March 2025 saw a modest rise in auction activity, with lots offered increasing by 5.6% compared to the same month last year – a pattern likely influenced by the usual push to complete transactions before the end of the financial year, the latest figures released by the Essential Information Group (EIG) reveals.
But this increase in stock did not translate into higher sales, with the number of lots sold down 0.5% year-on-year and the success rate falling to 68.2%, a drop of over five percentage points. Still, total raised edged up by 1.4% to £479.6m, suggesting a market supported by stronger pricing, according to the head of EIG, David Sandeman.
He said: “The residential sector underpinned most of the activity, seeing a 7.8% rise in lots offered and a 4.8% uplift in capital raised, while the commercial sector showed further signs of pressure, with fewer lots offered and sold, and a 9.5% fall in total raised.
“Regionally, performance was highly mixed. The South-West delivered the strongest quarter, with lots sold up 16.3% and the amount raised jumping 25.4%, driven by strong residential demand. London also performed well, with a 15% increase in lots offered and an 8.4% rise in capital raised, although commercial sales slipped slightly.
“In contrast, the North-East experienced steep declines across all key indicators – lots sold fell 40% and total raised dropped 26.8%, reflecting weaker supply and demand for the auctions held this quarter. The North-West Home Counties saw an increase in commercial activity, while Scotland posted a sharp improvement in sale rates, though this was accompanied by a fall in value raised, suggesting a shift to lower-priced stock.
“Overall, the first quarter of 2025 revealed a market characterised by cautious buyer behaviour and notable regional divergence. The March figures indicate a slight lift in activity likely driven by year-end motivations, but the quarterly data shows only a marginal 1.7% increase in lots offered and a 2.4% decline in lots sold. Despite softer conversion rates, total raised continues to grow – up 5.1% in the quarter. With residential continuing to lead the way and commercial showing patchier results, the data shows underlying strength in buyer appetite for the right opportunities.”
National Auction Analysis
Overall
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| March 2025 | January 2025 to March 2025 | April 2024 to March 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 3,531 (3,345) | ▲ 5.6% | 9,254 (9,101) | ▲ 1.7% | 39,607 (36,688) | ▲ 8.0% |
| Lots Sold | 2,408 (2,419) | ▼ 0.5% | 6,476 (6,632) | ▼ 2.4% | 28,019 (25,867) | ▲ 8.3% |
| Percent Sold | 68.2% (72.3%) | ▼ 5.7% | 70.0% (72.9%) | ▼ 4.0% | 70.7% (70.5%) | ▲ 0.3% |
| Total Raised | £479.6M (£472.7M) | ▲ 1.4% | £1,321.4M (£1,257.3M) | ▲ 5.1% | £5,584.1M (£4,917.4M) | ▲ 13.6% |
Residential
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| March 2025 | January 2025 to March 2025 | April 2024 to March 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 3,168 (2,938) | ▲ 7.8% | 8,275 (8,101) | ▲ 2.1% | 35,051 (32,235) | ▲ 8.7% |
| Lots Sold | 2,159 (2,131) | ▲ 1.3% | 5,794 (5,926) | ▼ 2.2% | 24,856 (22,756) | ▲ 9.2% |
| Percent Sold | 68.2% (72.5%) | ▼ 5.9% | 70.0% (73.2%) | ▼ 4.4% | 70.9% (70.6%) | ▲ 0.4% |
| Total Raised | £379.6M (£362.3M) | ▲ 4.8% | £1,066.1M (£990.5M) | ▲ 7.6% | £4,488.2M (£3,846.9M) | ▲ 16.7% |
Commercial
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| March 2025 | January 2025 to March 2025 | April 2024 to March 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 363 (407) | ▼ 10.8% | 979 (1,000) | ▼ 2.1% | 4,556 (4,453) | ▲ 2.3% |
| Lots Sold | 249 (288) | ▼ 13.5% | 682 (706) | ▼ 3.4% | 3,163 (3,111) | ▲ 1.7% |
| Percent Sold | 68.6% (70.8%) | ▼ 3.1% | 69.7% (70.6%) | ▼ 1.3% | 69.4% (69.9%) | ▼ 0.7% |
| Total Raised | £100.0M (£110.5M) | ▼ 9.5% | £255.3M (£266.8M) | ▼ 4.3% | £1,095.9M (£1,070.5M) | ▲ 2.4% |
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)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 474 (422) | ▲ 12.3% | 425 (374) | ▲ 13.6% | 49 (48) | ▲ 2.1% |
| Lots Sold | 325 (312) | ▲ 4.2% | 296 (272) | ▲ 8.8% | 29 (40) | ▼ 27.5% |
| Percent Sold | 68.6% (73.9%) | ▼ 7.2% | 69.6% (72.7%) | ▼ 4.3% | 59.2% (83.3%) | ▼ 28.9% |
| Total Raised | £54.8M (£54.9M) | ▼ 0.3% | £48.6M (£43.8M) | ▲ 11.1% | £6.1M (£11.1M) | ▼ 44.9% |
East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 782 (718) | ▲ 8.9% | 681 (620) | ▲ 9.8% | 101 (98) | ▲ 3.1% |
| Lots Sold | 556 (541) | ▲ 2.8% | 473 (464) | ▲ 1.9% | 83 (77) | ▲ 7.8% |
| Percent Sold | 71.1% (75.3%) | ▼ 5.6% | 69.5% (74.8%) | ▼ 7.1% | 82.2% (78.6%) | ▲ 4.6% |
| Total Raised | £100.5M (£109.6M) | ▼ 8.3% | £65.2M (£73.4M) | ▼ 11.2% | £35.3M (£36.2M) | ▼ 2.4% |
London
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 791 (688) | ▲ 15.0% | 738 (625) | ▲ 18.1% | 53 (63) | ▼ 15.9% |
| Lots Sold | 574 (515) | ▲ 11.5% | 532 (471) | ▲ 13.0% | 42 (44) | ▼ 4.5% |
| Percent Sold | 72.6% (74.9%) | ▼ 3.1% | 72.1% (75.4%) | ▼ 4.4% | 79.2% (69.8%) | ▲ 13.5% |
| Total Raised | £267.4M (£246.6M) | ▲ 8.4% | £231.1M (£206.3M) | ▲ 12.0% | £36.3M (£40.4M) | ▼ 10.1% |
North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 560 (835) | ▼ 32.9% | 520 (787) | ▼ 33.9% | 40 (48) | ▼ 16.7% |
| Lots Sold | 408 (680) | ▼ 40.0% | 382 (648) | ▼ 41.0% | 26 (32) | ▼ 18.8% |
| Percent Sold | 72.9% (81.4%) | ▼ 10.4% | 73.5% (82.3%) | ▼ 10.7% | 65.0% (66.7%) | ▼ 2.5% |
| Total Raised | £33.2M (£45.3M) | ▼ 26.8% | £26.2M (£36.4M) | ▼ 28.0% | £7.0M (£8.9M) | ▼ 21.8% |
North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,319 (1,302) | ▲ 1.3% | 1,204 (1,178) | ▲ 2.2% | 115 (124) | ▼ 7.3% |
| Lots Sold | 939 (937) | ▲ 0.2% | 862 (850) | ▲ 1.4% | 77 (87) | ▼ 11.5% |
| Percent Sold | 71.2% (72.0%) | ▼ 1.1% | 71.6% (72.2%) | ▼ 0.8% | 67.0% (70.2%) | ▼ 4.6% |
| Total Raised | £127.4M (£112.5M) | ▲ 13.3% | £110.3M (£96.7M) | ▲ 14.1% | £17.1M (£15.8M) | ▲ 8.0% |
North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 670 (555) | ▲ 20.7% | 596 (502) | ▲ 18.7% | 74 (53) | ▲ 39.6% |
| Lots Sold | 473 (427) | ▲ 10.8% | 416 (386) | ▲ 7.8% | 57 (41) | ▲ 39.0% |
| Percent Sold | 70.6% (76.9%) | ▼ 8.2% | 69.8% (76.9%) | ▼ 9.2% | 77.0% (77.4%) | ▼ 0.5% |
| Total Raised | £128.0M (£123.2M) | ▲ 3.9% | £95.2M (£101.3M) | ▼ 6.0% | £32.9M (£21.9M) | ▲ 49.8% |
Northern Ireland
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 64 (39) | ▲ 64.1% | 62 (37) | ▲ 67.6% | 2 (2) | ▼ 0.0% |
| Lots Sold | 26 (19) | ▲ 36.8% | 24 (18) | ▲ 33.3% | 2 (1) | ▲ 100.0% |
| Percent Sold | 40.6% (48.7%) | ▼ 16.6% | 38.7% (48.6%) | ▼ 20.4% | 100.0% (50.0%) | ▲ 100.0% |
| Total Raised | £2.7M (£2.4M) | ▲ 12.2% | £2.5M (£2.1M) | ▲ 20.9% | £0.2M (£0.3M) | ▼ 40.8% |
Scotland
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 279 (308) | ▼ 9.4% | 197 (220) | ▼ 10.5% | 82 (88) | ▼ 6.8% |
| Lots Sold | 117 (84) | ▲ 39.3% | 90 (61) | ▲ 47.5% | 27 (23) | ▲ 17.4% |
| Percent Sold | 41.9% (27.3%) | ▲ 53.5% | 45.7% (27.7%) | ▲ 65.0% | 32.9% (26.1%) | ▲ 26.1% |
| Total Raised | £13.1M (£16.6M) | ▼ 20.8% | £7.9M (£6.3M) | ▲ 25.1% | £5.2M (£10.3M) | ▼ 49.0% |
South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,372 (1,379) | ▼ 0.5% | 1,248 (1,249) | ▼ 0.1% | 124 (130) | ▼ 4.6% |
| Lots Sold | 954 (1,005) | ▼ 5.1% | 866 (899) | ▼ 3.7% | 88 (106) | ▼ 17.0% |
| Percent Sold | 69.5% (72.9%) | ▼ 4.7% | 69.4% (72.0%) | ▼ 3.6% | 71.0% (81.5%) | ▼ 12.9% |
| Total Raised | £243.2M (£234.8M) | ▲ 3.6% | £201.3M (£184.6M) | ▲ 9.0% | £41.9M (£50.2M) | ▼ 16.5% |
South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 794 (696) | ▲ 14.1% | 690 (615) | ▲ 12.2% | 104 (81) | ▲ 28.4% |
| Lots Sold | 585 (503) | ▲ 16.3% | 505 (441) | ▲ 14.5% | 80 (62) | ▲ 29.0% |
| Percent Sold | 73.7% (72.3%) | ▲ 1.9% | 73.2% (71.7%) | ▲ 2.1% | 76.9% (76.5%) | ▲ 0.5% |
| Total Raised | £120.6M (£96.2M) | ▲ 25.4% | £102.9M (£71.6M) | ▲ 43.7% | £17.6M (£24.6M) | ▼ 28.2% |
Wales
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 520 (471) | ▲ 10.4% | 455 (404) | ▲ 12.6% | 65 (67) | ▼ 3.0% |
| Lots Sold | 326 (312) | ▲ 4.5% | 282 (263) | ▲ 7.2% | 44 (49) | ▼ 10.2% |
| Percent Sold | 62.7% (66.2%) | ▼ 5.3% | 62.0% (65.1%) | ▼ 4.8% | 67.7% (73.1%) | ▼ 7.4% |
| Total Raised | £43.5M (£36.6M) | ▲ 18.9% | £32.1M (£29.5M) | ▲ 8.8% | £11.4M (£7.1M) | ▲ 60.8% |
West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 908 (909) | ▼ 0.1% | 837 (796) | ▲ 5.2% | 71 (113) | ▼ 37.2% |
| Lots Sold | 654 (712) | ▼ 8.1% | 599 (633) | ▼ 5.4% | 55 (79) | ▼ 30.4% |
| Percent Sold | 72.0% (78.3%) | ▼ 8.0% | 71.6% (79.5%) | ▼ 9.9% | 77.5% (69.9%) | ▲ 10.9% |
| Total Raised | £113.3M (£112.0M) | ▲ 1.2% | £94.6M (£88.6M) | ▲ 6.8% | £18.7M (£23.4M) | ▼ 20.0% |
Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| January 2025 to March 2025 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 721 (779) | ▼ 7.4% | 622 (694) | ▼ 10.4% | 99 (85) | ▲ 16.5% |
| Lots Sold | 539 (585) | ▼ 7.9% | 467 (520) | ▼ 10.2% | 72 (65) | ▲ 10.8% |
| Percent Sold | 74.8% (75.1%) | ▼ 0.4% | 75.1% (74.9%) | ▲ 0.3% | 72.7% (76.5%) | ▼ 5.0% |
| Total Raised | £73.8M (£66.8M) | ▲ 10.5% | £48.2M (£50.1M) | ▼ 3.7% | £25.5M (£16.7M) | ▲ 53.1% |
The figures are based on sales data provided to EIG by the auctioneers.
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