The North West continues to perform well in a competitive auction market
With increasing revenues for vendors and strong interest from buyers, auctions continue to grow as a proven method of selling property across the UK.
As 2025 slowly draws to an end, we take a look at how the auction market performed over November and explore why selling at auction could be the right choice for our clients.
According to the Essential Information Group (EIG) (1), the October auction market delivered further growth, with a year-on-year increase in the number of lots for sale of 4.3%.
This slight dip in the volume of sales, while the income from sales has increased, points to a wider trend that we have seen throughout the property industry.
The combined factors of stubbornly elevated inflation and interest rates, political and economic uncertainty and seasonal slowdowns have caused buyers to approach the market more cautiously.
However, what we are seeing is that once these buyers commit to purchasing, they are doing so with greater consideration.
As buyers became more cautious ahead of the Autumn Budget, residential sales have shifted from driving the auction market forward to a more levelled standing.
Despite some strong months throughout the year, the number of residential lots sold during October 2025 was flat, following an increase of 2.6% for the August to October period.
Between November 2024 and October 2025, the number of lots shrank slightly by 0.6%.
However, the revenue from sales increased by 7.1% during October 2025, while yearly auction revenues were up by 3.2%. This strongly suggests that a combination of buyer interest and shrewd pricing is ensuring that the auction market maintains its current momentum.
After previously trailing behind residential sales, commercial property sales reported a marked uptick during October 2025.
In an impressively buoyant month for commercial sales, the number of lots offered, total lots sold, percentage sold, and revenue raised all increased during October.
With 24% (352) more commercial properties compared to the comparative period last year, resulting in a 27% jump in revenue, it appears that investors are increasingly engaging with commercial lots as money-making opportunities.
Whether buyers are purchasing these properties as commercial lets or as renovation projects in light of Rachel Reeves’s Autumn Budget remains to be seen, but in either case, it appears that savvy investors are currently showing a keen interest in investment properties.
The UK property market has been defined by regional differences throughout much of 2025, and the auction sector is no different.
For example, EIG data shows that the South East and Home Counties provided a solid performance between August and October 2025, with an increase of 15% in lots offered for sale and a 22.4% increase in revenue compared to the same period last year.
Conversely, the North East continues to show a slowdown in auction activity, with a fall of 23% in sales between August and October 2025 compared to last year.
This represents a decrease of 31% in revenue.
As of November 2025, the auction market across the North West continues to deliver good results for vendors.
With 1,556 lots offered for sale (an increase of 0.8% on last year) between August and October 2025, the North West remains one of the UK’s most active regions for auction sales.
In contrast to national trends, residential lots continue to drive auction sales in the North West, with all metrics continuing to show strong growth for auction sales, including a 3.9% increase in revenue compared to August to October 2024.
The North West has previously earned a reputation for being a ‘rental and investment powerhouse’, with a large renting population and an abundance of rental properties available for purchase at competitive prices.
This may account for a 2.1% fall in the number of commercial lots selling compared to this time last year, as buyers focus on rental and residential purchases.
During our 12th-13th November online property auction, we sold 32 properties, generating over £5 million for our grateful vendors.
Although residential properties remain popular at auction, our proven sales process means that the Edward Mellor team can sell any property in any condition at auction.
These include everything from unmortgageable properties and renovation projects to development plots and commercial units.
Highmead Street, Greater Manchester, is just one example of the mixed-use and commercial lots we sell at Edward Mellor Auction
If you are looking to sell your property at auction, speak to our auction experts today. Edward Mellor is a leading national property auction house and the only local organisation that combines auction, estate agency, and financial services under one roof.
If you are interested in selling at our next, or one of our upcoming property auctions, why not book a free property appraisal using the link below?
No matter what kind of property, we are experts at selling at auction, and we can help you get a great price for your property in only 28 days. Contact us today for a no-obligation appraisal.
(1) – Essential Auction News
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