The latest figures from Auction House suggest that the auctions market may be picking up faster than the process of selling by private treaty.

In a week in which the RICS said that the number of homes for sale has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1978, Auction House is reporting that entries for the group’s June auctions have increased by over 50% compared with last year.

There are 375 lots entered in Auction House sales this month, compared with 240 in June 2014 – a rise of 56%.

Director Roger Lake said: “With 40 auction rooms spread across the UK, Auction House is able to keep its finger on the pulse of salesroom activity levels.

“We’ve noticed a marked rise in the number of sellers choosing the auctions route, with our teams experiencing the upswing at a time when estate agents are short of stock.”

Several auction rooms reported increases in the number of entries, including London, Birmingham and Manchester – all of which sold record numbers of lots in the past month.

Lake added: “There’s been a noticeable upturn in lot entries in recent months, as well as a significant boost in auction room attendances.”

Separately, lending specialist Auction Finance said that it lent more to buyers in the first quarter of this year than in the same period a month ago.

The largest increase was in Scotland, where it provided 207% more funds, followed by the north west where lending was up 173%, the east midlands where the firm lent 73% more, and London, where it lent 69% more.

Simon Gillibrand, auction partner at estate agents Sequence, said: “Demand for property is up and there is definitely a positive feeling around our auction houses right now.”