Essential Auction News
December delivered a strong finish to the year. National auction activity accelerated across all key measures, with lots offered in the month up 14.2% year on year, and an increase of 15.1.% for lots sold. Looking at the full year, 2025 saw a record 41,628 lots offered and 28,975 lots sold, the highest annual total on record. Total funds raised climbed to £5.9 billion, up 7.1%, confirming sustained demand in the sector.
At a regional level, the final quarter showed broad-based growth, led by London, the South-East Home Counties, the South-West, and the North-West Home Counties. London stood out, with lots offered up 25.9% and total raised jumping to £400.2 million. The South-West also delivered strong growth, with lots sold up 33.9% and funds raised up 19.1%. The North-West remained the highest-volume regional market, selling 1,032 lots in the quarter. While some regions such as the North-East and parts of the North-West Home Counties saw softer success rates, higher supply and rising capital values helped offset these pressures, keeping overall quarterly totals firmly ahead of last year.
The year-end data confirms that 2025 set new benchmarks for auction supply and sales volumes. A record number of lots were brought to market, and sales volumes reached their highest level to date. The strength of supply and the way the year closed suggest that a 30,000-lot sales year is now within reach, with 2026 shaping up as a potential candidate to see that milestone delivered.
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 December 2025 |
| Total Lots Offered |
3,948 |
| Total Lots Sold |
2,771 |
| Percent Sold |
70.2% |
| Total Realised |
£590,666,400 |
|
|
National Auction Analysis
OverallN.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
|
December 2025 |
October 2025 to December 2025 |
January 2025 to December 2025 |
| Lots Offered |
3,948 (3,458) |
▲ 14.2% |
11,433 (10,359) |
▲ 10.4% |
41,628 (39,468) |
▲ 5.5% |
| Lots Sold |
2,771 (2,407) |
▲ 15.1% |
7,909 (7,121) |
▲ 11.1% |
28,975 (28,092) |
▲ 3.1% |
| Percent Sold |
70.2% (69.6%) |
▲ 0.9% |
69.2% (68.7%) |
▲ 0.7% |
69.6% (71.2%) |
▼ 2.2% |
| Total Raised |
£590.7M (£475.4M) |
▲ 24.3% |
£1,680.1M (£1,429.0M) |
▲ 17.6% |
£5,896.1M (£5,506.1M) |
▲ 7.1% |
ResidentialN.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
|
December 2025 |
October 2025 to December 2025 |
January 2025 to December 2025 |
| Lots Offered |
3,529 (3,056) |
▲ 15.5% |
10,097 (9,144) |
▲ 10.4% |
36,898 (34,856) |
▲ 5.9% |
| Lots Sold |
2,486 (2,136) |
▲ 16.4% |
6,990 (6,295) |
▲ 11.0% |
25,682 (24,892) |
▲ 3.2% |
| Percent Sold |
70.4% (69.9%) |
▲ 0.7% |
69.2% (68.8%) |
▲ 0.6% |
69.6% (71.4%) |
▼ 2.5% |
| Total Raised |
£495.5M (£386.0M) |
▲ 28.4% |
£1,384.4M (£1,155.5M) |
▲ 19.8% |
£4,791.2M (£4,395.3M) |
▲ 9.0% |
CommercialN.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
|
December 2025 |
October 2025 to December 2025 |
January 2025 to December 2025 |
| Lots Offered |
419 (402) |
▲ 4.2% |
1,336 (1,215) |
▲ 10.0% |
4,730 (4,612) |
▲ 2.6% |
| Lots Sold |
285 (271) |
▲ 5.2% |
919 (826) |
▲ 11.3% |
3,293 (3,200) |
▲ 2.9% |
| Percent Sold |
68.0% (67.4%) |
▲ 0.9% |
68.8% (68.0%) |
▲ 1.2% |
69.6% (69.4%) |
▲ 0.3% |
| Total Raised |
£95.1M (£89.3M) |
▲ 6.5% |
£295.7M (£273.5M) |
▲ 8.1% |
£1,104.9M (£1,110.7M) |
▼ 0.5% |
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)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
539 (517) |
▲ 4.3% |
493 (471) |
▲ 4.7% |
46 (46) |
▼ 0.0% |
| Lots Sold |
390 (353) |
▲ 10.5% |
355 (318) |
▲ 11.6% |
35 (35) |
▼ 0.0% |
| Percent Sold |
72.4% (68.3%) |
▲ 6.0% |
72.0% (67.5%) |
▲ 6.7% |
76.1% (76.1%) |
▼ 0.0% |
| Total Raised |
£67.8M (£63.1M) |
▲ 7.5% |
£58.8M (£50.7M) |
▲ 16.0% |
£9.0M (£12.4M) |
▼ 27.4% |
 East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
843 (772) |
▲ 9.2% |
739 (665) |
▲ 11.1% |
104 (107) |
▼ 2.8% |
| Lots Sold |
605 (529) |
▲ 14.4% |
523 (452) |
▲ 15.7% |
82 (77) |
▲ 6.5% |
| Percent Sold |
71.8% (68.5%) |
▲ 4.8% |
70.8% (68.0%) |
▲ 4.1% |
78.8% (72.0%) |
▲ 9.4% |
| Total Raised |
£99.9M (£97.4M) |
▲ 2.5% |
£73.5M (£72.6M) |
▲ 1.2% |
£26.4M (£24.8M) |
▲ 6.6% |
 London
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
1,041 (827) |
▲ 25.9% |
979 (774) |
▲ 26.5% |
62 (53) |
▲ 17.0% |
| Lots Sold |
777 (612) |
▲ 27.0% |
732 (571) |
▲ 28.2% |
45 (41) |
▲ 9.8% |
| Percent Sold |
74.6% (74.0%) |
▲ 0.8% |
74.8% (73.8%) |
▲ 1.4% |
72.6% (77.4%) |
▼ 6.2% |
| Total Raised |
£400.2M (£301.1M) |
▲ 32.9% |
£363.0M (£264.0M) |
▲ 37.5% |
£37.2M (£37.1M) |
▲ 0.1% |
 North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
566 (708) |
▼ 20.1% |
528 (669) |
▼ 21.1% |
38 (39) |
▼ 2.6% |
| Lots Sold |
397 (541) |
▼ 26.6% |
371 (514) |
▼ 27.8% |
26 (27) |
▼ 3.7% |
| Percent Sold |
70.1% (76.4%) |
▼ 8.2% |
70.3% (76.8%) |
▼ 8.5% |
68.4% (69.2%) |
▼ 1.2% |
| Total Raised |
£37.4M (£36.5M) |
▲ 2.3% |
£26.5M (£31.1M) |
▼ 14.8% |
£10.9M (£5.4M) |
▲ 100.5% |
 North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
1,545 (1,498) |
▲ 3.1% |
1,386 (1,344) |
▲ 3.1% |
159 (154) |
▲ 3.2% |
| Lots Sold |
1,032 (1,001) |
▲ 3.1% |
935 (912) |
▲ 2.5% |
97 (89) |
▲ 9.0% |
| Percent Sold |
66.8% (66.8%) |
▼ 0.0% |
67.5% (67.9%) |
▼ 0.6% |
61.0% (57.8%) |
▲ 5.5% |
| Total Raised |
£153.2M (£133.3M) |
▲ 14.9% |
£132.8M (£109.0M) |
▲ 21.8% |
£20.4M (£24.3M) |
▼ 15.8% |
 North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
920 (701) |
▲ 31.2% |
796 (613) |
▲ 29.9% |
124 (88) |
▲ 40.9% |
| Lots Sold |
619 (507) |
▲ 22.1% |
543 (442) |
▲ 22.9% |
76 (65) |
▲ 16.9% |
| Percent Sold |
67.3% (72.3%) |
▼ 6.9% |
68.2% (72.1%) |
▼ 5.4% |
61.3% (73.9%) |
▼ 17.1% |
| Total Raised |
£166.8M (£126.6M) |
▲ 31.8% |
£139.5M (£106.4M) |
▲ 31.1% |
£27.3M (£20.2M) |
▲ 35.3% |
 Northern Ireland
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
91 (60) |
▲ 51.7% |
58 (51) |
▲ 13.7% |
33 (9) |
▲ 266.7% |
| Lots Sold |
30 (27) |
▲ 11.1% |
17 (26) |
▼ 34.6% |
13 (1) |
▲ 1,200.0% |
| Percent Sold |
33.0% (45.0%) |
▼ 26.7% |
29.3% (51.0%) |
▼ 42.5% |
39.4% (11.1%) |
▲ 255.0% |
| Total Raised |
£4.7M (£2.7M) |
▲ 75.7% |
£2.0M (£2.6M) |
▼ 23.8% |
£2.7M (£0.0M) |
▲ 9,485.7% |
 Scotland
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
330 (365) |
▼ 9.6% |
216 (263) |
▼ 17.9% |
114 (102) |
▲ 11.8% |
| Lots Sold |
164 (120) |
▲ 36.7% |
124 (74) |
▲ 67.6% |
40 (46) |
▼ 13.0% |
| Percent Sold |
49.7% (32.9%) |
▲ 51.1% |
57.4% (28.1%) |
▲ 104.3% |
35.1% (45.1%) |
▼ 22.2% |
| Total Raised |
£19.1M (£14.3M) |
▲ 33.0% |
£10.7M (£5.1M) |
▲ 110.8% |
£8.4M (£9.3M) |
▼ 9.4% |
 South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
1,785 (1,566) |
▲ 14.0% |
1,622 (1,405) |
▲ 15.4% |
163 (161) |
▲ 1.2% |
| Lots Sold |
1,186 (1,027) |
▲ 15.5% |
1,057 (909) |
▲ 16.3% |
129 (118) |
▲ 9.3% |
| Percent Sold |
66.4% (65.6%) |
▲ 1.2% |
65.2% (64.7%) |
▲ 0.8% |
79.1% (73.3%) |
▲ 7.9% |
| Total Raised |
£307.0M (£254.7M) |
▲ 20.5% |
£238.1M (£205.7M) |
▲ 15.8% |
£68.9M (£49.0M) |
▲ 40.6% |
 South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
1,084 (818) |
▲ 32.5% |
899 (708) |
▲ 27.0% |
185 (110) |
▲ 68.2% |
| Lots Sold |
806 (602) |
▲ 33.9% |
672 (521) |
▲ 29.0% |
134 (81) |
▲ 65.4% |
| Percent Sold |
74.4% (73.6%) |
▲ 1.1% |
74.7% (73.6%) |
▲ 1.5% |
72.4% (73.6%) |
▼ 1.6% |
| Total Raised |
£155.4M (£130.4M) |
▲ 19.1% |
£127.6M (£112.6M) |
▲ 13.3% |
£27.7M (£17.8M) |
▲ 56.0% |
 Wales
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
637 (623) |
▲ 2.2% |
548 (535) |
▲ 2.4% |
89 (88) |
▲ 1.1% |
| Lots Sold |
427 (404) |
▲ 5.7% |
355 (344) |
▲ 3.2% |
72 (60) |
▲ 20.0% |
| Percent Sold |
67.0% (64.8%) |
▲ 3.4% |
64.8% (64.3%) |
▲ 0.8% |
80.9% (68.2%) |
▲ 18.6% |
| Total Raised |
£56.4M (£57.2M) |
▼ 1.5% |
£44.2M (£37.6M) |
▲ 17.5% |
£12.2M (£19.6M) |
▼ 38.0% |
 West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
1,162 (1,096) |
▲ 6.0% |
1,050 (972) |
▲ 8.0% |
112 (124) |
▼ 9.7% |
| Lots Sold |
833 (793) |
▲ 5.0% |
742 (703) |
▲ 5.5% |
91 (90) |
▲ 1.1% |
| Percent Sold |
71.7% (72.4%) |
▼ 1.0% |
70.7% (72.3%) |
▼ 2.2% |
81.2% (72.6%) |
▲ 11.8% |
| Total Raised |
£131.5M (£127.3M) |
▲ 3.3% |
£106.4M (£101.7M) |
▲ 4.6% |
£25.0M (£25.5M) |
▼ 1.9% |
 Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| October 2025 to December 2025 |
Total |
Residential |
Commercial |
| Lots Offered |
890 (808) |
▲ 10.1% |
783 (674) |
▲ 16.2% |
107 (134) |
▼ 20.1% |
| Lots Sold |
643 (605) |
▲ 6.3% |
564 (509) |
▲ 10.8% |
79 (96) |
▼ 17.7% |
| Percent Sold |
72.2% (74.9%) |
▼ 3.6% |
72.0% (75.5%) |
▼ 4.6% |
73.8% (71.6%) |
▲ 3.1% |
| Total Raised |
£80.9M (£84.4M) |
▼ 4.2% |
£61.2M (£56.3M) |
▲ 8.7% |
£19.7M (£28.1M) |
▼ 30.0% |
Disclaimer: The figures in this newsletter are based on sales data provided to us by the auctioneers.
Your Comments
If you would like to comment on anything in this email, or have any suggestions for future newsletters, we would like to hear from you. So please email us anytime.
Copyright © 2026 Essential Information Group
|
