Guide · Victorian sale rules

The reserve now goes public a week before the auction

From 16 October 2026, every auction and fixed-date sale in Victoria needs the seller’s reserve published on the Property Price Statement at least 7 days before the day. For Melbourne’s selling agents, that moves the hardest conversation in the campaign forward by a week — and gives it a deadline.

Checked against Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance · 16 October 2026

What the rule says

Which sales. Auctions and fixed-date sales held on or after 16 October 2026. A fixed-date sale is one where the seller sets a date and time by which buyers must make their offers.
When. The seller’s reserve must be published on the Property Price Statement at least 7 days before the auction or fixed-date sale. For a Saturday auction, that’s the Saturday before at the latest.
In what form. One dollar figure — no “from”, “over”, “+” or “starting at”.
In writing, both ways. You ask the seller for their reserve in writing, and they confirm it in writing — your recommended figure or their own.
Then the advertising. Update your online advertising within 1 business day of receiving the reserve.

When the reserve changes — or never arrives

Any change to a published reserve, up or down, restarts the 7 days. The sale can’t go ahead until the new figure has been public for another 7 days.
No reserve published, or not published as required, and the auction or fixed-date sale can’t go ahead.
A pre-auction offer is a private sale. The seller can accept one and cancel the auction without waiting out the 7 days.
If the seller rejects a written offer as too low, the indicative price on the Property Price Statement has to be updated. The reserve only moves if the seller wants it to — and if it moves, the 7 days start again.

What it doesn’t cover

Private sales without a fixed date, commercial property sales, and sales the owners run themselves.

What it changes in a Melbourne auction campaign

The reserve used to be a conversation for auction week. Now it has to be settled, in writing and in public, a week before the day.

Count back from auction day. Put the publish-by date in the campaign plan the day the auction date is set. On a four-week campaign, the reserve conversation belongs at the end of week three at the latest.
Raise it at the listing presentation. It’s a new rule, and many sellers won’t yet know their reserve will be published. Better they hear it from you at the start than find out in week three.
Bring evidence, not a feeling. How many buyers have come through, what they’ve said and offered, and the closest recent sales. A reserve the seller has seen the evidence for is easier for them to put in writing.
Leave room to move. Because any change restarts the 7 days, a reserve settled on the deadline leaves no room to adjust it without moving the auction.

How Sidekick helps

Set the sale method and date on a campaign and Sidekick counts down to the publish-by date. As the deadline gets close, the coaching brings the reserve conversation forward — one clear recommendation, with the evidence from your own campaign log behind it. Once the reserve is in, it checks the date still works.