Property auction activity slowed in August, with more lots coming to market but fewer successfully selling than a year earlier.
The number of lots offered increased by 2.9% year on year. However, lots sold fell by 2.6%, pushing the overall success rate down to 60.6%.
Despite fewer sales, the total amount raised increased by 4.3% to £179.2m.
Residential auction supply remained relatively resilient. The number of residential lots offered rose by 4.2% compared with August last year, while commercial activity weakened.
The figures reflect the traditional summer slowdown in the auction market, with the holiday period contributing to quieter activity.
London auction activity jumps
The regional picture was stronger when measured over the latest rolling quarter.
London recorded a 31.1% increase in lots offered compared with the same period last year. Sales increased by 34.9%, while the total raised climbed 29.4%.
The South West also recorded higher activity. Lots offered rose by 21.3%, with sales up 16.9%.
The West Midlands and Yorkshire & The Humber also recorded higher auction volumes than during the corresponding period last year.
The figures suggest auction supply remained relatively strong despite the August slowdown, although the lower success rate points to more challenging selling conditions.
National Auction Analysis
Overall
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| August 2026 | June 2026 to August 2026 | September 2025 to August 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,789 (1,738) | ▲ 2.9% | 10,277 (9,315) | ▲ 10.3% | 44,839 (40,505) | ▲ 10.7% |
| Lots Sold | 1,084 (1,113) | ▼ 2.6% | 6,722 (6,336) | ▲ 6.1% | 30,826 (28,189) | ▲ 9.4% |
| Percent Sold | 60.6% (64.0%) | ▼ 5.3% | 65.4% (68.0%) | ▼ 3.8% | 68.7% (69.6%) | ▼ 1.3% |
| Total Raised | £179.2M (£171.8M) | ▲ 4.3% | £1,278.2M (£1,241.8M) | ▲ 2.9% | £6,105.2M (£5,669.1M) | ▲ 7.7% |
Residential
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| August 2026 | June 2026 to August 2026 | September 2025 to August 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,637 (1,571) | ▲ 4.2% | 9,095 (8,315) | ▲ 9.4% | 39,711 (35,912) | ▲ 10.6% |
| Lots Sold | 1,003 (1,021) | ▼ 1.8% | 5,932 (5,680) | ▲ 4.4% | 27,308 (25,007) | ▲ 9.2% |
| Percent Sold | 61.3% (65.0%) | ▼ 5.7% | 65.2% (68.3%) | ▼ 4.5% | 68.8% (69.6%) | ▼ 1.1% |
| Total Raised | £169.1M (£157.7M) | ▲ 7.2% | £1,064.6M (£1,039.2M) | ▲ 2.4% | £5,006.1M (£4,592.5M) | ▲ 9.0% |
Commercial
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| August 2026 | June 2026 to August 2026 | September 2025 to August 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 152 (167) | ▼ 9.0% | 1,182 (1,000) | ▲ 18.2% | 5,128 (4,593) | ▲ 11.6% |
| Lots Sold | 81 (92) | ▼ 12.0% | 790 (656) | ▲ 20.4% | 3,518 (3,182) | ▲ 10.6% |
| Percent Sold | 53.3% (55.1%) | ▼ 3.3% | 66.8% (65.6%) | ▲ 1.8% | 68.6% (69.3%) | ▼ 1.0% |
| Total Raised | £10.1M (£14.1M) | ▼ 28.3% | £213.6M (£202.6M) | ▲ 5.4% | £1,099.1M (£1,076.6M) | ▲ 2.1% |
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)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 453 (460) | ▼ 1.5% | 423 (422) | ▲ 0.2% | 30 (38) | ▼ 21.1% |
| Lots Sold | 304 (299) | ▲ 1.7% | 283 (269) | ▲ 5.2% | 21 (30) | ▼ 30.0% |
| Percent Sold | 67.1% (65.0%) | ▲ 3.2% | 66.9% (63.7%) | ▲ 5.0% | 70.0% (78.9%) | ▼ 11.3% |
| Total Raised | £54.3M (£54.2M) | ▲ 0.2% | £47.7M (£46.2M) | ▲ 3.4% | £6.6M (£8.0M) | ▼ 18.2% |
East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 788 (782) | ▲ 0.8% | 705 (696) | ▲ 1.3% | 83 (86) | ▼ 3.5% |
| Lots Sold | 499 (538) | ▼ 7.2% | 441 (478) | ▼ 7.7% | 58 (60) | ▼ 3.3% |
| Percent Sold | 63.3% (68.8%) | ▼ 8.0% | 62.6% (68.7%) | ▼ 8.9% | 69.9% (69.8%) | ▲ 0.1% |
| Total Raised | £76.8M (£91.6M) | ▼ 16.1% | £64.6M (£67.7M) | ▼ 4.7% | £12.3M (£23.9M) | ▼ 48.7% |
London
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 838 (639) | ▲ 31.1% | 778 (591) | ▲ 31.6% | 60 (48) | ▲ 25.0% |
| Lots Sold | 638 (473) | ▲ 34.9% | 591 (433) | ▲ 36.5% | 47 (40) | ▲ 17.5% |
| Percent Sold | 76.1% (74.0%) | ▲ 2.8% | 76.0% (73.3%) | ▲ 3.7% | 78.3% (83.3%) | ▼ 6.0% |
| Total Raised | £277.2M (£214.3M) | ▲ 29.4% | £245.3M (£191.2M) | ▲ 28.3% | £31.9M (£23.1M) | ▲ 38.0% |
North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 636 (605) | ▲ 5.1% | 598 (551) | ▲ 8.5% | 38 (54) | ▼ 29.6% |
| Lots Sold | 396 (407) | ▼ 2.7% | 370 (369) | ▲ 0.3% | 26 (38) | ▼ 31.6% |
| Percent Sold | 62.3% (67.3%) | ▼ 7.4% | 61.9% (67.0%) | ▼ 7.6% | 68.4% (70.4%) | ▼ 2.8% |
| Total Raised | £37.4M (£31.9M) | ▲ 17.2% | £29.4M (£25.6M) | ▲ 15.0% | £8.0M (£6.4M) | ▲ 25.9% |
North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,521 (1,381) | ▲ 10.1% | 1,371 (1,260) | ▲ 8.8% | 150 (121) | ▲ 24.0% |
| Lots Sold | 1,000 (968) | ▲ 3.3% | 907 (877) | ▲ 3.4% | 93 (91) | ▲ 2.2% |
| Percent Sold | 65.7% (70.1%) | ▼ 6.3% | 66.2% (69.6%) | ▼ 4.9% | 62.0% (75.2%) | ▼ 17.6% |
| Total Raised | £130.7M (£133.4M) | ▼ 2.0% | £111.5M (£111.7M) | ▼ 0.2% | £19.2M (£21.7M) | ▼ 11.5% |
North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 653 (688) | ▼ 5.1% | 584 (623) | ▼ 6.3% | 69 (65) | ▲ 6.2% |
| Lots Sold | 457 (482) | ▼ 5.2% | 403 (441) | ▼ 8.6% | 54 (41) | ▲ 31.7% |
| Percent Sold | 70.0% (70.1%) | ▼ 0.1% | 69.0% (70.8%) | ▼ 2.5% | 78.3% (63.1%) | ▲ 24.1% |
| Total Raised | £116.2M (£135.6M) | ▼ 14.3% | £93.4M (£104.6M) | ▼ 10.7% | £22.8M (£31.0M) | ▼ 26.3% |
Northern Ireland
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 66 (92) | ▼ 28.3% | 51 (74) | ▼ 31.1% | 15 (18) | ▼ 16.7% |
| Lots Sold | 31 (37) | ▼ 16.2% | 25 (28) | ▼ 10.7% | 6 (9) | ▼ 33.3% |
| Percent Sold | 47.0% (40.2%) | ▲ 16.9% | 49.0% (37.8%) | ▲ 29.6% | 40.0% (50.0%) | ▼ 20.0% |
| Total Raised | £3.7M (£3.5M) | ▲ 4.4% | £2.7M (£2.5M) | ▲ 10.9% | £0.9M (£1.1M) | ▼ 10.9% |
Scotland
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 434 (333) | ▲ 30.3% | 323 (206) | ▲ 56.8% | 111 (127) | ▼ 12.6% |
| Lots Sold | 163 (120) | ▲ 35.8% | 127 (89) | ▲ 42.7% | 36 (31) | ▲ 16.1% |
| Percent Sold | 37.6% (36.0%) | ▲ 4.4% | 39.3% (43.2%) | ▼ 9.0% | 32.4% (24.4%) | ▲ 32.8% |
| Total Raised | £16.7M (£13.2M) | ▲ 27.1% | £12.0M (£7.7M) | ▲ 56.2% | £4.7M (£5.5M) | ▼ 14.0% |
South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,390 (1,341) | ▲ 3.7% | 1,232 (1,241) | ▼ 0.7% | 158 (100) | ▲ 58.0% |
| Lots Sold | 933 (899) | ▲ 3.8% | 827 (832) | ▼ 0.6% | 106 (67) | ▲ 58.2% |
| Percent Sold | 67.1% (67.0%) | ▲ 0.1% | 67.1% (67.0%) | ▲ 0.1% | 67.1% (67.0%) | ▲ 0.1% |
| Total Raised | £215.3M (£203.2M) | ▲ 5.9% | £179.5M (£175.1M) | ▲ 2.5% | £35.8M (£28.1M) | ▲ 27.2% |
South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,070 (882) | ▲ 21.3% | 890 (761) | ▲ 17.0% | 180 (121) | ▲ 48.8% |
| Lots Sold | 759 (649) | ▲ 16.9% | 619 (560) | ▲ 10.5% | 140 (89) | ▲ 57.3% |
| Percent Sold | 70.9% (73.6%) | ▼ 3.7% | 69.6% (73.6%) | ▼ 5.4% | 77.8% (73.6%) | ▲ 5.7% |
| Total Raised | £128.0M (£118.5M) | ▲ 8.1% | £101.5M (£101.2M) | ▲ 0.2% | £26.6M (£17.3M) | ▲ 53.8% |
Wales
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 577 (525) | ▲ 9.9% | 465 (464) | ▲ 0.2% | 112 (61) | ▲ 83.6% |
| Lots Sold | 361 (353) | ▲ 2.3% | 291 (307) | ▼ 5.2% | 70 (46) | ▲ 52.2% |
| Percent Sold | 62.6% (67.2%) | ▼ 6.8% | 62.6% (66.2%) | ▼ 5.4% | 62.5% (75.4%) | ▼ 17.1% |
| Total Raised | £49.1M (£43.5M) | ▲ 12.8% | £35.0M (£34.8M) | ▲ 0.5% | £14.1M (£8.7M) | ▲ 62.3% |
West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 979 (813) | ▲ 20.4% | 878 (730) | ▲ 20.3% | 101 (83) | ▲ 21.7% |
| Lots Sold | 622 (576) | ▲ 8.0% | 541 (516) | ▲ 4.8% | 81 (60) | ▲ 35.0% |
| Percent Sold | 63.5% (70.8%) | ▼ 10.3% | 61.6% (70.7%) | ▼ 12.9% | 80.2% (72.3%) | ▲ 10.9% |
| Total Raised | £98.8M (£102.8M) | ▼ 3.9% | £80.4M (£89.1M) | ▼ 9.7% | £18.4M (£13.8M) | ▲ 33.3% |
Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| June 2026 to August 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 872 (774) | ▲ 12.7% | 797 (696) | ▲ 14.5% | 75 (78) | ▼ 3.8% |
| Lots Sold | 559 (535) | ▲ 4.5% | 507 (481) | ▲ 5.4% | 52 (54) | ▼ 3.7% |
| Percent Sold | 64.1% (69.1%) | ▼ 7.2% | 63.6% (69.1%) | ▼ 8.0% | 69.3% (69.2%) | ▲ 0.1% |
| Total Raised | £73.9M (£96.1M) | ▼ 23.1% | £61.5M (£81.9M) | ▼ 24.9% | £12.4M (£14.2M) | ▼ 12.8% |
The data is based on sales data provided to EIG by the auctioneers.
