Homes are taking longer than a month to sell, but not in this suburb

But properties in a handful of suburbs are defying the trend and selling within just a few weeks.

In the three months to December, homes in the ACT were taking a median 40 days to sell, data provided to The Canberra Times by CoreLogic showed.

A breakdown of ACT and surrounding suburbs found houses in Taylor, in Gungahlin, were taking the longest to sell, at a median 83 days.

Googong, in the Queanbeyan region, had a median time on market of 71 days, while Bonner, in Gungahlin, followed with 56.5 days.

Houses in Yass and Young, both in NSW, took 56 and 55 days to sell respectively.

Units, which includes townhouses and apartments, in Franklin, in Gungahlin, and Greenway, in Tuggeranong, were the slowest selling, taking a median 58.5 day and 58 days respectively to change hands.

Units were selling fastest in Watson and Ngunnawal, both in Canberra's north, where time on market was 26.5 days and 27 days respectively.

Houses were selling fastest in Dunlop, in the Belconnen region, where the median time on market was 22.5 days. The neighbouring suburb of Macgregor was close behind, with a median time on market of 23 days.

Homes in the area are in high demand among families, local agent Natalie Roberts from The Real Estate Shop said.

"There's great amenities, great schools, it's relatively quick to get to the city as well," she said.

Dunlop, where the median house price is $817,500, offers small- to mid-sized blocks, which are in high demand among young families and first home buyers, Ms Roberts said.

It was those buyers who were most interested in a three-bedroom Dunlop house Ms Roberts listed for sale in late December. It sold for $855,000 after about 20 days.

The swift sale came as a welcome surprise to sellers Danielle and Matthew Hooper who had anticipated a settlement date around late March.

The growing family, with two kids and a third on the way, were upsizing from their first home.

"It was very quick," Mr Hooper said. "[We received] a lot of offers within 10 to 12 days."

Eight buyers submitted offers on the house, Ms Roberts said.

"We definitely found that one pulled on the heartstrings for a lot of families and first home buyers as well," she said.

While Canberra homes were taking some 40 days to sell, conditions had improved since early 2023, when time on market peaked at 53 days.

But Canberra homes were taking far longer to sell compared with the rest of the capital cities, where the median was 27 days on the market.

It appeared Canberrans were in no rush to buy, CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless said.

The total number of properties for sale in the ACT region was up 11 per cent in December compared with the year prior. This was despite fewer new properties being added to the market.

"The rise in total advertised stock levels can be attributed to a slower rate of absorption rather than a flurry of homes being put up for sale," he said.

Mr Lawless said Canberra wasn't facing an "extreme buyers' market" but more homes available could mean more opportunities to negotiate.

"This is great news for buyers, where they can negotiate harder and have more time to contemplate their purchase without as much pressure or threat of a competitive buyer purchasing the home while they deliberate," he said.

But buyers shouldn't expect all sellers to come to the party.

CoreLogic data shows Canberra sellers were offering less of a discount, a median 3.3 per cent, compared with the year before, 4.2 per cent, even though homes were taking longer to sell.

In most other capital cities, longer time on the market generally led to deeper price cuts, Mr Lawless said.

He said there was a "stubbornness" among Canberra sellers, who don't appear to be discounting their asking prices.

"If they don't get the price they're looking for they're happy for the property to sit there for a bit longer," he said.