Property auction activity cooled in July after the stronger performance recorded a month earlier, with fewer properties selling and the national success rate falling to 64.7%.
The latest figures from Essential Information Group (EIG) show the number of lots offered fell 2.4% year-on-year, while lots sold dropped by a sharper 8.8%. The value of property sold at auction also declined, with total funds raised falling 18.6% to £540m.
The slowdown reflected softer conditions across the wider housing market. Rightmove reported that buyer demand in July was 6% lower than a year earlier.
Commercial auctions proved more resilient, with both lots offered and lots sold remaining slightly above last year’s levels.
Performance also varied significantly by region. London and the South West recorded some of the strongest growth during the three months from May to July.
Yorkshire and the Humber also remained ahead of last year, while Scotland continued to record strong growth from a lower base.
The East Midlands and North East experienced weaker sales volumes, while several regions also recorded a decline in the total value of property sold.
EIG’s managing director, David Sandeman, said: “Overall, July represents a softer month following the particularly strong results recorded in June, with the slowdown reflecting similar trends across the wider property market. However, the longer-term picture remains positive, with lots offered and sold over the past 12 months up 11.7% and 10.1% respectively.
“As the market moves into August, activity would typically be expected to ease during the summer holiday period, before picking up again into the autumn auction calendar.”
National Auction Analysis
Overall
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| July 2026 | May 2026 to July 2026 | August 2025 to July 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 4,424 (4,532) | ▼ 2.4% | 12,465 (11,300) | ▲ 10.3% | 44,773 (40,082) | ▲ 11.7% |
| Lots Sold | 2,864 (3,140) | ▼ 8.8% | 8,267 (7,787) | ▲ 6.2% | 30,787 (27,960) | ▲ 10.1% |
| Percent Sold | 64.7% (69.3%) | ▼ 6.6% | 66.3% (68.9%) | ▼ 3.8% | 68.8% (69.8%) | ▼ 1.4% |
| Total Raised | £540.0M (£663.2M) | ▼ 18.6% | £1,624.7M (£1,596.6M) | ▲ 1.8% | £6,086.6M (£5,633.5M) | ▲ 8.0% |
Residential
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| July 2026 | May 2026 to July 2026 | August 2025 to July 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 3,903 (4,017) | ▼ 2.8% | 10,939 (10,042) | ▲ 8.9% | 39,635 (35,515) | ▲ 11.6% |
| Lots Sold | 2,514 (2,796) | ▼ 10.1% | 7,206 (6,931) | ▲ 4.0% | 27,268 (24,805) | ▲ 9.9% |
| Percent Sold | 64.4% (69.6%) | ▼ 7.5% | 65.9% (69.0%) | ▼ 4.5% | 68.8% (69.8%) | ▼ 1.4% |
| Total Raised | £442.4M (£541.2M) | ▼ 18.3% | £1,323.7M (£1,306.7M) | ▲ 1.3% | £4,985.5M (£4,568.2M) | ▲ 9.1% |
Commercial
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| July 2026 | May 2026 to July 2026 | August 2025 to July 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 521 (515) | ▲ 1.2% | 1,526 (1,258) | ▲ 21.3% | 5,138 (4,567) | ▲ 12.5% |
| Lots Sold | 350 (344) | ▲ 1.7% | 1,061 (856) | ▲ 23.9% | 3,519 (3,155) | ▲ 11.5% |
| Percent Sold | 67.2% (66.8%) | ▲ 0.6% | 69.5% (68.0%) | ▲ 2.2% | 68.5% (69.1%) | ▼ 0.9% |
| Total Raised | £97.6M (£121.9M) | ▼ 19.9% | £301.0M (£289.9M) | ▲ 3.8% | £1,101.1M (£1,065.3M) | ▲ 3.4% |
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)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 604 (629) | ▼ 4.0% | 558 (574) | ▼ 2.8% | 46 (55) | ▼ 16.4% |
| Lots Sold | 410 (410) | ▼ 0.0% | 375 (369) | ▲ 1.6% | 35 (41) | ▼ 14.6% |
| Percent Sold | 67.9% (65.2%) | ▲ 4.1% | 67.2% (64.3%) | ▲ 4.5% | 76.1% (74.5%) | ▲ 2.1% |
| Total Raised | £84.0M (£73.5M) | ▲ 14.4% | £75.3M (£62.8M) | ▲ 20.0% | £8.7M (£10.7M) | ▼ 18.3% |
East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 878 (875) | ▲ 0.3% | 776 (767) | ▲ 1.2% | 102 (108) | ▼ 5.6% |
| Lots Sold | 556 (606) | ▼ 8.3% | 488 (532) | ▼ 8.3% | 68 (74) | ▼ 8.1% |
| Percent Sold | 63.3% (69.3%) | ▼ 8.7% | 62.9% (69.4%) | ▼ 9.4% | 66.7% (68.5%) | ▼ 2.6% |
| Total Raised | £84.9M (£104.3M) | ▼ 18.6% | £70.6M (£77.6M) | ▼ 9.1% | £14.4M (£26.7M) | ▼ 46.2% |
London
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,033 (830) | ▲ 24.5% | 967 (749) | ▲ 29.1% | 66 (81) | ▼ 18.5% |
| Lots Sold | 778 (614) | ▲ 26.7% | 725 (550) | ▲ 31.8% | 53 (64) | ▼ 17.2% |
| Percent Sold | 75.3% (74.0%) | ▲ 1.8% | 75.0% (73.4%) | ▲ 2.2% | 80.3% (79.0%) | ▲ 1.6% |
| Total Raised | £342.5M (£290.1M) | ▲ 18.1% | £305.0M (£247.0M) | ▲ 23.5% | £37.5M (£43.1M) | ▼ 12.8% |
North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 680 (700) | ▼ 2.9% | 634 (636) | ▼ 0.3% | 46 (64) | ▼ 28.1% |
| Lots Sold | 436 (483) | ▼ 9.7% | 407 (436) | ▼ 6.7% | 29 (47) | ▼ 38.3% |
| Percent Sold | 64.1% (69.0%) | ▼ 7.1% | 64.2% (68.6%) | ▼ 6.4% | 63.0% (73.4%) | ▼ 14.2% |
| Total Raised | £42.0M (£40.9M) | ▲ 2.9% | £31.3M (£31.4M) | ▼ 0.4% | £10.7M (£9.4M) | ▲ 13.8% |
North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,892 (1,705) | ▲ 11.0% | 1,703 (1,557) | ▲ 9.4% | 189 (148) | ▲ 27.7% |
| Lots Sold | 1,239 (1,208) | ▲ 2.6% | 1,122 (1,097) | ▲ 2.3% | 117 (111) | ▲ 5.4% |
| Percent Sold | 65.5% (70.9%) | ▼ 7.6% | 65.9% (70.5%) | ▼ 6.5% | 61.9% (75.0%) | ▼ 17.5% |
| Total Raised | £156.2M (£167.4M) | ▼ 6.7% | £132.1M (£143.2M) | ▼ 7.8% | £24.1M (£24.2M) | ▼ 0.6% |
North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 756 (754) | ▲ 0.3% | 666 (683) | ▼ 2.5% | 90 (71) | ▲ 26.8% |
| Lots Sold | 525 (544) | ▼ 3.5% | 457 (496) | ▼ 7.9% | 68 (48) | ▲ 41.7% |
| Percent Sold | 69.4% (72.1%) | ▼ 3.7% | 68.6% (72.6%) | ▼ 5.5% | 75.6% (67.6%) | ▲ 11.8% |
| Total Raised | £149.6M (£167.0M) | ▼ 10.4% | £115.5M (£128.0M) | ▼ 9.8% | £34.1M (£39.0M) | ▼ 12.5% |
Northern Ireland
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 71 (86) | ▼ 17.4% | 51 (68) | ▼ 25.0% | 20 (18) | ▲ 11.1% |
| Lots Sold | 36 (32) | ▲ 12.5% | 28 (23) | ▲ 21.7% | 8 (9) | ▼ 11.1% |
| Percent Sold | 50.7% (37.2%) | ▲ 36.3% | 54.9% (33.8%) | ▲ 62.4% | 40.0% (50.0%) | ▼ 20.0% |
| Total Raised | £4.2M (£3.8M) | ▲ 9.2% | £3.2M (£2.8M) | ▲ 14.6% | £1.0M (£1.1M) | ▼ 4.7% |
Scotland
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 415 (301) | ▲ 37.9% | 309 (182) | ▲ 69.8% | 106 (119) | ▼ 10.9% |
| Lots Sold | 157 (107) | ▲ 46.7% | 123 (76) | ▲ 61.8% | 34 (31) | ▲ 9.7% |
| Percent Sold | 37.8% (35.5%) | ▲ 6.5% | 39.8% (41.8%) | ▼ 4.8% | 32.1% (26.1%) | ▲ 23.0% |
| Total Raised | £19.3M (£11.4M) | ▲ 69.3% | £11.9M (£5.5M) | ▲ 116.0% | £7.4M (£5.9M) | ▲ 25.9% |
South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,796 (1,734) | ▲ 3.6% | 1,595 (1,588) | ▲ 0.4% | 201 (146) | ▲ 37.7% |
| Lots Sold | 1,188 (1,152) | ▲ 3.1% | 1,042 (1,053) | ▼ 1.0% | 146 (99) | ▲ 47.5% |
| Percent Sold | 66.1% (66.4%) | ▼ 0.5% | 65.3% (66.3%) | ▼ 1.5% | 72.6% (67.8%) | ▲ 7.1% |
| Total Raised | £274.3M (£278.8M) | ▼ 1.6% | £222.1M (£230.0M) | ▼ 3.5% | £52.3M (£48.7M) | ▲ 7.3% |
South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,358 (1,084) | ▲ 25.3% | 1,078 (946) | ▲ 14.0% | 280 (138) | ▲ 102.9% |
| Lots Sold | 973 (802) | ▲ 21.3% | 749 (701) | ▲ 6.8% | 224 (101) | ▲ 121.8% |
| Percent Sold | 71.6% (74.0%) | ▼ 3.2% | 69.5% (74.1%) | ▼ 6.2% | 80.0% (73.2%) | ▲ 9.3% |
| Total Raised | £182.2M (£150.6M) | ▲ 21.0% | £135.5M (£126.9M) | ▲ 6.8% | £46.7M (£23.7M) | ▲ 96.8% |
Wales
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 734 (649) | ▲ 13.1% | 593 (563) | ▲ 5.3% | 141 (86) | ▲ 64.0% |
| Lots Sold | 441 (427) | ▲ 3.3% | 346 (364) | ▼ 4.9% | 95 (63) | ▲ 50.8% |
| Percent Sold | 60.1% (65.8%) | ▼ 8.7% | 58.3% (64.7%) | ▼ 9.9% | 67.4% (73.3%) | ▼ 8.0% |
| Total Raised | £59.9M (£53.0M) | ▲ 13.0% | £40.9M (£40.4M) | ▲ 1.2% | £19.0M (£12.6M) | ▲ 51.1% |
West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,245 (1,093) | ▲ 13.9% | 1,106 (964) | ▲ 14.7% | 139 (129) | ▲ 7.8% |
| Lots Sold | 836 (802) | ▲ 4.2% | 726 (706) | ▲ 2.8% | 110 (96) | ▲ 14.6% |
| Percent Sold | 67.1% (73.4%) | ▼ 8.6% | 65.6% (73.2%) | ▼ 10.4% | 79.1% (74.4%) | ▲ 6.3% |
| Total Raised | £135.8M (£144.7M) | ▼ 6.2% | £108.9M (£118.8M) | ▼ 8.3% | £26.8M (£25.9M) | ▲ 3.8% |
Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| May 2026 to July 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,003 (860) | ▲ 16.6% | 903 (765) | ▲ 18.0% | 100 (95) | ▲ 5.3% |
| Lots Sold | 692 (600) | ▲ 15.3% | 618 (528) | ▲ 17.0% | 74 (72) | ▲ 2.8% |
| Percent Sold | 69.0% (69.8%) | ▼ 1.1% | 68.4% (69.0%) | ▼ 0.9% | 74.0% (75.8%) | ▼ 2.4% |
| Total Raised | £89.6M (£111.1M) | ▼ 19.3% | £71.5M (£92.2M) | ▼ 22.5% | £18.1M (£18.9M) | ▼ 3.9% |
Disclaimer: The figures are based on sales data provided to EIG by the auctioneers.
