UK property auction activity maintained strong momentum in April, with the volume of lots offered rising 9.5% year-on-year to 3,433 across the UK, according to the latest data from Essential Information Group (EIG).
Despite the increase in stock coming to market, supply continued to outpace buyer demand, pushing the national success rate down to 64.7%, compared with 68.2% in April last year.
The residential sector remained the key driver of market performance, with the number of residential lots sold increasing 8.1% year-on-year and total funds raised climbing to £333.8m. By contrast, commercial auctions faced a more challenging trading environment, with commercial lots sold falling 25.5% and total funds raised dropping 23.3%.
At a regional level, Yorkshire and The Humber and the West Midlands delivered the strongest year-on-year growth between February and April, recording significant increases in activity, sales and funds raised. The North-West also continued to see high levels of auction activity, underlining sustained investor appetite across the region.
Meanwhile, Scotland continued to post the weakest success rates in the UK, despite a rise in the volume of lots entering the market, highlighting ongoing challenges in converting supply into completed sales.
“Overall, auction activity continues to run ahead of last year across most parts of the UK, particularly within the residential sector,” said David Sandeman, founder and managing director of EIG. “However, the continued increase in stock entering the market is placing pressure on success rates, as higher levels of available stock give buyers greater choice.”
National Auction Analysis
Overall
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| April 2026 | February 2026 to April 2026 | May 2025 to April 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 3,433 (3,136) | ▲ 9.5% | 12,234 (10,935) | ▲ 11.9% | 43,627 (40,066) | ▲ 8.9% |
| Lots Sold | 2,222 (2,139) | ▲ 3.9% | 8,517 (7,682) | ▲ 10.9% | 30,337 (28,335) | ▲ 7.1% |
| Percent Sold | 64.7% (68.2%) | ▼ 5.1% | 69.6% (70.3%) | ▼ 1.0% | 69.5% (70.7%) | ▼ 1.7% |
| Total Raised | £382.2M (£381.7M) | ▲ 0.1% | £1,617.0M (£1,553.1M) | ▲ 4.1% | £6,057.1M (£5,645.1M) | ▲ 7.3% |
Residential
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| April 2026 | February 2026 to April 2026 | May 2025 to April 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 3,091 (2,761) | ▲ 12.0% | 10,918 (9,684) | ▲ 12.7% | 38,752 (35,425) | ▲ 9.4% |
| Lots Sold | 2,020 (1,868) | ▲ 8.1% | 7,610 (6,778) | ▲ 12.3% | 27,012 (25,064) | ▲ 7.8% |
| Percent Sold | 65.4% (67.7%) | ▼ 3.4% | 69.7% (70.0%) | ▼ 0.4% | 69.7% (70.8%) | ▼ 1.6% |
| Total Raised | £333.8M (£318.7M) | ▲ 4.7% | £1,314.1M (£1,235.7M) | ▲ 6.3% | £4,961.5M (£4,511.3M) | ▲ 10.0% |
Commercial
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| April 2026 | February 2026 to April 2026 | May 2025 to April 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 342 (375) | ▼ 8.8% | 1,316 (1,251) | ▲ 5.2% | 4,875 (4,641) | ▲ 5.0% |
| Lots Sold | 202 (271) | ▼ 25.5% | 907 (904) | ▲ 0.3% | 3,325 (3,271) | ▲ 1.7% |
| Percent Sold | 59.1% (72.3%) | ▼ 18.3% | 68.9% (72.3%) | ▼ 4.7% | 68.2% (70.5%) | ▼ 3.3% |
| Total Raised | £48.3M (£63.0M) | ▼ 23.3% | £302.9M (£317.4M) | ▼ 4.6% | £1,095.6M (£1,133.8M) | ▼ 3.4% |
Regional Auction Analysis
As is usually the case, variations across all the measurable parameters can be seen across the regions.
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
East Anglia
(Includes Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 564 (533) | ▲ 5.8% | 512 (480) | ▲ 6.7% | 52 (53) | ▼ 1.9% |
| Lots Sold | 400 (367) | ▲ 9.0% | 364 (336) | ▲ 8.3% | 36 (31) | ▲ 16.1% |
| Percent Sold | 70.9% (68.9%) | ▲ 2.9% | 71.1% (70.0%) | ▲ 1.6% | 69.2% (58.5%) | ▲ 18.3% |
| Total Raised | £69.9M (£64.6M) | ▲ 8.2% | £60.8M (£58.0M) | ▲ 4.7% | £9.2M (£6.6M) | ▲ 39.1% |
East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 995 (923) | ▲ 7.8% | 894 (807) | ▲ 10.8% | 101 (116) | ▼ 12.9% |
| Lots Sold | 707 (657) | ▲ 7.6% | 633 (559) | ▲ 13.2% | 74 (98) | ▼ 24.5% |
| Percent Sold | 71.1% (71.2%) | ▼ 0.1% | 70.8% (69.3%) | ▲ 2.2% | 73.3% (84.5%) | ▼ 13.3% |
| Total Raised | £115.5M (£120.4M) | ▼ 4.1% | £87.7M (£77.0M) | ▲ 14.0% | £27.7M (£43.4M) | ▼ 36.1% |
London
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 935 (905) | ▲ 3.3% | 869 (829) | ▲ 4.8% | 66 (76) | ▼ 13.2% |
| Lots Sold | 683 (660) | ▲ 3.5% | 629 (598) | ▲ 5.2% | 54 (62) | ▼ 12.9% |
| Percent Sold | 73.0% (72.9%) | ▲ 0.1% | 72.4% (72.1%) | ▲ 0.4% | 81.8% (81.6%) | ▲ 0.2% |
| Total Raised | £304.2M (£312.1M) | ▼ 2.5% | £264.5M (£265.3M) | ▼ 0.3% | £39.7M (£46.8M) | ▼ 15.2% |
North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 749 (669) | ▲ 12.0% | 704 (605) | ▲ 16.4% | 45 (64) | ▼ 29.7% |
| Lots Sold | 515 (492) | ▲ 4.7% | 484 (442) | ▲ 9.5% | 31 (50) | ▼ 38.0% |
| Percent Sold | 68.8% (73.5%) | ▼ 6.4% | 68.8% (73.1%) | ▼ 5.9% | 68.9% (78.1%) | ▼ 11.8% |
| Total Raised | £45.1M (£43.4M) | ▲ 3.9% | £34.0M (£29.2M) | ▲ 16.2% | £11.1M (£14.1M) | ▼ 21.6% |
North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,767 (1,523) | ▲ 16.0% | 1,626 (1,383) | ▲ 17.6% | 141 (140) | ▲ 0.7% |
| Lots Sold | 1,236 (1,099) | ▲ 12.5% | 1,136 (1,004) | ▲ 13.1% | 100 (95) | ▲ 5.3% |
| Percent Sold | 69.9% (72.2%) | ▼ 3.2% | 69.9% (72.6%) | ▼ 3.7% | 70.9% (67.9%) | ▲ 4.4% |
| Total Raised | £161.4M (£145.3M) | ▲ 11.0% | £133.7M (£125.0M) | ▲ 7.0% | £27.7M (£20.4M) | ▲ 36.0% |
North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 826 (823) | ▲ 0.4% | 728 (723) | ▲ 0.7% | 98 (100) | ▼ 2.0% |
| Lots Sold | 593 (575) | ▲ 3.1% | 522 (495) | ▲ 5.5% | 71 (80) | ▼ 11.3% |
| Percent Sold | 71.8% (69.9%) | ▲ 2.7% | 71.7% (68.5%) | ▲ 4.7% | 72.4% (80.0%) | ▼ 9.5% |
| Total Raised | £152.0M (£153.3M) | ▼ 0.8% | £123.1M (£112.0M) | ▲ 9.9% | £29.0M (£41.3M) | ▼ 29.9% |
Northern Ireland
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 92 (79) | ▲ 16.5% | 60 (58) | ▲ 3.4% | 32 (21) | ▲ 52.4% |
| Lots Sold | 48 (38) | ▲ 26.3% | 32 (22) | ▲ 45.5% | 16 (16) | ▼ 0.0% |
| Percent Sold | 52.2% (48.1%) | ▲ 8.5% | 53.3% (37.9%) | ▲ 40.6% | 50.0% (76.2%) | ▼ 34.4% |
| Total Raised | £5.1M (£4.7M) | ▲ 7.6% | £3.4M (£2.1M) | ▲ 58.1% | £1.7M (£2.6M) | ▼ 34.2% |
Scotland
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 378 (308) | ▲ 22.7% | 262 (205) | ▲ 27.8% | 116 (103) | ▲ 12.6% |
| Lots Sold | 155 (134) | ▲ 15.7% | 127 (104) | ▲ 22.1% | 28 (30) | ▼ 6.7% |
| Percent Sold | 41.0% (43.5%) | ▼ 5.7% | 48.5% (50.7%) | ▼ 4.3% | 24.1% (29.1%) | ▼ 17.2% |
| Total Raised | £15.6M (£15.9M) | ▼ 1.7% | £11.4M (£10.0M) | ▲ 14.0% | £4.2M (£5.9M) | ▼ 28.4% |
South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,763 (1,667) | ▲ 5.8% | 1,590 (1,529) | ▲ 4.0% | 173 (138) | ▲ 25.4% |
| Lots Sold | 1,188 (1,154) | ▲ 2.9% | 1,060 (1,053) | ▲ 0.7% | 128 (101) | ▲ 26.7% |
| Percent Sold | 67.4% (69.2%) | ▼ 2.6% | 66.7% (68.9%) | ▼ 3.2% | 74.0% (73.2%) | ▲ 1.1% |
| Total Raised | £278.9M (£281.0M) | ▼ 0.7% | £226.7M (£232.8M) | ▼ 2.6% | £52.3M (£48.2M) | ▲ 8.4% |
South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,186 (968) | ▲ 22.5% | 1,019 (833) | ▲ 22.3% | 167 (135) | ▲ 23.7% |
| Lots Sold | 851 (725) | ▲ 17.4% | 724 (615) | ▲ 17.7% | 127 (110) | ▲ 15.5% |
| Percent Sold | 71.8% (74.9%) | ▼ 4.1% | 71.1% (73.8%) | ▼ 3.7% | 76.0% (81.5%) | ▼ 6.7% |
| Total Raised | £163.2M (£149.6M) | ▲ 9.1% | £130.8M (£123.5M) | ▲ 5.9% | £32.5M (£26.1M) | ▲ 24.4% |
Wales
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 683 (688) | ▼ 0.7% | 570 (584) | ▼ 2.4% | 113 (104) | ▲ 8.7% |
| Lots Sold | 469 (447) | ▲ 4.9% | 392 (375) | ▲ 4.5% | 77 (72) | ▲ 6.9% |
| Percent Sold | 68.7% (65.0%) | ▲ 5.7% | 68.8% (64.2%) | ▲ 7.2% | 68.1% (69.2%) | ▼ 1.6% |
| Total Raised | £60.8M (£57.9M) | ▲ 5.0% | £44.4M (£42.9M) | ▲ 3.6% | £16.4M (£15.0M) | ▲ 9.0% |
West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,255 (1,056) | ▲ 18.8% | 1,145 (970) | ▲ 18.0% | 110 (86) | ▲ 27.9% |
| Lots Sold | 962 (753) | ▲ 27.8% | 879 (689) | ▲ 27.6% | 83 (64) | ▲ 29.7% |
| Percent Sold | 76.7% (71.3%) | ▲ 7.6% | 76.8% (71.0%) | ▲ 8.2% | 75.5% (74.4%) | ▲ 1.5% |
| Total Raised | £155.4M (£125.5M) | ▲ 23.8% | £127.6M (£107.3M) | ▲ 18.9% | £27.8M (£18.2M) | ▲ 52.3% |
Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| February 2026 to April 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,041 (793) | ▲ 31.3% | 939 (678) | ▲ 38.5% | 102 (115) | ▼ 11.3% |
| Lots Sold | 710 (581) | ▲ 22.2% | 628 (486) | ▲ 29.2% | 82 (95) | ▼ 13.7% |
| Percent Sold | 68.2% (73.3%) | ▼ 7.0% | 66.9% (71.7%) | ▼ 6.7% | 80.4% (82.6%) | ▼ 2.7% |
| Total Raised | £90.0M (£79.4M) | ▲ 13.3% | £66.2M (£50.7M) | ▲ 30.6% | £23.8M (£28.7M) | ▼ 17.3% |
Disclaimer: The figures are based on sales data provided to by the property auctioneers.
Read the orginal article: https://propertyindustryeye.com/property-auction-sector-continues-to-outperform-last-year/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=property-auction-sector-continues-to-outperform-last-year
