Property news: Auction round up 2026

"Inflation and interest rate expectations will remain the key drivers of investor sentiment over the remainder of the year, but there remains a significant pool of cash-rich investors actively seeking opportunities where pricing reflects current market conditions. We expect demand to remain strongest for well-let retail, industrial and other income-producing assets offering secure returns, while experienced investors continue to see opportunity in more complex value-add acquisitions. Despite wider market uncertainty, we expect auction activity to remain robust as buyers and sellers continue to value the certainty and speed that the sector provides.

"Our July commercial auction delivered another strong result, raising £40.9 million and achieving an 80 per cent success rate, taking year-to-date sales to £206 million. Investor demand remained particularly strong for well-priced assets, with competitive bidding driving an average uplift of 9 per cent above reserve and 10 lots selling for more than £1 million. The strength of regional markets was also evident, with almost 60 per cent of total value generated outside London and the south east, highlighting the continued appetite for quality investment opportunities across the UK."

Allsop’s next residential auction will take place on October 22 and its next commercial auction on October 7.

McHugh’s sale on June 30 and July 1 went well, achieving a 70 per cent success rate and raising £28 million.

“As we look ahead to the remainder of the year,” says James McHugh, “we expect the property market to remain active, with a particularly strong finish driven by sustained buyer demand. Well-priced residential and commercial lots are expected to attract significant interest as purchasers continue to seek quality opportunities in a competitive market.

“Pricing will remain a key factor in achieving successful outcomes. Properties that are guided realistically and aligned with current market conditions are likely to generate the strongest competition. We anticipate continued confidence from owner-occupiers, investors and developers, particularly for assets that offer value, development potential, or strong income prospects.

“For vendors, the coming months present an excellent opportunity to bring property to market, supported by healthy buyer enquiry and the transparency and certainty that the auction process provides. As always, careful pricing, effective marketing and expert guidance will be essential in maximising results.

“With demand expected to remain robust through year-end, we are optimistic that the market will continue to reward quality properties that are presented well and priced to meet buyer expectations.”

Recently-sold properties include a substantial semi-detached house converted to three self-contained flats requiring modernisation, in Chiswick, west London. The guide price was £1,300,000-plus and it sold for £1,462,000. The property was sold by order of the administrators and had been in the same family ownership for 50 years.

In Bowes Park, north London, freehold part-vacant buildings arranged as six self-contained flats were sold for £2,050,000 (guide price £1,800,000-plus)

A four-bedroom terraced house in Manchester, needing modernisation, was sold for £147,000 (guide price was £70,000-plus).

McHugh’s next auction will be online on September 17.

The auction market demonstrated remarkable resilience over the first half of 2026, says Robin Howeson, head of Savills auctions. “Against a backdrop of muted economic growth, ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and significant regulatory change across both the residential and commercial sectors, we raised more than £470 million and sold 1,591 lots, delivering another record-breaking first half for the business.

“The year began particularly strongly, raising more than £85 million in our January auction alone, followed by two successful February sales that collectively generated over £125 million. While transaction volumes and funds raised moderated through the spring, performance remained robust, reflecting a market that continues to value transparency, certainty and speed of execution.

“The wider market had plenty to contend with during the first six months of the year. Heightened uncertainty in the Middle East brought renewed concerns around inflation and borrowing costs, while major legislative changes, including the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act and wider proposed leasehold and commercial property reforms, created additional considerations for investors and landlords. Despite these headwinds, auction activity remained strong, with our overall sales success rate broadly in line with the ten-year average.

“We have, however, seen a more selective approach from bidders. Investors are becoming increasingly discerning, with regulatory changes alongside wider economic considerations driving greater focus on asset quality, location and future performance. This has reinforced the importance of sensible pricing and robust due diligence, with the strongest competition concentrated around properties where value is clearly evident.

“As always, our auctions continue to bring a diversity of stock and granular assets to the market. From prime London residential assets and large industrial estates to lower-value homes across the regions, auctions continued to provide an effective route to market for a broad range of property types. Commercial lots also performed well, demonstrating that auctions are becoming an increasingly important sales channel not only for traditional retail and mixed-use investments, but also for larger office and industrial opportunities.

“What's clear is that auctions continue to play an increasingly important role in the market. In times of uncertainty, buyers and sellers are drawn to the certainty, transparency and flexibility the auction process provides. As we look ahead, economic and political uncertainty is likely to persist, but well-priced assets that offer clear value and strong fundamentals should continue to attract competitive demand.”

Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, Howeson says Savills expects the auction market to remain active despite a backdrop of continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Borrowing costs remain elevated by historic standards and ongoing global tensions continue to influence investor sentiment. However, buyer appetite for well-priced opportunities remains strong, particularly where assets offer clear value, income security or future potential.

“We anticipate a healthy flow of stock coming to market over the remainder of the year, including continued housing association disposals and an increasing number of receivership and insolvency-related instructions. Residential properties requiring refurbishment or offering development potential are expected to continue attracting interest, particularly in well-connected regional locations, although higher build costs and ongoing viability pressures may continue to present challenges for the residential development sector.

“Across the commercial market, demand is expected to remain focused on assets with strong fundamentals. Retail investments let to secure tenants, mixed-use opportunities and income-producing assets continue to attract competitive bidding, while larger and more complex properties are increasingly coming to auction as vendors seek the certainty, transparency and defined timescales that the auction process provides.

“However, where assets are well-positioned and vendors remain realistic in their pricing expectations, we continue to see strong levels of competition and buyer engagement. As the market continues to recalibrate, auctions remain an effective route to market, providing the transparency, speed and certainty that buyers and sellers increasingly value.”

Savills held the second of its July auctions on the 28th and 29th, raising more than £38 million from the sale of 134 lots. Across both auctions, total sales for the month exceeded £80 million, with commercial assets accounting for 28 per cent of the total.

Leading the sale was a terraced property in Tooting (Lot 150), comprising a four-bedroom flat and a one-bedroom garden flat, which achieved £1.05 million. In good decorative order throughout, the property offered an excellent investment opportunity, attracting strong bidder interest.

Residential highlights also included Lot 5: a grade II listed mid-terraced property in Liverpool, configured as five self-contained one-bedroom flats, which attracted significant interest and sold for more than double its £165,000 guide price. Offering development potential (subject to the necessary consents), the lot achieved a hammer price of £409,000.

Lot 9: A three-bedroom mid-terrace house in Bow, in good decorative order and with a private garden and outbuilding, sold for £895,000, exceeding its original guide price by more than £100,000.

Lot 121: A three-bedroom semi-detached house in Dulwich, with front and side gardens and requiring modernisation throughout, proved an attractive opportunity for end-users looking to add value and create a family home. Following competitive bidding, the property sold for £505,000.

Among commercial highlights, Lot 200: the former Station Buildings in Newport, a high-yielding office investment offering both asset management and development potential, sold prior to auction. The property is currently let to Newport City Council, generating an annual income of £317,250.

Lot 202: A freehold mixed-use building in Wandsworth, comprising a ground floor retail unit and two substantial flats on the upper floors, attracted strong interest from investors seeking asset management and value-add opportunities. The property achieved a hammer price of £650,000.

A two bed property in Wandsworth sold by Savills[Missing Credit]

Lot 215: At around 280,799 sq ft, an industrial site in Gateshead was the largest lot in the auction. It generated strong demand and was sold prior to auction for a sum well in excess of its £500,000 guide price.

Nicholson Boyd, head of Savills commercial auctions, says: “Investor demand for commercial assets remained strong in our latest auction, with many buyers seeking to secure opportunities ahead of auction day. This reflects continued confidence in the sector and a willingness among investors to move quickly when the right opportunities arise.

“For sellers, the pre-auction process offers the best of both worlds: strong pricing, backed by a legally binding auction contract and the certainty of a committed buyer. The level of activity ahead of the sale demonstrates the depth of capital seeking quality commercial investments and the confidence buyers have in the auction method."

Jeremy Lamb, a director within Savills Auctions, adds: “Buyer appetite for residential property remains encouraging, particularly where pricing is realistic and opportunities are clearly defined. In our latest auction, we saw strong engagement from both owner-occupiers and investors, with attractive and well-located homes attracting significant interest and competitive bidding. Demand was especially strong in London and key regional markets, where buyers were prepared to act decisively to secure properties offering good value.”

Savills’s next sale will take place on September 15 with another  planned for September 29.

At Clive Emson, Sam Kinloch, director and senior auction valuer says the past six months have been positive for the auction market, with a strong start to the year. “From our perspective at Clive Emson Auctioneers, there has been a good level of fresh and virgin stock coming forward and importantly, there are still plenty of buyers out there.

“It is certainly a more price-sensitive market than we have seen previously. Buyers are doing their homework, looking very closely at the numbers and where they feel something is overpriced, they are quite prepared to walk away. But that doesn't mean there isn't demand. If a property is sensibly guided and offers genuine value or an opportunity to add value, we are still seeing strong competition.”

Clive Emson has also continued to see a broad range of property coming through auctions. “It isn't just the preconceived idea of traditional repossessions or properties requiring refurbishment,” says Kinloch. “We are selling everything from development sites and investment properties to commercial buildings, land and some unusual properties.

“That variety is one of the things that continues to make the auction market particularly interesting. There are opportunities for a much wider range of buyers.”

He expects the next six months to remain busy, but says success will be determined by a market where pricing is absolutely key.

“There is a still a large amount of property coming to market, and I think we will continue to see landlords, private sellers, local authorities and statutory bodies reviewing their portfolios, particularly with the changes taking place in the private rented sector. Some will decide to hold on and adapt, while others will be look at selling.

“For buyers, this will continue to create some fantastic opportunities. There is still a huge amount of variety at auction and if buyers are prepared to do their due diligence, there are some will be some very interesting opportunities available to them.

“Over the past few years, we have seen buyers becoming much more discerning, not relying on guaranteed capital growth. The properties that are correctly priced, have a clear opportunity and have a complete legal pack will continue to draw interest.

“Summing up the next six months, I would say that demand will remain strong, however professionalism and pricing will remain key. With those in place, buyers and sellers will continue to benefit from the fast paced and transparent auction market.

“Our last auction continued to show the enduring demand for auction properties offering over 170 lots for our clients. What stood out to me was the variety of property and the level of competition on a number of different lots.

For example, Flat 6, Bay Court in Ventnor attracted 41 bids and eventually sold for £180,000 against a £150,000 guide. That's a good example of what happens when you have the right property at the right price.

“We also had a three-bedroom house at 21 Victoria Crescent, Ryde, which needed upgrading and refurbishment. That attracted 18 bids and sold for £162,000 against a £125,000 guide. Again, there was clearly a group of buyers who could see the potential and were prepared to compete for it.

“At the other end of the scale, Shangri-La at Charlwood, near Gatwick, was a particularly interesting lot. It was a substantial mixed-use site incorporating a farmhouse, stables, an exercise yard, sand school, woodland, farmland and other buildings. That sold for £1,302 million.

Shangri La front garden and outbuildings[Missing Credit]

“We also sold a 22-acre parcel of land at Whitstable for £1.1 million, which shows that there is still strong demand for larger land opportunities.

“There were some interesting London results too. A freehold building in Eltham comprising two ground floor flats, together with a reversionary ground rent, sold for £235,000, with the existing income at £26,400 per annum.

“And then there are the properties that make auction particularly interesting. We had everything from former care homes and churches to former funeral directors and pharmacies. We also had the Old Salehurst School in Robertsbridge, which was a particularly interesting property locally.

Old Salehurst School, Salehurst[Missing Credit]

“What auctions keep demonstrating is that there isn't only one type of auction buyer. We've got investors, developers, owner-occupiers, people looking for a project and buyers looking for something a little bit different.”

Clive Emson’s next auction concludes on September 24 from 11am with bidding live from September 22.

At Auction House London, director and auctioneer Andrew Binstock says: “The property auction market has been relatively resilient so far in 2026, although there has been a noticeable change in buyer behaviour. There is still plenty of money looking for property, but buyers are more selective, more price-sensitive and less willing to chase anything they feel is overvalued.

“We started the year strongly with our bespoke auction on January 28 and have maintained that standard throughout 2026. We have sold £241 million so far this year.

“Our two-day auction on July 29 and 30 raised £30,639,610 and achieved a 71 per cent sale rate. More importantly, there was a noticeable increase in confidence and competitive bidding. Properties that were priced correctly attracted multiple bidders and, on a number of lots, we saw buyers prepared to push well beyond the level at which bidding had started.

“The lesson from the first half of this year is that pricing has become absolutely crucial. There remains a very healthy appetite for property at auction, particularly vacant residential stock, investments with strong yields and properties where buyers can see an opportunity to add value. But sellers need to listen to the market. An attractive guide price and a realistic reserve create competition which is when the auction model is at its best.

“Looking ahead to the remainder of 2026, I am cautiously optimistic. July gave us a much stronger feeling than June and we are hopeful that momentum will continue through the autumn. If confidence continues to improve, I would expect the final few months of the year to be considerably busier.

“Our September two-day sale is already shaping up to be another bumper catalogue.

“For me, buyers have not disappeared. They are simply being more disciplined. Get the price right and there is still very strong competition in the auction room.
“The highlight sale of the year was Penguin House in Elstree – our largest ever single lot sale under the hammer at £5,375,000 (pic attached).”

The Acuitus commercial property auction database (cPad) research reports that 794 lots sold at auction across the UK during the first half of 2026 raising a total of £440 million.

Richard Auterac, chairman of Acuitus, says: “There is still strong, albeit selective, demand for well‑priced, income‑producing and value‑add assets in both London and selected areas across the country.

“Private investors will remain active, though somewhat cautious. They are likely to find attractive auction yields and bottom-of-the-cycle prices for certain property sectors such as high street shops and regional offices.

“Our sector will face some economic headwinds for the remainder of the year. The measures announced in the new chancellor’s October budget will be important in this respect.

“Some economic indicators are offering a little hope over the short to medium term. Without any further geopolitical shocks, it would appear that the Bank of England is content to hold interest rates where they are at 3.75 per cent. Investors will hope that this might mean a cut early in 2027 which would give the market a boost.”

London property continues to attract strong investor demand, says Auterac, particularly where assets combine secure income with value-add potential. “In the second quarter of this year, assets across the capital accounted for 35 per cent of total sales by value with £83.8 million of transactions. Although this was not a quarterly record for London, it continues the capital’s strong weighting within the auction market and remains above the four-year average of 33.1 per cent.

“A good example of what’s been selling is a freehold investment on Kilburn High Road occupied by Holland & Barrett at ground floor level and offering development opportunities on the part-vacant upper floors. It sold for £1.835 million while a prime ground rent investment on Great Portland Street achieved £805,000 – well above its guide price.

"London remains at the forefront of investors' thinking. Assets in strong locations continue to attract competitive bidding, particularly where there are opportunities to enhance value through development, refurbishment or active asset management.

“Offices have also been a notable feature of the market this year. Investor interest in well-located assets remains evident where pricing reflects occupier demand and future asset management opportunities. This was demonstrated by the sale of an office block in Welwyn Garden City which we sold for £1.895 million.

"While demand remains very selective, investors are showing growing confidence in London and well-located regional office assets."

Leisure pursuits are also important.

“The leisure investment theme which emerged strongly in 2025 has continued this year with investors attracted to assets backed by established operators and high-quality buildings,” Auterac says.

“At our June auction, we sold the Circuit and Steinbeck Shaw bar and nightclub in Cardiff on behalf of a major fund for £1.475 million. Originally constructed as the headquarters of the South Wales Institute of Engineers, the Grade II-listed building is a good example of the type of substantial leisure asset to which investors are attracted.”

The next Acuitus auction is on September 17.

Strettons’s sales held since the JC’s last auctions special in January have raised from £8 million to over £12 million per auction, says Andrew Brown, director of auctions.

“What stands out looking back is not the totals, which move around with the size of each catalogue, but the consistency underneath them,” he says. “Success rates have sat between 80 and 90 per cent across the period, steadily rising as the year progresses.

“The clearest theme has been appetite for income. Well-let commercial investments have been the lots drawing the most competition, often well beyond guide. In February a freehold commercial investment in Walthamstow took £1.365 million against a £1 million guide. In June a commercial investment and ground rent in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, producing £59,675 a year, sold for £710,000 against a £570,000 guide. In July a fully let retail investment on Stroud Green Road in Finsbury Park went to £835,000 from a guide of £370,000 plus, more than double.

Alongside that, smaller development opportunities have attracted real investor interest. A former council depot in Harlow guided at £27,500 sold for £170,000 in April, more than six times guide, and vacant development land in Bethnal Green went for nearly double its £40,000 guide in the same sale. The other change has been how early buyers are moving. A dozen lots sold prior to the July auction, including a site in Watford and properties across east London, Bristol and Poole.”

Brown expects the next six months to be “a reasonably strong period for the property auction market across the Strettons patch, although I would describe the market as selective rather than buoyant. Buyers remain active, but they are much more disciplined about value and increasingly focused on the fundamentals of an asset. For vendors, realistic pricing will therefore be critical: properties that are correctly guided and offer a clear route to value creation should continue to attract good competition, while those perceived to be overpriced are likely to struggle.

“The biggest influence on the market will be the cost and availability of finance. Bank Rate is currently 3.75 per cent, significantly below the levels seen at the height of the recent rate cycle, although the Bank of England is warning that inflationary pressures could rise again later this year. If financing conditions remain broadly stable, I expect this to give investors greater confidence as we move through the autumn and into 2027. In our part of London, I think there is particular depth of demand for residential investment, mixed-use property and smaller commercial assets where buyers can see a clear opportunity to add value.

“I also expect auction stock to remain relatively varied. There will continue to be the traditional auction properties; probate, vacant possession, refurbishment projects and assets requiring a degree of repositioning, but we are also likely to see more motivated sales from owners who have been holding assets through a period of higher financing and operating costs. The national auction market recorded £5.9bn of residential and commercial sales in 2025, up from £5.5 billion in 2024, with distressed stock accounting for more than a fifth of auction stock. I don't anticipate a return to the levels of distress seen during the financial crisis, but I do think motivated stock will remain an important feature of the market.

“Overall, I would expect transaction volumes to remain healthy over the next six months, with competition strongest for well-located, realistically priced assets where there is a compelling investment story. East London continues to benefit from its underlying fundamentals, but buyers are no longer prepared to overlook pricing simply because an asset is in a good location. The auction market is therefore likely to remain a very effective barometer of value; vendors who embrace the transparency and competitive tension of auction should be well placed to achieve strong results, while buyers will continue to see opportunities where conventional marketing has failed to find a meeting of minds.”

Strettons’s sale on July 28 raised £9.8 million with 89 per cent of lots sold, its best success rate of the year so far.

The standout was 63 Stroud Green Road in Finsbury Park, a fully let freehold retail investment guided at £370,000 plus, which sold for £835,000 after competitive bidding. In Edgware, a freehold shop with a self-contained flat above on Edgwarebury Lane was guided at £300,000 plus and made £550,000. A vacant two-bedroom flat at High Mount in Hendon achieved £304,000 against a £225,000 plus guide, and in Forest Gate a small retail investment on Dames Road producing £11,000 a year sold for £169,000 from a £110,000 plus guide.

Demand stretched well beyond London. A vacant two-bedroom terraced house in Ilford sold for £416,000 against a £250,000 plus guide, a terraced house on Wellfield Street in Warrington made £105,000 from £77,500 plus, and Grosvenor House in Hull, a vacant office building with planning permission for ten flats, sold for £300,000.

“The lots that generate the most interest are not always the most valuable,” says Brown. “Over the past six months the ones that have caught the public imagination have been a series of grade II listed former red telephone boxes, the K6 or Jubilee kiosks designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1930s to mark George V’s silver jubilee. Because they are listed, they generally cannot be moved. Whoever buys one buys a piece of street furniture that has to stay exactly where it is, which is a very unusual proposition in a property auction.

Former telephone boxes sold in Canterbury[Missing Credit]

“We offered a run of phone boxes in our February catalogue in Canterbury, Guildford and Enfield, with guides from £7,500 to £19,500 plus. The box outside Holy Trinity Church in Guildford sold for £8,000 to a local businessman who intends to fit a defibrillator and an emergency call button inside it. A pair at Westgate in Canterbury made £17,000 between them. In April a kiosk on Redcliffe Square in Kensington, opposite St Luke’s Church, was guided at £7,500 plus and sold for £14,500, close to double, with further boxes offered in Canterbury and Epping.

“Buyers have gone on to use them as coffee kiosks, florists, mini libraries, miniature art galleries and, most commonly, housing for defibrillators. They are cheap to buy by the standards of anything else in the room, they carry no ground rent or service charge and they put a small business on a prominent corner of a high street. That combination explains why they consistently sell above guide.

“Our September catalogue included a one-time tram shed and a former public toilet, so we look forward to the stories of how buyers intend to use these in the future.”

Strettons’s next sale is on October 29 at noon. The catalogue closes on October 9.