The property auction market has undergone significant change, rapidly growing in popularity over the past decade.
According to the Essential Information Group (EIG) in its Property auction Insights June 2025 report (1), online property auctions accounted for as many as 52% of all auction transactions during 2024.
Livestream auctions represented 37% of sales, while in-room auctions made just 11% of sales.
The rise of online property auctions can be traced back to the mid-1990s. EIG launched its online property portal in 1996, followed by dedicated in-room auction software in 1998.
In 2014, EIG launched its fully online auction service for the first time. However, despite the gradual introduction of new technologies, in-room auction sales continued to dominate sales until 2019.
The major shift in the market came in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to EIG, in-room auction sales dropped to just over 4000, while online auctions dramatically increased to over 10,000 sales.
Live-stream only events also performed well during this period, but online property markets were the clear market leader.
As of 2024, the online property market was almost an inverse of what it was in 2015. Online auction sales reached as many as 20,000 that year, with livestream auctions following with around 13,000 sales.
In recent years, we’ve observed several changes to the property market that have further driven the momentum of auction sales.
Changes to rental legislation have caused some landlords to exit the market, turning to property auctions to divest their assets quickly.
Conversely, this has also led to savvy investors taking advantage of the increase in housing stock to grow their existing portfolios or secure promising investment properties.
The availability of properties at auction has also attracted more buyers looking to secure their first home, which has driven competition between buyers.
Arguably, the auction market for homes is more lively now than ever before.
Although there is some regional variation in the popularity of live-streamed auctions (particularly in the West and East Midlands), online property auctions continue to dominate sales across the UK.
Within the North West, online property auctions are the clear leader for property sales.
The region achieved 2,595 sales during 2024, compared to 1,300 livestream orders and 452 in-room sales during the same year.
The North West also represents one of the UK’s leading regions in terms of auction sales, with 946 auction sales achieved during Q1 2025.
Only the South East Home Counties achieved more sales, with 962 lots sold during the same period. The West Midlands was the next closest-performing region, with 654 lots sold.
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.
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