major auction venues in June—up 13% from the same period last year. However, only 239 sold under the hammer, compared to 298 in June 2025. The median auction price in Mokotów for a two-bedroom flat dipped to 1,049,000 PLN, down from 1,120,000 PLN in April. Many sellers are recalibrating expectations in newly built developments around Rondo Daszyńskiego, where unsold listings have doubled since May.

Polish bank analysts point to softening demand among young professionals, a key market in districts like Śródmieście and Ochota. The government’s popular ‘Bezpieczny Kredyt 2%’ programme, credited with propping up first-home purchasers last year, has yet to see its budget renewed for Q3, heaping further uncertainty on price expectations for sellers hoping for quick transactions.

What’s Ahead and How to Prepare

For homeowners looking to sell, industry insiders say it’s crucial to research comparable past auction results in their neighbourhood, not just open market offers, before setting a reserve price. Auction house officials report that ‘overpricing’ reserves accounted for 60% of passed-in properties last month. Conversely, buyers with financing in place are finding a wider selection and more negotiable terms – especially for mid-sized flats in Białołęka and Ursynów. July auctions will be closely watched, as the city’s brokers predict more ‘no sale’ outcomes unless sellers adapt to the new reality. The first major test: the next big auction at Centrum Expo XXI on Prądzyńskiego Street, set for 18 July, with 75 city-centre flats on the block. As the Warsaw market recalibrates, both buyers and sellers are advised to study recent auction outcomes carefully and to be realistic about this summer’s shifting winds.