The property fever that has gripped Sydney and Melbourne throughout 2015 is maintaining its grip into December. At a time of year when volumes traditionally taper off as the holiday season approaches, there are still large numbers of properties being put to market.

With volumes up and sellers keen to close a deal before the holidays, the remaining two weeks before Christmas could create good buying opportunities.

A hefty 1,449 properties were listed to go to auction in Melbourne on Saturday. The number of recorded sales was 720, and the clearance rate was a respectible 63%. 

In Sydney, 885 properties were listed for auction on Saturday, and the clearance rate was 56%, the lowest result for the year. But in popular areas such as the eastern suburbs, the inner west, and the CBD, clearance rates remained above 60%.