There was a neck-and-neck race between Auction House and Allsop to become the first auctioneers to sell their 1,000th lot this year.

Both achieved the milestone on the same day, with Auction House claiming a narrow victory.

Auction House also said it had reached the 1,000 mark two weeks ahead of last year.

The property in question was a terrace home in Cumbria which went for £44,000 at 1.04pm on May 29.

According to Essential Information Group, by the end of May, Auction House had sold 1,021 lots, while Allsop had sold just ten fewer – 1,010.

Auction House founding director Roger Lake, pictured, said: “These figures make impressive reading, particularly in the more challenging auction market out there.

“Stock has been harder to find, and sellers’ expectations of prices have been higher – so we’re delighted that our regional auctions approach continues to gather momentum.”

Lake also pointed out that auction sales are not beset with the problems and complications precipitated by the Mortgage Market Review.

He added: “Whilst the private treaty market labours with mortgage application problems and valuation delays, we see that sales by auction are happening faster than ever.”

The group has also announced that Dafydd Hardy Auctions have joined its network and will be trading under the brand across north Wales, taking the group’s total to 38 auction rooms.