National property auctions ended 2025 on a high, with December delivering accelerated activity and the highest annual supply and sales volumes on record.
Data from Essential Information Group shows that auction momentum strengthened towards the end of the year, with lots offered in December up 14.2% year on year and lots sold rising by 15.1%.
Across the full year, a record 41,628 lots were brought to market, with 28,975 sold, marking the highest annual total ever recorded.
Total funds raised reached £5.9 billion in 2025, an increase of 7.1% on the previous year, underlining sustained demand for auction property despite wider economic and political uncertainty earlier in the year.
REGIONAL MARKETS
Regional performance in the final quarter was broadly positive, led by London, the South-East Home Counties, the South-West and the North-West Home Counties. London recorded particularly strong growth, with lots offered up 25.9% and funds raised climbing to £400.2 million.
The South-West also posted robust results, with lots sold increasing by 33.9% and total funds raised up 19.1%. The North-West remained the highest-volume regional market, with 1,032 lots sold during the quarter.
Although some areas, including the North-East and parts of the North-West Home Counties, saw softer success rates, higher supply levels and rising capital values helped maintain overall growth compared with the same period last year.
Year-end figures confirm that 2025 set new benchmarks for auction supply and sales volumes. With record levels of stock coming to market and the year closing strongly, the data suggests that a 30,000-lot sales year is now within reach, with 2026 emerging as a potential candidate to deliver that milestone.
David Sandeman, managing director of the Essential Information Group, says: “December delivered a strong finish to the year.
“The strength of supply and the way the year closed suggest that a 30,000-lot sales year is now within reach, with 2026 shaping up as a potential candidate to see that milestone delivered.”
MARKET CONFIDENCE RETURNS
Stuart Collar-Brown, president of NAVA Propertymark, says: “Considering the Autumn Budget cast considerable uncertainty over the housing market in general before November 2025, today’s figures indicate the renewed confidence in buyers and sellers as they opted to auction their properties once that unease was lifted after the Budget was announced.
“Auctions provide a fast, transparent route to sale and can bring forward properties that might otherwise remain unsold, helping to maintain momentum at a time when buyers and sellers are looking for greater certainty.”
FIXED TIMESCALE
And he adds: “Auctions are increasingly being used not just by investors, but by a broader range of sellers who value the clarity of a fixed timescale and a clear understanding of price.
“This can be particularly effective for properties that require refurbishment, are chain-free, or suit cash and mortgage-backed buyers who are ready to move quickly.
“Rising auction activity also demonstrates that the market continues to function and adjust to changing conditions. By offering an alternative pathway to sale, auctions support liquidity, encourage engagement from committed buyers, and help unlock stock that contributes to overall market activity.
“As part of a diverse housing market, auctions play an important role alongside traditional sales, providing choice and flexibility for consumers and supporting continued movement across the sector.”
