The UK property auction market saw a dip in monthly year-on-year activity last month, with lots offered down 2.7% and sales falling by 7.7%, the latest data from the Essential Information Group has revealed.
The national success rate dropped to 68.7%, with the residential sector accounting for much of the decline. Despite this, the total raised was only slightly lower, down 1.1%, suggesting that well-priced stock continues to perform. The market remains active, but buyers are becoming more selective and are less likely to engage where pricing doesn’t meet expectations.
Looking at the regions, the March-May 2025 rolling quarter revealed a similar pattern. While supply is up across much of the country, sale rates are under pressure in a number of areas. The East Midlands, South-West and Wales recorded increases in both entries and sales, but in regions such as London and Yorkshire, a disconnect is emerging between the lots and buyer demand.
EIG’s David Sandeman explained: “Overall, the data points to a market that remains active, though more finely balanced than in recent months. Early interest is playing a greater role in whether lots are offered, with auctioneers responding to bidder behaviour in real time.
“Encouragingly, where properties are priced in line with expectations and attract early attention, competitive bidding is still being achieved – a positive sign that demand is there for the right opportunities.”
National Auction Analysis
Overall
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| May 2025 | March 2025 to May 2025 | June 2024 to May 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 3,757 (3,860) | ▼ 2.7% | 10,436 (9,890) | ▲ 5.5% | 39,953 (37,174) | ▲ 7.5% |
| Lots Sold | 2,582 (2,797) | ▼ 7.7% | 7,166 (7,076) | ▲ 1.3% | 28,097 (26,201) | ▲ 7.2% |
| Percent Sold | 68.7% (72.5%) | ▼ 5.2% | 68.7% (71.5%) | ▼ 3.9% | 70.3% (70.5%) | ▼ 0.3% |
| Total Raised | £526.4M (£532.4M) | ▼ 1.1% | £1,401.4M (£1,357.0M) | ▲ 3.3% | £5,626.5M (£4,965.9M) | ▲ 13.3% |
Residential
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| May 2025 | March 2025 to May 2025 | June 2024 to May 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 3,333 (3,436) | ▼ 3.0% | 9,266 (8,749) | ▲ 5.9% | 35,323 (32,763) | ▲ 7.8% |
| Lots Sold | 2,294 (2,502) | ▼ 8.3% | 6,344 (6,297) | ▲ 0.7% | 24,850 (23,181) | ▲ 7.2% |
| Percent Sold | 68.8% (72.8%) | ▼ 5.5% | 68.5% (72.0%) | ▼ 4.9% | 70.4% (70.8%) | ▼ 0.6% |
| Total Raised | £426.5M (£428.0M) | ▼ 0.4% | £1,127.6M (£1,092.0M) | ▲ 3.3% | £4,506.3M (£3,916.4M) | ▲ 15.1% |
Commercial
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| May 2025 | March 2025 to May 2025 | June 2024 to May 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 424 (424) | ▼ 0.0% | 1,170 (1,141) | ▲ 2.5% | 4,630 (4,411) | ▲ 5.0% |
| Lots Sold | 288 (295) | ▼ 2.4% | 822 (779) | ▲ 5.5% | 3,247 (3,020) | ▲ 7.5% |
| Percent Sold | 67.9% (69.6%) | ▼ 2.4% | 70.3% (68.3%) | ▲ 2.9% | 70.1% (68.5%) | ▲ 2.3% |
| Total Raised | £100.0M (£104.4M) | ▼ 4.3% | £273.8M (£265.0M) | ▲ 3.3% | £1,120.2M (£1,049.5M) | ▲ 6.7% |
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)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 528 (492) | ▲ 7.3% | 472 (436) | ▲ 8.3% | 56 (56) | ▼ 0.0% |
| Lots Sold | 361 (367) | ▼ 1.6% | 326 (323) | ▲ 0.9% | 35 (44) | ▼ 20.5% |
| Percent Sold | 68.4% (74.6%) | ▼ 8.3% | 69.1% (74.1%) | ▼ 6.7% | 62.5% (78.6%) | ▼ 20.5% |
| Total Raised | £64.7M (£62.8M) | ▲ 3.1% | £56.8M (£49.3M) | ▲ 15.4% | £7.9M (£13.5M) | ▼ 41.6% |
East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 852 (770) | ▲ 10.6% | 757 (689) | ▲ 9.9% | 95 (81) | ▲ 17.3% |
| Lots Sold | 600 (561) | ▲ 7.0% | 526 (500) | ▲ 5.2% | 74 (61) | ▲ 21.3% |
| Percent Sold | 70.4% (72.9%) | ▼ 3.4% | 69.5% (72.6%) | ▼ 4.3% | 77.9% (75.3%) | ▲ 3.5% |
| Total Raised | £100.7M (£96.3M) | ▲ 4.6% | £73.5M (£73.0M) | ▲ 0.7% | £27.2M (£23.3M) | ▲ 16.9% |
London
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 792 (755) | ▲ 4.9% | 713 (686) | ▲ 3.9% | 79 (69) | ▲ 14.5% |
| Lots Sold | 574 (573) | ▲ 0.2% | 513 (524) | ▼ 2.1% | 61 (49) | ▲ 24.5% |
| Percent Sold | 72.5% (75.9%) | ▼ 4.5% | 71.9% (76.4%) | ▼ 5.9% | 77.2% (71.0%) | ▲ 8.7% |
| Total Raised | £257.4M (£275.8M) | ▼ 6.7% | £216.3M (£241.2M) | ▼ 10.3% | £41.1M (£34.5M) | ▲ 19.1% |
North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 659 (798) | ▼ 17.4% | 594 (743) | ▼ 20.1% | 65 (55) | ▲ 18.2% |
| Lots Sold | 470 (590) | ▼ 20.3% | 418 (552) | ▼ 24.3% | 52 (38) | ▲ 36.8% |
| Percent Sold | 71.3% (73.9%) | ▼ 3.5% | 70.4% (74.3%) | ▼ 5.2% | 80.0% (69.1%) | ▲ 15.8% |
| Total Raised | £42.3M (£42.3M) | ▲ 0.2% | £30.1M (£33.9M) | ▼ 11.2% | £12.2M (£8.3M) | ▲ 46.5% |
North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,525 (1,428) | ▲ 6.8% | 1,396 (1,277) | ▲ 9.3% | 129 (151) | ▼ 14.6% |
| Lots Sold | 1,058 (1,006) | ▲ 5.2% | 971 (917) | ▲ 5.9% | 87 (89) | ▼ 2.2% |
| Percent Sold | 69.4% (70.4%) | ▼ 1.4% | 69.6% (71.8%) | ▼ 3.1% | 67.4% (58.9%) | ▲ 14.4% |
| Total Raised | £140.6M (£131.6M) | ▲ 6.8% | £124.9M (£110.5M) | ▲ 13.0% | £15.7M (£21.1M) | ▼ 25.7% |
North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 729 (599) | ▲ 21.7% | 652 (534) | ▲ 22.1% | 77 (65) | ▲ 18.5% |
| Lots Sold | 506 (435) | ▲ 16.3% | 450 (387) | ▲ 16.3% | 56 (48) | ▲ 16.7% |
| Percent Sold | 69.4% (72.6%) | ▼ 4.4% | 69.0% (72.5%) | ▼ 4.8% | 72.7% (73.8%) | ▼ 1.5% |
| Total Raised | £137.1M (£115.4M) | ▲ 18.8% | £105.6M (£93.5M) | ▲ 12.9% | £31.5M (£21.9M) | ▲ 43.8% |
Northern Ireland
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 78 (46) | ▲ 69.6% | 59 (44) | ▲ 34.1% | 19 (2) | ▲ 850.0% |
| Lots Sold | 37 (22) | ▲ 68.2% | 23 (21) | ▲ 9.5% | 14 (1) | ▲ 1,300.0% |
| Percent Sold | 47.4% (47.8%) | ▼ 0.8% | 39.0% (47.7%) | ▼ 18.2% | 73.7% (50.0%) | ▲ 47.4% |
| Total Raised | £4.9M (£2.7M) | ▲ 82.5% | £2.5M (£2.6M) | ▼ 4.3% | £2.4M (£0.0M) | ▲ 5,178.9% |
Scotland
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 251 (330) | ▼ 23.9% | 161 (241) | ▼ 33.2% | 90 (89) | ▲ 1.1% |
| Lots Sold | 91 (91) | ▼ 0.0% | 74 (60) | ▲ 23.3% | 17 (31) | ▼ 45.2% |
| Percent Sold | 36.3% (27.6%) | ▲ 31.5% | 46.0% (24.9%) | ▲ 84.7% | 18.9% (34.8%) | ▼ 45.7% |
| Total Raised | £8.6M (£12.7M) | ▼ 32.7% | £6.1M (£4.8M) | ▲ 28.2% | £2.5M (£8.0M) | ▼ 69.2% |
South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,582 (1,508) | ▲ 4.9% | 1,466 (1,338) | ▲ 9.6% | 116 (170) | ▼ 31.8% |
| Lots Sold | 1,049 (1,066) | ▼ 1.6% | 959 (952) | ▲ 0.7% | 90 (114) | ▼ 21.1% |
| Percent Sold | 66.3% (70.7%) | ▼ 6.2% | 65.4% (71.2%) | ▼ 8.1% | 77.6% (67.1%) | ▲ 15.6% |
| Total Raised | £249.2M (£250.7M) | ▼ 0.6% | £201.6M (£199.2M) | ▲ 1.2% | £47.6M (£51.5M) | ▼ 7.6% |
South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 937 (841) | ▲ 11.4% | 808 (710) | ▲ 13.8% | 129 (131) | ▼ 1.5% |
| Lots Sold | 687 (625) | ▲ 9.9% | 585 (524) | ▲ 11.6% | 102 (101) | ▲ 1.0% |
| Percent Sold | 73.3% (74.3%) | ▼ 1.3% | 72.4% (73.8%) | ▼ 1.9% | 79.1% (77.1%) | ▲ 2.6% |
| Total Raised | £139.4M (£132.0M) | ▲ 5.6% | £114.1M (£99.1M) | ▲ 15.2% | £25.3M (£33.0M) | ▼ 23.3% |
Wales
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 653 (579) | ▲ 12.8% | 546 (498) | ▲ 9.6% | 107 (81) | ▲ 32.1% |
| Lots Sold | 423 (380) | ▲ 11.3% | 350 (322) | ▲ 8.7% | 73 (58) | ▲ 25.9% |
| Percent Sold | 64.8% (65.6%) | ▼ 1.2% | 64.1% (64.7%) | ▼ 0.9% | 68.2% (71.6%) | ▼ 4.7% |
| Total Raised | £53.2M (£42.1M) | ▲ 26.4% | £37.9M (£33.9M) | ▲ 11.8% | £15.3M (£8.2M) | ▲ 86.4% |
West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,072 (981) | ▲ 9.3% | 965 (864) | ▲ 11.7% | 107 (117) | ▼ 8.5% |
| Lots Sold | 769 (766) | ▲ 0.4% | 686 (679) | ▲ 1.0% | 83 (87) | ▼ 4.6% |
| Percent Sold | 71.7% (78.1%) | ▼ 8.2% | 71.1% (78.6%) | ▼ 9.5% | 77.6% (74.4%) | ▲ 4.3% |
| Total Raised | £129.3M (£123.3M) | ▲ 4.9% | £105.4M (£96.8M) | ▲ 8.9% | £24.0M (£26.5M) | ▼ 9.7% |
Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| March 2025 to May 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 778 (763) | ▲ 2.0% | 677 (689) | ▼ 1.7% | 101 (74) | ▲ 36.5% |
| Lots Sold | 541 (594) | ▼ 8.9% | 463 (536) | ▼ 13.6% | 78 (58) | ▲ 34.5% |
| Percent Sold | 69.5% (77.9%) | ▼ 10.8% | 68.4% (77.8%) | ▼ 12.1% | 77.2% (78.4%) | ▼ 1.5% |
| Total Raised | £73.9M (£69.2M) | ▲ 6.8% | £52.7M (£54.1M) | ▼ 2.7% | £21.3M (£15.1M) | ▲ 40.9% |
The figures are based on sales data provided to EIG by the auctioneers.
Read the orginal article: https://propertyindustryeye.com/sellers-must-be-realistic-in-competitive-market-data-shows/
