In another dismal week for auctions, buyers failed to emerge yesterday for the most expensive houses on offer in Dublin 4. A semi-detached in excellent decorative order at 26 Herbert Park, Dublin 4, was withdrawn from a Lisney auction after bidding failed to reach the reserve. It is now on the market at £3.25 million. The house adjoins one sold recently by former Supreme Court judge Hugh O'Flaherty for around £2.85 million. There's every likelihood that Number 26 will sell in private negotiations in the coming days. While buyers are sitting on their hands in the auction room, they are coming to life afterwards, says Lisney director Tom Day, who is now in negotiations to sell the house. However, the withdrawal of so many houses this week again underlines the mood of the moment. Buyers are no longer in the thrall of the agents, confident that there are enough good houses to go around to choose from, and a lot fewer buyers to compete with. There's also a feeling that the autumn selling season doesn't work as well for the vendor as the spring, as weariness sets in and the weather disimproves.

With so many houses sticking, estate agents are having to fall back on their negotiating skills to pin down buyers. That's not necessarily bad news for auctioneers as post auction deals can often result in a better price, depending on the skill of the negotiator.