Essential Auction News
In May 2025, the UK auction market saw a dip in monthly year-on-year activity, with lots offered down 2.7% and sales falling by 7.7%. 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 showed 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.
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.
Please note the newsletter can also be viewed online. Kind regards David Sandeman
davids@eigroup.co.uk P.S. Here at the Essential Information Group we maintain a database of virtually every property coming up for sale at auction as well as over 1 million lots that have been to auction in the past. It is fully searchable and allows you to identify properties coming up for sale that you might be interested in, and to see what similar properties have sold for in the past. If you would like a trial of our website, please register here. |
|
Overall Statistics May 2025 |
| Total Lots Offered |
3,757 |
| Total Lots Sold |
2,582 |
| Percent Sold |
68.7% |
| Total Realised |
£526,436,300 |
|
|
National Auction Analysis
OverallN.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% |
ResidentialN.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% |
CommercialN.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% |
Disclaimer: The figures in this newsletter are based on sales data provided to us by the auctioneers.
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