The UK property auction market started 2025 on a subdued note, with the volume of lots offered and sold remaining largely unchanged compared to the previous year, according to the Essential Information Group (EIG).
However, a standout factor was the significant 16.9% increase in total funds raised, primarily driven by strong performance in the commercial sector.
The commercial auction market demonstrated notable resilience, with a 24.2% increase in lots sold, a 29.4% jump in the percentage sold, and an impressive 101.3% surge in total raised revenue.
EIG’s David Sandeman commented: “While the residential sector faced some challenges with a slight decline in lots sold, it still managed an 9.5% increase in total revenue, indicating that demand persists for well-priced properties.
“These figures suggest that despite a generally steady sales environment, higher-value transactions and increased buyer confidence in the commercial market contributed significantly to the overall financial uplift.”
| Overall Statistics January 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots Offered | 1,468 |
| Total Lots Sold | 955 |
| Percent Sold | 65.1% |
| Total Realised | £172,184,800 |
On a regional level, the data presents a mixed picture, with several areas experiencing declines across key auction metrics. However, regions such as London and the West Midlands stood out for their growth, while the East Midlands, South East Home Counties, South West, and Yorkshire maintained stability compared to the previous year.
Sandeman continued: “Although the number of lots offered and sold may not have surged, the increase in total funds raised suggests that properties are achieving higher average sale prices. This trend highlights the importance of competitive pricing in the current market, as well-positioned properties continue to attract buyer interest even amid broader market slowdowns. The start of 2025 may reflect a measured approach from both buyers and sellers, but the sustained increase in revenue provides an optimistic outlook for the coming months.”
National Auction Analysis
Overall
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| January 2025 | November 2024 to January 2025 | February 2024 to January 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,468 (1,464) | ▲ 0.3% | 7,575 (7,881) | ▼ 3.9% | 39,473 (36,487) | ▲ 8.2% |
| Lots Sold | 955 (966) | ▼ 1.1% | 5,139 (5,496) | ▼ 6.5% | 28,188 (25,668) | ▲ 9.8% |
| Percent Sold | 65.1% (66.0%) | ▼ 1.4% | 67.8% (69.7%) | ▼ 2.7% | 71.4% (70.3%) | ▲ 1.6% |
| Total Raised | £172.2M (£147.3M) | ▲ 16.9% | £1,049.2M (£1,039.9M) | ▲ 0.9% | £5,554.7M (£4,895.9M) | ▲ 13.5% |
Residential
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| January 2025 | November 2024 to January 2025 | February 2024 to January 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,349 (1,340) | ▲ 0.7% | 6,664 (6,955) | ▼ 4.2% | 34,873 (31,980) | ▲ 9.0% |
| Lots Sold | 878 (904) | ▼ 2.9% | 4,514 (4,884) | ▼ 7.6% | 24,964 (22,499) | ▲ 11.0% |
| Percent Sold | 65.1% (67.5%) | ▼ 3.6% | 67.7% (70.2%) | ▼ 3.6% | 71.6% (70.4%) | ▲ 1.7% |
| Total Raised | £148.3M (£135.5M) | ▲ 9.5% | £818.7M (£842.4M) | ▼ 2.8% | £4,426.8M (£3,814.4M) | ▲ 16.1% |
Commercial
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| January 2025 | November 2024 to January 2025 | February 2024 to January 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 119 (124) | ▼ 4.0% | 911 (926) | ▼ 1.6% | 4,600 (4,507) | ▲ 2.1% |
| Lots Sold | 77 (62) | ▲ 24.2% | 625 (612) | ▲ 2.1% | 3,224 (3,169) | ▲ 1.7% |
| Percent Sold | 64.7% (50.0%) | ▲ 29.4% | 68.6% (66.1%) | ▲ 3.8% | 70.1% (70.3%) | ▼ 0.3% |
| Total Raised | £23.9M (£11.9M) | ▲ 101.3% | £230.5M (£197.5M) | ▲ 16.7% | £1,127.9M (£1,081.4M) | ▲ 4.3% |
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)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 305 (385) | ▼ 20.8% | 278 (346) | ▼ 19.7% | 27 (39) | ▼ 30.8% |
| Lots Sold | 206 (281) | ▼ 26.7% | 184 (254) | ▼ 27.6% | 22 (27) | ▼ 18.5% |
| Percent Sold | 67.5% (73.0%) | ▼ 7.5% | 66.2% (73.4%) | ▼ 9.8% | 81.5% (69.2%) | ▲ 17.8% |
| Total Raised | £33.7M (£47.4M) | ▼ 28.8% | £28.7M (£42.1M) | ▼ 31.7% | £5.0M (£5.3M) | ▼ 6.0% |
East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 645 (597) | ▲ 8.0% | 550 (521) | ▲ 5.6% | 95 (76) | ▲ 25.0% |
| Lots Sold | 441 (448) | ▼ 1.6% | 370 (386) | ▼ 4.1% | 71 (62) | ▲ 14.5% |
| Percent Sold | 68.4% (75.0%) | ▼ 8.8% | 67.3% (74.1%) | ▼ 9.2% | 74.7% (81.6%) | ▼ 8.5% |
| Total Raised | £83.8M (£74.0M) | ▲ 13.2% | £59.1M (£59.0M) | ▲ 0.0% | £24.7M (£15.0M) | ▲ 65.2% |
London
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 602 (567) | ▲ 6.2% | 560 (531) | ▲ 5.5% | 42 (36) | ▲ 16.7% |
| Lots Sold | 443 (426) | ▲ 4.0% | 411 (396) | ▲ 3.8% | 32 (30) | ▲ 6.7% |
| Percent Sold | 73.6% (75.1%) | ▼ 2.0% | 73.4% (74.6%) | ▼ 1.6% | 76.2% (83.3%) | ▼ 8.5% |
| Total Raised | £213.1M (£210.1M) | ▲ 1.4% | £179.0M (£183.3M) | ▼ 2.3% | £34.0M (£26.8M) | ▲ 27.0% |
North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 484 (644) | ▼ 24.8% | 456 (604) | ▼ 24.5% | 28 (40) | ▼ 30.0% |
| Lots Sold | 353 (491) | ▼ 28.1% | 332 (465) | ▼ 28.6% | 21 (26) | ▼ 19.2% |
| Percent Sold | 72.9% (76.2%) | ▼ 4.3% | 72.8% (77.0%) | ▼ 5.5% | 75.0% (65.0%) | ▲ 15.4% |
| Total Raised | £26.6M (£31.9M) | ▼ 16.6% | £21.8M (£27.5M) | ▼ 20.7% | £4.8M (£4.4M) | ▲ 9.2% |
North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,069 (1,136) | ▼ 5.9% | 958 (1,036) | ▼ 7.5% | 111 (100) | ▲ 11.0% |
| Lots Sold | 726 (796) | ▼ 8.8% | 663 (727) | ▼ 8.8% | 63 (69) | ▼ 8.7% |
| Percent Sold | 67.9% (70.1%) | ▼ 3.1% | 69.2% (70.2%) | ▼ 1.4% | 56.8% (69.0%) | ▼ 17.7% |
| Total Raised | £105.8M (£93.8M) | ▲ 12.8% | £85.3M (£77.1M) | ▲ 10.6% | £20.5M (£16.7M) | ▲ 22.6% |
North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 501 (560) | ▼ 10.5% | 442 (495) | ▼ 10.7% | 59 (65) | ▼ 9.2% |
| Lots Sold | 364 (394) | ▼ 7.6% | 319 (351) | ▼ 9.1% | 45 (43) | ▲ 4.7% |
| Percent Sold | 72.7% (70.4%) | ▲ 3.3% | 72.2% (70.9%) | ▲ 1.8% | 76.3% (66.2%) | ▲ 15.3% |
| Total Raised | £92.8M (£111.4M) | ▼ 16.7% | £73.8M (£87.4M) | ▼ 15.6% | £19.0M (£24.1M) | ▼ 21.0% |
Northern Ireland
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 44 (58) | ▼ 24.1% | 44 (43) | ▲ 2.3% | 0 (15) | ▼ 100.0% |
| Lots Sold | 20 (25) | ▼ 20.0% | 20 (18) | ▲ 11.1% | 0 (7) | ▼ 100.0% |
| Percent Sold | 45.5% (43.1%) | ▲ 5.6% | 45.5% (41.9%) | ▲ 8.6% | 0.0% (46.7%) | ▼ 100.0% |
| Total Raised | £2.1M (£2.4M) | ▼ 13.1% | £2.1M (£1.9M) | ▲ 10.3% | £0.0M (£0.5M) | ▼ 100.0% |
Scotland
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 294 (310) | ▼ 5.2% | 208 (203) | ▲ 2.5% | 86 (107) | ▼ 19.6% |
| Lots Sold | 89 (108) | ▼ 17.6% | 54 (71) | ▼ 23.9% | 35 (37) | ▼ 5.4% |
| Percent Sold | 30.3% (34.8%) | ▼ 12.9% | 26.0% (35.0%) | ▼ 25.7% | 40.7% (34.6%) | ▲ 17.6% |
| Total Raised | £11.8M (£17.1M) | ▼ 30.5% | £3.2M (£5.8M) | ▼ 44.8% | £8.6M (£11.2M) | ▼ 23.1% |
South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,214 (1,209) | ▲ 0.4% | 1,087 (1,095) | ▼ 0.7% | 127 (114) | ▲ 11.4% |
| Lots Sold | 805 (822) | ▼ 2.1% | 709 (741) | ▼ 4.3% | 96 (81) | ▲ 18.5% |
| Percent Sold | 66.3% (68.0%) | ▼ 2.5% | 65.2% (67.7%) | ▼ 3.7% | 75.6% (71.1%) | ▲ 6.3% |
| Total Raised | £190.7M (£184.0M) | ▲ 3.6% | £152.1M (£155.1M) | ▼ 2.0% | £38.6M (£28.9M) | ▲ 33.7% |
South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 580 (604) | ▼ 4.0% | 506 (501) | ▲ 1.0% | 74 (103) | ▼ 28.2% |
| Lots Sold | 427 (429) | ▼ 0.5% | 372 (356) | ▲ 4.5% | 55 (73) | ▼ 24.7% |
| Percent Sold | 73.6% (71.0%) | ▲ 3.7% | 73.5% (71.1%) | ▲ 3.4% | 74.3% (70.9%) | ▲ 4.8% |
| Total Raised | £94.1M (£86.1M) | ▲ 9.3% | £80.5M (£69.5M) | ▲ 15.9% | £13.6M (£16.6M) | ▼ 18.1% |
Wales
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 408 (440) | ▼ 7.3% | 354 (373) | ▼ 5.1% | 54 (67) | ▼ 19.4% |
| Lots Sold | 263 (288) | ▼ 8.7% | 224 (245) | ▼ 8.6% | 39 (43) | ▼ 9.3% |
| Percent Sold | 64.5% (65.5%) | ▼ 1.5% | 63.3% (65.7%) | ▼ 3.7% | 72.2% (64.2%) | ▲ 12.5% |
| Total Raised | £39.4M (£31.8M) | ▲ 24.0% | £23.9M (£25.2M) | ▼ 5.2% | £15.5M (£6.6M) | ▲ 136.4% |
West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 778 (711) | ▲ 9.4% | 693 (628) | ▲ 10.4% | 85 (83) | ▲ 2.4% |
| Lots Sold | 540 (515) | ▲ 4.9% | 476 (453) | ▲ 5.1% | 64 (62) | ▲ 3.2% |
| Percent Sold | 69.4% (72.4%) | ▼ 4.1% | 68.7% (72.1%) | ▼ 4.7% | 75.3% (74.7%) | ▲ 0.8% |
| Total Raised | £84.4M (£80.3M) | ▲ 5.1% | £65.0M (£58.7M) | ▲ 10.8% | £19.3M (£21.6M) | ▼ 10.3% |
Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| November 2024 to January 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 651 (660) | ▼ 1.4% | 528 (579) | ▼ 8.8% | 123 (81) | ▲ 51.9% |
| Lots Sold | 462 (473) | ▼ 2.3% | 380 (421) | ▼ 9.7% | 82 (52) | ▲ 57.7% |
| Percent Sold | 71.0% (71.7%) | ▼ 1.0% | 72.0% (72.7%) | ▼ 1.0% | 66.7% (64.2%) | ▲ 3.9% |
| Total Raised | £70.9M (£69.6M) | ▲ 1.9% | £44.1M (£49.7M) | ▼ 11.2% | £26.7M (£19.9M) | ▲ 34.6% |
Disclaimer: The figures in this newsletter are based on sales data provided to us by the auctioneers.
Read the orginal article: https://propertyindustryeye.com/property-auction-market-makes-subdued-start-to-the-year/
