A weathered Art Deco apartment block steps from Coogee Beach has sold for $15 million at a lively auction that drew a crowd of approximately 100 people on Saturday.
The 1920s-era property at 9 and 11 Baden Street comprises two separate titled blocks, each containing three flats, for a total of six apartments. The building’s prime beachfront position, directly across the road from the sand, proved irresistible to potential buyers.
Ten parties registered to bid on the investment opportunity, with interest coming from developers, landbankers, and families looking to establish their children in the tightly held beachside suburb. Six of those registered bidders made offers during the auction.
Bidding commenced at $9 million and climbed steadily in increments of $100,000 and $50,000, eventually sailing past the $11 million reserve before the hammer fell at $15 million.
The property had been guided at $9.5 million prior to the auction.
Selling agent Alexander Phillips from PPD Real Estate described the auction as remarkable. “It’s two blocks of units on separate titles sold in one line,” he said.
Phillips emphasised the property’s enviable location as the key drawcard. “It’s right on the beach in Coogee like, it’s literally across the road, you’re on the beach. That’s why it was so popular,” he noted, describing it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The successful bidder is a developer who plans to demolish the existing structures and construct luxury units on the site. Property records indicate that both 9 and 11 Baden Street previously sold for $1.2 million each in 2009, representing substantial capital growth over the 17-year holding period.
The sale was among 1,489 auctions scheduled across Sydney last week. By Saturday evening, Domain Group had recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 65 per cent from 939 reported results, with 231 auctions withdrawn. Under standard industry practice, withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating clearance rates.
The result reflects ongoing demand for scarce beachfront holdings in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, particularly in established residential areas close to amenities and transport.
Published 2-March-2026
